Abstract:
This invention is an expandable electrode array (18) mountable to the distal end of a catheter (10). The expandable array includes a plurality of adjacent elongated segments (20) preformed with proximal, medial and distal hinge portions wherein at least one electrode (22) is mounted on at least one of the segments (20). Each of the plurality of peripheral segments (20) is integrally formed with a resilient conductive longitudinal core encapsulated in an electrically insulated material. A deployment mandrel (26) is operatively connected to each of the respective peripheral segments (20) whereby movement of the mandrel (26) in the proximal direction causes the respective peripheral segments (20) to bend outwardly about the proximal, medial and distal hinge portions to radially expand the segments (20) relative to one another so that the electrodes (22) moves to a predetermined transverse coplanar orientation.
Abstract:
A system for mapping electrical activity of a patient's heart includes a set of electrodes (19) spaced from the heart wall (18) and a set of electrodes (24, 26) in contact with the heart wall (18). Voltage measurements from the electrodes are used to generate three-dimensional and two-dimensional maps of the electrical activity of the heart.
Abstract:
An intracardiac electrical potential reference catheter (10) includes a proximal shaft section (14) in a distal flexible tip section (12). The flexible tip section shaped in a geometry suitable for performing intracardiac mapping and includes a plurality of electrodes (24, 26, 28, 30, 34) axially spaced-apart thereon. The shaft section is formed from a polymeric material (41) and includes a reinforcement layer, typically a stainless steel braid (44). The flexible tip section is also formed from a polymeric material (31) and is free from any braided reinforcement. A core wire (70) is attached to a proximal housing (22) on the catheter at one end and to a distal electrode tip (34) at the other end. In this way, the torque is transmitted along the length of the catheter by both the reinforced shaft and separately by the core wire.
Abstract:
This invention is a medical device. It is a multipolar catheter assembly (100) optionally in combination with a guidewire (300). Each of the catheter (100) and the guidewire (300) may be sheathed and have multiple electrodes (114, 306) at their distal ends (102, 322). Because of their size and flexibility, the catheter (100) and the guidewire (300), may be used at virtually any point within the vasculature particularly, however, within the cardiac arteries or veins, perhaps in conjunction with external electrocardiogram leads, tomap the body's electrical activity. When used in the heart, they may be used to determine the source of cardiac arrythmia. The intimate presence of the guidewire (300) or catheter (100) body in the cardiac vasculature allows the response time to changes in cardiac electrical activity to be very quick. The invention is also a method for mapping the electrical activity of the heart by use of one or more of these inventive guidewires (300) or catheters (100) in the cardiac arteries or veins. They may also be used to determine the local electrical activity of any site within the body, such as in the brain.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a cardiac catheter in the form of a tube (1) with electrodes (2) forming sensors, in which the sensors are prestressed outwards, and a fibre (4) fitted axially in the tube leaving a space (6) between the tube (1) and the fibre (4) for the introduction of rinsing fluid. It is the aim of the invention to construct the cardiac catheter in such a way that all regions of the heart can be adequetely rinsed with a physiological solution. This is attained by a foil (8) which is secured to the tube (1) and the sensors (2) in such a way that, with the sensors spread, it forms a funnel open at the top.
Abstract:
An electrogram analysis system and method for determining the quality of information gathered from electrical signals in biological tissue. The system comprises a catheter (14) having an array (16) of at least two electrodes (18) at its distal end, the electrodes (18) detecting electrical signals to a processor (28). The processor (28) processes the relayed signals into waveforms and computes a quality of the relayed signals. The quality of the relayed signals is used to select higher quality signals for further analysis, such as site of origin determination and mapping. The relayed signals from the electrodes (18) may also be used to determine a quality for a particular electrode channel. When the invention is used in cardiac applications, the relayed signal quality may comprise two components - a channel quality and a beat quality. The channel quality represents the value of information received from a particular electrode and channel, while the beat quality represents the value of a particular heart beat across all channels. The signal quality is displayed to the user. In cardiac applications, the channel quality can be displayed (34) in a format corresponding to the shape of the electrode array, with channel quality from each electrode positioned in a corresponding position on the display (30). The display (30) may also show the waveforms of the signal, such as the heart beat waveform (32) in a cardiac procedure.
Abstract:
An over-the-wire electrophysiology catheter which has an emitting electrode on the distal tip electrically connected to a source of high frequency electrical energy. The intravascular device is configured to be advanced through a patient's cardiac veins or coronary arteries and preferably is also provided with sensing electrodes for detecting electrical activity of the patient's heart from within a blood vessel of the heart. The device forms large lesions in tissue adjacent to the blood vessel in which the device is located without significantly damaging the blood vessel to effectively terminate signals causing arrhythmia.
Abstract:
A system for detecting electrical activity within a patient's heart comprising an elongated intravascular device (10), such as a catheter or guidewire, having a plurality of sensing electrodes (16) on a distal section of the elongated device to detect electrical activity from within a blood vessel of the patient's heart. The intravascular device has a first compact array (17) with a relatively small interelectrode spacing, such as less than 2 mm, and may have a second electrode array (20) with an interelectrode spacing much greater than the interelectrode spacing in the first array. The second electrode array may be used to detect the general region of the arrhythmogenic tissue and the first electrode array is used to provide a high resolution of the electrical detection to more accurately pinpoint the location of the arrhythmogenic site. When the general region of the arrhythmogenic focus is known, an intravascular device having a single array of electrodes with an interelectrode spacing of less than 2 mm may be used.
Abstract:
A method and system for detecting electrical activity within a patient's heart, particularly the electrical activity which causes arrhythmia, which includes a first intravascular device (40) such as a catheter or guidewire having a plurality of sensing electrodes (15) on a distal portion (14) thereof which is disposed within one location of the patient's coronary vasculature and a second intravascular device (11) such as a catheter or guidewire having a plurality of sensing electrodes (17) on a distal portion (16) thereof which is disposed within a second location of the patient's coronary vasculature to facilitate mapping the electrical activity of the patient's heart. Once the electrical activity has been mapped, therapeutic procedures can be initiated.
Abstract:
An elongate probe apparatus (20) for insertion into the body of a subject, comprising: a structure (24) having a substantially rigid configuration; a plurality of physiological sensors (26, 28, 30), which generate signals responsive to a physiological activity, said sensors (24, 28, 30) having substantially fixed positions on said structure (24) in said configuration; and one or more devices that generate position signals indicative of the positions of the physiological sensors on said structure in said configuration.