Abstract: A catheter for mapping and/or ablating continuous linear or circumferential lesions at the intersection of a generally flat structure, such as the left atrium, and the ostium of generally cavernous regions of the heart, including pulmonary vein and the pulmonary venous antrum, comprises a catheter body with an intermediate section that is connected to a tip assembly by a highly flexible section. The intermediate section has at its distal end a preformed section, e.g., a curve, the intermediate section being deflectable in a direction opposite to the curve. The highly flexible section presets the tip assembly at an off-axis and/or off-plane angles from the preformed section. Accordingly, the preformed section is adapted to sit in the region and the preset angles of the ablation assembly enable contact with surrounding tissue.

Abstract: An integrated catheter shaft with a guidewire and a radio frequency wire is used in a catheter to deliver radio frequency energy to a treatment site. The small entry wound and the long integrated catheter shaft allows a user to thread the shaft along a tortuous route along a spinal canal to reach a treatment site while causing a minimal amount of trauma to the patient.

Abstract: A system for measuring real-time tissue reflection spectral characteristics during ablation includes a catheter for collecting light reflected from tissue undergoing ablation, a detection component for separating constituent wavelengths of the collected light, a quantification apparatus for generating measured light intensity data of the collected light, and a processor for analyzing the data in relation to time. A method for monitoring formation of steam pop during ablation includes delivering light to tissue, delivering ablative energy to the tissue, measuring the reflectance spectral intensity of the tissue, and observing whether the measured reflectance spectral instensity (MRSI) initially increases in a specified time period followed by a decrease at a specified rate. If the MRSI does not decrease, delivery of ablation energy continues.

Abstract: A system and method that enable real-time optical measurements of tissue reflection spectral characteristics while performing ablation, involves the radiation of tissue and recapturing of light from the tissue to monitor changes in the reflected optical intensity as an indicator of steam formation in the tissue for prevention of steam pop. The system includes a catheter adapted to collect light reflected from tissue undergoing ablation, a detection component that identifies and separates constituent wavelengths of collected light, a quantification apparatus for generating measured light intensity data for the collected light, and a processor that analyses the measured light intensity data in relation to time. The system may include a graphical display and/or an audio output (e.g., speaker) that provide visual and/or audio alarm when the system infers formation of a steam pocket in the tissue.

Abstract: A catheter enables real-time light measurements, for example, without limitation, diffuse reflectance, fluorescence, etc., from biological materials, such as tissue (including blood), while performing RF ablation. The catheter tip design isolates illumination and collection paths such that light exits the catheter tip and travels through the tissue of interest (e.g., cardiac tissue or blood) before returning to the catheter tip. Such a design advantageously avoids saturation of the optical detector, and ensures diffusion of the illumination light within the medium of interest. The catheter has a catheter body and a tip electrode. The tip electrode has an exterior shell, an inner layer of diffuse material and a hollow cavity, wherein the inner layer is configured to transmit light outside the tip electrode to a tissue via a set of illumination openings in the shell wall and the hollow cavity is configured to receive light from the tissue via a set of collection openings in the shell wall and the inner layer.

Abstract: An integrated catheter shaft with a guidewire and a radio frequency wire is used in a catheter to deliver radio frequency energy to a treatment site. The small entry wound and the long integrated catheter shaft allows a user to thread the shaft along a tortuous route along a spinal canal to reach a treatment site while causing a minimal amount of trauma to the patient.

Abstract: A catheter with temperature sensing has a catheter body and a tip section with an integrated thermosistive temperature sensor on its outer surface. The temperature sensor includes a microfabricated thin film assembly of which one layer is a sensor layer of thermoresistive material. In one embodiment, the tip section has a flexible tubing with a temperature sensor on its outer surface. In another embodiment, the tip section has an extended tip electrode with a temperature sensor on its outer surface.

