Mapping catheter as well as mapping catheter apparatus and associated method

A mapping catheter apparatus for acquiring data along an area of an organ of a patient, comprising:

• a catheter tube comprising a distal area having a tip configured for introduction into and positioning along the organ;
• a thermosensor array formed in a grid structure adapted to be folded within the catheter tube during introduction and positioning along the organ and adapted to be unfolded outward and pushed forward of the tip to achieve contact with tissues of the organ on reaching a position along the organ intended for measurement, wherein the grid structure allows the passage of blood therethrough when positioned along the organ and comprises a net or a mesh that unfolds into a three-dimensional structure to contact a surface of the organ;
• wherein thermosensors in the array are distributed along a plurality of points of the grid structure across the surface area and not solely along a circumference thereof, including distributed in a direction pointing forward of the tip of the catheter tube when the grid structure is unfolded therefrom, to achieve contact with tissues simultaneously at a number of points in the area of the organ,
• wherein the thermosensors are arranged on the grid structure at a plurality of different radial distances from a given point along a longitudinal axis extending through the catheter tube and extending forward of the tip upon unfolding of the grid structure,
• wherein the thermosensors further provide temperature related, image forming data corresponding to a thermal gradient detected simultaneously across the area of the organ of the patient where the grid structure achieves contact with tissues;
• a control device, coupled to receive the image forming data from the thermosensors of the mapping catheter, configured to generate an image therefrom for display of a graphical presentation of thermal information over the area of the organ;
• and
• an image output device coupled to the control device via a data connection to display the graphical presentation as a multi-dimensional thermomap as a function of position data along the area of the organ.