Surgical methods and apparatus for maintaining contact between tissue and electrophysiology elements and confirming whether a therapeutic lesion has been formed
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorDavid K. Swanson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Surgical systems, devices and methods including one or more tissue stimulation elements that, in some instances, may also be used for sensing purposes. Some of the surgical devices also include a tissue coagulation element.
Claims34
An apparatus for use with an electrophysiology device that includes a coagulation element for ablating tissue, the apparatus comprising:
- a main body;
- a suction region associated with the main body;
- a non-coagulative stimulation element on the main body;
- a stimulation energy sensing element on the main body, the suction region being between the non-coagulative stimulation element and the stimulation energy sensing element;
- and
- a connector located between the stimulation element and the stimulation energy sensing element, the connector being configured to secure the coagulation element of the electrophysiology device within the main body adjacent to the suction region.
A system for use with an electrophysiology device that includes a coagulation element for ablating tissue, the system comprising:
- a suction source;
- and
- an apparatus, adapted to be operably connected to the suction source, including a main body, a suction region associated with the main body, a non-coagulative stimulation element on the main body, a stimulation energy sensing element on the main body, the suction region being between the non-coagulative stimulation element and the stimulation energy sensing element, and a connector located between the stimulation element and the stimulation energy sensing element, the connector being configured to secure the coagulation element of the electrophysiology device within the main body adjacent to the suction region.
A system, comprising:
- an electrophysiology device including a support structure and a coagulation element for ablating tissue, the coagulation element being carried on the support structure;
- and
- a stimulation apparatus including a main body, a suction region associated with the main body, a non-coagulative stimulation element on the main body, a stimulation energy sensing element on the main body, the suction region being between the non-coagulative stimulation element and the stimulation sensing element, and a connector located between the stimulation element and the stimulation energy sensing element, the connector being configured to secure the coagulation element of the electrophysiology device within the main body adjacent to the suction region.
An apparatus for use with an electrophysiology device that includes a coagulation element for ablating tissue, the apparatus comprising:
- a main body defining a longitudinal axis;
- a suction region associated with the main body;
- a connector configured to secure the coagulation element of the electrophysiology device within the main body adjacent to the suction region;
- non-coagulative means, carried by the main body, for stimulating tissue that is adjacent to the main body and on one side of the longitudinal axis;
- and
- means, carried by the main body, for sensing stimulation energy in tissue that is adjacent to the main body and on the other side of the longitudinal axis, the suction region being between the non-coagulative means for stimulating tissue and the means for sensing stimulation energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.