Abstract: A system for opto-pyrometric tissue temperature monitoring in real time. The system is adapted for cardiac ablation and tissue temperature measurement, having a catheter having a tip electrode adapted for RF ablation of cardiac tissue and an optical collector whose distal end is received in an opening formed in the tip electrode to detect black body radiation from the cardiac tissue. The system includes an optical detection system in communication with the optical collector, the optical processing system processing signals representative of a wavelength of at least a portion of the black body radiation to determine a tissue temperature. The incorporation of an optical collector within a catheter tip permits real time monitoring of tissue temperature during ablation and lesion formation to prevent critical thresholds in temperature associated with events that can damage tissue, including steam pop, thrombus, char, etc.

Abstract: A catheter for mapping and/or ablating continuous linear or circumferential lesions at the intersection of a generally flat structure, such as the left atrium, and the ostium of generally cavernous regions of the heart, including pulmonary vein and the pulmonary venous antrum, comprises a catheter body with an intermediate section that is connected to a tip assembly by a highly flexible section. The intermediate section has at its distal end a preformed section, e.g., a curve, the intermediate section being deflectable in a direction opposite to the curve. The highly flexible section presets the tip assembly at an off-axis and/or off-plane angles from the preformed section. Accordingly, the preformed section is adapted to sit in the region and the preset angles of the ablation assembly enable contact with surrounding tissue.

Abstract: A catheter is adapted to ablate tissue and provide optically-based lesion qualitative and quantitative monitoring, comprising a catheter body and a tip electrode distal the catheter body adapted for ablating tissue, the tip electrode having a shell and an alignment member defining a hollow distal portion therebetween. In accordance with the invention, the catheter further includes a plurality of optical waveguides adapted to transmit optical energy to and from the tip electrode. A distal portion of each waveguide extends through the hollow distal portion and terminates in openings formed in the shell. Advantageously, the alignment member fixedly secures the distal portion of each waveguide against movement relative to the alignment member and the shell.

Abstract: A catheter for mapping and/or ablating continuous linear or circumferential lesions at the intersection of a generally flat structure, such as the left atrium, and the ostium of generally cavernous regions of the heart, including pulmonary vein and the pulmonary venous antrum, comprises a catheter body with an intermediate section that is connected to a tip assembly by a highly flexible section. The intermediate section has at its distal end a preformed section, e.g., a curve, the intermediate section being deflectable in a direction opposite to the curve. The highly flexible section presets the tip assembly at an off-axis and/or off-plane angles from the preformed section. Accordingly, the preformed section is adapted to sit in the region and the preset angles of the ablation assembly enable contact with surrounding tissue.

Abstract: An integrated catheter shaft with a guidewire and a radio frequency wire is used in a catheter to deliver radio frequency energy to a treatment site. The small entry wound and the long integrated catheter shaft allows a user to thread the shaft along a tortuous route along a spinal canal to reach a treatment site while causing a minimal amount of trauma to the patient.

Abstract: A deflectable unilateral or bidirectional catheter for mapping and/or ablation, has a catheter body and a catheter tip section carrying a reference sensor and a scaffolding structure that is deployed for stabilizing and anchoring the catheter in or near the coronary sinus of the heart. In one embodiment, a control handle 16 at the proximal end of the catheter body 12 moves a sheath proximally to deploy the scaffolding structure. In a sheathless embodiment, the control handle moves a puller wire distally to deploy the scaffolding structure, which can be a generally spheroid shape, ovoid shape, basket shape, peanut shape and synaptic shape. The arrangement of the scaffolding structure, the reference sensor and a plurality of electrodes on the tip section can be varied as appropriate or needed.

Abstract: A catheter enables real-time light measurements, for example, without limitation, diffuse reflectance, fluorescence, etc., from biological materials, such as tissue (including blood), while performing RF ablation. The catheter tip design isolates illumination and collection paths such that light exits the catheter tip and travels through the tissue of interest (e.g., cardiac tissue or blood) before returning to the catheter tip. Such a design advantageously avoids saturation of the optical detector, and ensures diffusion of the illumination light within the medium of interest. The catheter has a catheter body and a tip electrode. The tip electrode has an exterior shell, an inner layer of diffuse material and a hollow cavity, wherein the inner layer is configured to transmit light outside the tip electrode to a tissue via a set of illumination openings in the shell wall and the hollow cavity is configured to receive light from the tissue via a set of collection openings in the shell wall and the inner layer.

