# US 8,771,264 B2 · Contact assessment of balloon catheters

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- Number: US 8,771,264 B2
- Document ID: US8771264B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/245,176
- Filed: 2008-10-03
- Published: 2009-01-29
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2005-05-13
- Assignees: Medtronic CryoCath LP
- Applicants: Marwan Abboud; Teresa Ann Mihalik; Johnny Al Asmar; Chadi Harmouche
- Inventors: Marwan Abboud; Teresa Ann Mihalik; Johnny Al Asmar; Chadi Harmouche
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771264B2

## CPC

- A61B 5/6885: {Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure}
- A61B 5/053: Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
- A61B 5/0538: invasively, e.g. using a catheter
- A61B 5/6886: {Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue}
- A61B 18/02: by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques
- A61B 2017/00026: {Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue}
- A61B 2017/00039: {Electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect}
- A61B 2017/00084: {Temperature}
- A61B 2017/22051: {with an inflatable part, e.g. balloon, for positioning, blocking, or immobilisation (A61B2017/22048, A61B2017/3486 take precedence)}
- A61B 2018/0022: {Balloons}
- A61B 2018/0212: {using an instrument inserted into a body lumen, e.g. catheter}
- A61B 2090/065: {for measuring contact or contact pressure}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A medical apparatus and system for determining contact assessment includes a catheter having an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end opposite the proximal end, and defining an injection lumen and an exhaust lumen, an expandable membrane defining a cooling chamber disposed at a point along the elongate body, the cooling chamber in fluid communication with the injection lumen and the exhaust lumen, and a contact assessment element which may be a temperature sensor located proximate the coolant return lumen for measuring an internal temperature of the chamber. The system may include the catheter, a console having a fluid supply, an exhaust path and at least one control mechanism operationally coupled to the temperature sensor for processing a temperature signal received from the temperature sensor. The apparatus and system can also have multiple electrodes to measure and process various impedances to determine contact assessment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A medical system for assessing contact between an expandable membrane and an area of target tissue, the medical system comprising:
a catheter including:
an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end opposite the proximal end, and defining an injection lumen and an exhaust lumen;
an expandable membrane defining a cooling chamber disposed at a point along the elongate body, the cooling chamber in fluid communication with the injection lumen and the exhaust lumen; and
a temperature sensor located within the cooling chamber and proximate the exhaust lumen, the temperature sensor sensing a temperature within the cooling chamber; and
a console including:
a fluid supply;
an exhaust path; and
at least one control mechanism in communication with the temperature sensor, the at least one control mechanism programmable to qualify contact between the expandable membrane and the area of target tissue based at least in part on the temperature within the cooling chamber sensed by the temperature sensor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the catheter further comprises a handle portion coupled to the proximal end of the elongate body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the handle portion includes identification circuitry.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the handle portion includes at least one pressure sensor in fluid communication with the cooling chamber.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the handle portion includes a blood sensor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the handle portion includes a pressure relief valve.