Diamond-like carbon electrode coating
View Patent ↗An RF ablation device comprises an electrode including a DLC coating deposited on at least a portion thereof. A method of forming an RF ablation device, comprises forming a DLC coating on a portion of a metallic electrode.
1. An electrode for an RF ablation system, comprising a DLC coating containing graphite deposited on at least a portion thereof, the DLC coating including an electrically conductive region having a first dielectric constant and an electrically insulative region having a second dielectric constant, the first dielectric constant being less than the second dielectric constant.
2. The electrode according to claim 1 , wherein a tissue penetrating distal tip of the electrode is formed of the DLC coating.
3. The electrode according to claim 1 , wherein heat conduction and lubricious properties of the DLC coating are selected to minimize tissue charring.
4. An RF ablation device comprising:
an elongated cannula adapted for insertion into a target tissue;
an electrode deployable into the target tissue from the cannula; and
a DLC coating containing graphite on a portion of the electrode, the DLC coating including a thermally conductive region and a thermally insulative region, a thermal conductivity of the DLC coating in the thermally conductive region being greater than a thermal conductivity of the DLC coating in the thermally insulative region.
5. The RF ablation device according to claim 4 , wherein a tissue penetrating distal tip of the electrode is formed of the DLC coating.
6. The RF ablation device according to claim 4 , wherein a portion of the cannula includes a DLC coating.
7. The RF ablation device according to claim 4 , wherein the electrode comprises a plurality of DLC coated electrodes forming an array deployable from the cannula into target tissue.
8. The RF ablation device according to claim 4 , wherein the DLC coating comprises an electrically conductive region having a first dielectric constant and an insulative region having a second dielectric constant, the first dielectric constant being less than the second dielectric constant.
9. The RF ablation device according to claim 8 , further comprising a semi-conductive region in which a dielectric constant of the DLC coating is less than the second dielectric constant and greater than the first dielectric constant.
10. A method of forming an RF ablation device, comprising:
forming a DLC coating containing graphite on a portion of a metallic electrode by deposition, controlling parameters of the deposition process to obtain, in a first electrically conductive region, DLC having a first dielectric constant and, in a second electrically insulative region, DLC having a second dielectric constant greater than the first dielectric constant.
11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising controlling parameters of the deposition process to obtain, in a third semi-conductive region, DLC having a third dielectric constant greater than the first dielectric constant and less than the second dielectric constant.
12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising controlling parameters of the deposition process to obtain, in a tissue penetrating location, DLC having at least a predetermined hardness.
13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising forming a coating of DLC on a portion of a cannula from which the electrode is deployed by deposition.
14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising controlling parameters of the deposition process so that the DLC coated on the portion of the cannula has at least a predetermined thermal conductivity.
15. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising controlling parameters of the deposition process so that the DLC coated on the portion of the cannula has a coefficient of friction of no more than 0.1.