Abstract: A catheter is adapted to ablate tissue and provide lesion qualitative information on a real time basis, having an ablation tip section with a generally omni-directional light diffusion chamber with one openings to allow light energy in the chamber to radiate the tissue and return to the chamber. The chamber is irrigated at a positive pressure differential to continuously flush the opening with fluid. The light energy returning to the chamber from the tissue conveys a tissue parameter, including without limitation, lesion formation, depth of penetration of lesion, cross-sectional area of lesion, formation of char during ablation, recognition of char during ablation, recognition of char from non-charred tissue, formation of coagulum around the ablation site, differentiation of coagulated from non-coagulated blood, differentiation of ablated from healthy tissue, tissue proximity, and recognition of steam formation in the tissue for prevention of steam pop.

Abstract: A system for opto-pyrometric tissue temperature monitoring in real time. The system is adapted for cardiac ablation and tissue temperature measurement, having a catheter having a tip electrode adapted for RF ablation of cardiac tissue and an optical collector whose distal end is received in an opening formed in the tip electrode to detect black body radiation from the cardiac tissue. The system includes an optical detection system in communication with the optical collector, the optical processing system processing signals representative of a wavelength of at least a portion of the black body radiation to determine a tissue temperature. The incorporation of an optical collector within a catheter tip permits real time monitoring of tissue temperature during ablation and lesion formation to prevent critical thresholds in temperature associated with events that can damage tissue, including steam pop, thrombus, char, etc.

Abstract: A system and method for opto-acoustic tissue and lesion assessment in real time on one or more of the following tissue characteristics: tissue thickness, lesion progression, lesion width, steam pop, and char formation, system includes an ablation element, laser delivery means, and an acoustic sensor. The invention involves irradiating tissue undergoing ablation treatment to create acoustic waves that have a temporal profile which can be recorded and analyzed by acoustic sampling hardware for reconstructing a cross-sectional aspect of the irradiated tissue. The ablation element (e.g.

Abstract: A system and method that enable real-time optical measurements of tissue reflection spectral characteristics while performing ablation, involves the radiation of tissue and recapturing of light from the tissue to monitor changes in the reflected optical intensity as an indicator of steam formation in the tissue for prevention of steam pop. The system includes a catheter adapted to collect light reflected from tissue undergoing ablation, a detection component that identifies and separates constituent wavelengths of collected light, a quantification apparatus for generating measured light intensity data for the collected light, and a processor that analyses the measured light intensity data in relation to time. The system may include a graphical display and/or an audio output (e.g., speaker) that provide visual and/or audio alarm when the system infers formation of a steam pocket in the tissue.

Abstract: A catheter is adapted to ablate tissue and provide optically-based lesion qualitative and quantitative monitoring, comprising a catheter body and a tip electrode distal the catheter body adapted for ablating tissue, the tip electrode having a shell and an alignment member defining a hollow distal portion therebetween. In accordance with the invention, the catheter further includes a plurality of optical waveguides adapted to transmit optical energy to and from the tip electrode. A distal portion of each waveguide extends through the hollow distal portion and terminates in openings formed in the shell. Advantageously, the alignment member fixedly secures the distal portion of each waveguide against movement relative to the alignment member and the shell.

Abstract: A catheter for mapping and/or ablating a region of the heart, comprises a catheter body with an intermediate section that is connected to a tip assembly by a highly flexible preshaped section. The highly flexible section presets the tip assembly at an off-axis and/or off-plane angles from the intermediate section, to provide the following: a) The intermediate section when deflected approximates the generally convex region of the cavo-tricuspid isthmus and the preset angle of the flexible section is off axis in the same plane and same direction as deflection of the intermediate section to enable the tip assembly to contact the cavo-tricuspid isthmus for ablation and/or mapping. b) The intermediate section when deflected approximates the generally concave region of the VA/RV/LA/LV and the preset angle in the same plane and opposite direction of deflection enables the tip assembly to contact the walls of the cavity for ablation and/or mapping.