| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090209949 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTING COOLANT WITHIN A CRYO-ABLATION DEVICE - Apparatus and methods for uniformly distributing coolant within a cryo-ablation device. A nozzle apparatus includes a tubular member having a plurality of angled apertures that induce swirling of coolant streams dispersed through the angled apertures. Coolant swirling round the tubular member and along an inner surface of an inflatable balloon element inflates the balloon element and cryogenically ablate tissue. The swirling action achieved using angled apertures uniformly distributes coolant along the inner surface of the balloon such that the temperatures along an inner surface of the balloon element and ablation of tissue adjacent to the balloon element are substantially uniform. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090287205 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PREVENTING TISSUE POPPING CAUSED BY BUBBLE EXPANSION DURING TISSUE ABLATION - A system for controllably delivering ablation energy to tissue includes an ablation device operable to supply ablation energy to body tissue causing bubbles to form in the tissue, an ultrasound transducer configured to detect energy spontaneously emitted by collapsing or shrinking bubbles that are resonating in the tissue, and a control element operably coupled to the ablation device and the ultrasound transducer element, the control element being configured to adjust the ablation energy supplied to the tissue in response to the energy detected by the ultrasound transducer to prevent tissue popping caused by bubble expansion. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090299355 | Electrical mapping and cryo ablating with a balloon catheter - In some implementations, a method of ablating body tissue includes (a) locating an inflatable balloon portion of a cryotherapy balloon catheter at a treatment site internal to a patient's body, and inflating the inflatable balloon portion; (b) employing electrodes that are disposed on an expandable surface of the inflatable balloon portion to electrically characterize body tissue at the treatment site; (c) ablating the body tissue by supplying a cryotherapy agent to the inflatable balloon portion to cool the body tissue to a therapeutic temperature; (d) employing the electrodes to determine whether the ablating caused desired electrical changes in the body tissue; and (e) repeating (c) and (d) when it is determined that the ablating did not cause the desired electrical changes. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090326526 | Methods and devices for monitoring tissue ablation - A method, system, and device for detecting whether an expandable member completely occludes an anatomic passageway allows a user, such as a physician, clinician, or surgeon, to perform a medical procedure more efficiently and increases the procedure's chances of success. An incomplete occlusion can be immediately detected by monitoring the pressure difference across the expandable member. Through this method, a user can quickly diagnose the problem and reposition the expandable member in the anatomic passageway. In particular, in a cryoablation procedure, devices incorporating this method can help ensure a uniform and complete lesion in the pulmonary vein to electrically isolate the pulmonary vein from the atrium, thus preventing atrial fibrillation. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100100087 | Providing Cryotherapy With a Balloon Catheter Having a Non-Uniform Thermal Profile - A cryotherapy catheter can include an elongate member and an inflatable balloon portion at a distal end of the elongate member. The inflatable balloon portion can have an external surface and an interior chamber, and the external surface can include a cooling region and a thermally insulated region. The interior chamber can be configured to receive during a cryotherapy procedure a cryogenic agent for extracting heat from body tissue that is in contact with the cooling region. A thermal profiling component can be disposed in the interior chamber and configured to thermally insulate the thermally insulated region from the cryogenic agent to minimize heat extraction by the cryogenic agent from body tissue that is in contact with the thermally insulated region. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100241113 | PROTECTING THE PHRENIC NERVE WHILE ABLATING CARDIAC TISSUE - In some implementations, a cryotherapy delivery system includes a cryotherapy catheter having a distal treatment component that delivers, during a cryotherapy procedure, cryotherapy to a treatment site inside a patient's body; a controller that controls the delivery of the cryotherapy during the cryotherapy procedure; and a sensor that measures values of a respiration parameter of the patient during the cryotherapy procedure, and provides measured values to the controller. The controller can determine, prior to delivery of cryotherapy, a baseline value for the respiration parameter; detect, during delivery of the cryotherapy, a change in the respiration parameter relative to the baseline value; and suspend delivery of the cryotherapy when the change exceeds a threshold. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100324378 | PHYSIOLOGIC SIGNAL MONITORING USING ULTRASOUND SIGNALS FROM IMPLANTED DEVICES - Devices, systems, and methods for monitoring and analyzing physiologic parameters within the body using an intrabody ultrasound signal are disclosed. An illustrative method includes receiving an ultrasound signal transmitted from a remote device containing encoded sensor data, converting the ultrasound signal into an electrical signal, decoding the sensor data from the electrical signal and generating a first physiological waveform, generating a second physiological waveform by analyzing fluctuations of the electrical signal caused by physiologic modulation of the ultrasound signal during propagation through the body, and analyzing one or more characteristics of the first and second waveforms to determine one or more physiologic parameters within the body. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20110022041 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TITRATING RF ABLATION - An embodiment of a system for ablating tissue comprises an electrode configured for use to deliver RF power to ablate the tissue, and a heat flow sensor configured to provide a measurement of heat flow from the electrode to blood or irrigation fluid. According to some embodiments, the system further comprises an RF source configured to generate RF power connected to the electrode (P | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110144479 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING THE POSITION AND ORIENTATION OF MEDICAL DEVICES INSERTED INTO A PATIENT - A medical device system includes an elongated body with a distal end that is configured and arranged for insertion into a patient. A housing is disposed in the distal end of the body. A rotatable magnet is disposed in the housing. At least one magnetic field winding is configured and arranged to generate a magnetic field at the location of the magnet. The magnetic field causes rotation of the magnet at a target frequency. An array of magnetic field sensors is disposed external to the patient. The magnetic field sensors are configured and arranged to sense the location and orientation of the magnet in relation to the array of magnetic field sensors. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110152857 | Apparatus and Methods For Electrophysiology Procedures - Methods and apparatus in accordance with at least some of the present disclosure employ a measured heat transfer property to evaluate electrode/tissue contact. Methods and apparatus in accordance with at least some of the present disclosure employ the relationship between impedance measurements and sub-surface temperature to control power. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110160726 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR FLUID COOLED ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY PROCEDURES - Methods and apparatus associated with irrigated tissue ablation procedures. | 06-30-2011 |
