Abstract: A balloon catheter includes a balloon, a catheter shaft, a heating unit, and an electrode temperature sensor. The catheter shaft has an outer cylinder shaft connected to the proximal end of the balloon, and an inner cylinder shaft extending into the balloon to be connected to the distal end of the balloon. The inner cylinder shaft passes inside the outer cylinder shaft. The gap between the inner cylinder shaft and the outer cylinder shaft defines a liquid flow path leading to the inner space of the balloon. The heating unit includes multiple heating electrodes. The multiple heating electrodes are distributed over the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder shaft in the balloon. The electrode temperature sensor is provided in the balloon to acquire information on the temperature of the heating electrodes.

Abstract: An ablation catheter system includes: a catheter shaft; a balloon attached to the catheter shaft; a lumen extending through the catheter shaft in a longitudinal direction thereof and communicating with the interior of the balloon; a heating electrode and a temperature sensor provided in the interior of the balloon; a heater that applies electrical energy to the heating electrode; a pressure sensor; a balloon volume sensor; and a processor that calculates the estimated depth of ablation, using as variables, heating temperature of a generator, ablation time of the generator, a value of balloon pressure obtained from the pressure sensor and a value of balloon volume obtained from the balloon volume sensor.

Abstract: A method of producing a catheter includes a step of arranging a lead wire in the lumen of a thermoplastic outer-layer tube such that the lead wire extends in the longitudinal direction of the outer-layer tube; a step of exposing one end of the lead wire out of an opening of the outer-layer tube; a step of joining the one end of the lead wire exposed out of the opening with the inner wall of a ring electrode; a step of covering the opening of the outer-layer tube with the ring electrode; an step of inserting a thermoplastic inner-layer tube in the lumen of the outer-layer tube; and an integrating step of heating the outer-layer tube and the inner-layer tube to integrate the outer-layer and the inner-layer tubes to form an electrode tip such that the lead wire is interlaminarly embedded and fixed between the outer-layer and the inner-layer tubes.

Abstract: An ablation catheter system includes: a catheter shaft; a balloon attached to the catheter shaft; a lumen extending through the catheter shaft in a longitudinal direction thereof and communicating with the interior of the balloon; a heating electrode and a temperature sensor provided in the interior of the balloon; a heater that applies electrical energy to the heating electrode; a pressure sensor; a balloon volume sensor; and a processor that calculates the estimated depth of ablation, using as variables, heating temperature of a generator, ablation time of the generator, a value of balloon pressure obtained from the pressure sensor and a value of balloon volume obtained from the balloon volume sensor.

Abstract: A balloon catheter includes: a balloon; an outside shaft connected to a proximal end of the balloon; an inside shaft extending inside the outside shaft and into the balloon to be connected to a distal end of the balloon; and a heating member disposed in the balloon for heating a liquid in the balloon. A distance between a distal end of the outside shaft and a proximal end of the heating member is 0 mm to 5 mm.

Abstract: It is possible to highly precisely determine a surface temperature of a balloon. A balloon catheter includes: a balloon; an outer cylinder shaft connected to a proximal end of the balloon; an inner cylinder shaft passing through the outer cylinder shaft to extend into the balloon to be connected to a distal end of the balloon; and a heating component disposed in the balloon for heating a liquid in the balloon. A liquid delivery path in communication with the balloon is formed between the outer cylinder shaft and the inner cylinder shaft. A temperature sensor is disposed in the liquid delivery path.

Abstract: A method of producing a catheter includes a step of arranging a lead wire in the lumen of a thermoplastic outer-layer tube such that the lead wire extends in the longitudinal direction of the outer-layer tube; a step of exposing one end of the lead wire out of an opening of the outer-layer tube; a step of joining the one end of the lead wire exposed out of the opening with the inner wall of a ring electrode; a step of covering the opening of the outer-layer tube with the ring electrode; an step of inserting a thermoplastic inner-layer tube in the lumen of the outer-layer tube; and an integrating step of heating the outer-layer tube and the inner-layer tube to integrate the outer-layer and the inner-layer tubes to form an electrode tip such that the lead wire is interlaminarly embedded and fixed between the outer-layer and the inner-layer tubes.