INTERFEROMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION OF ABLATED TISSUE
An apparatus including an ablation catheter having one or more optical probes attached, a system including such an apparatus and methods for using such an apparatus are disclosed herein. The optical probes may be utilized to monitor the depth of ablation in real-time during an ablation procedure, thus, reducing or eliminating the incidence of unintended injury to healthy or normal tissue during ablation.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
an ablation catheter; and
at least one optical probe wherein said at least one optical probe monitors a depth of ablation during use of the ablation catheter.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein low coherence interferometry is used to monitor the depth of ablation.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical probe is mounted to an exterior circumference of the ablation catheter, embedded in the ablation catheter, or combinations thereof.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical probe delivers and collects light in a plane parallel to a central axis of the ablation catheter.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical probe delivers and collects light in a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the ablation catheter.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical probe delivers and collects light in more than one plane.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical probe is contained in a housing other than the ablation catheter.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one optical probe is a guidewire probe.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ablation catheter delivers ablation energy selected from electrical energy, RF energy, ultrasound energy, optical, infrared, microwave, laser light, cryogenic energy and combinations thereof.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a balloon disposed on an exterior surface of the ablation catheter.
11 . A method for monitoring ablation comprising:
providing an ablation catheter and at least one optical probe to a target area wherein said at least one optical probe monitors a depth of ablation during use of the ablation catheter;
identifying a site of ablation within the target area;
applying energy to the site of ablation to cause ablation; and
monitoring a depth of ablation concurrently with the application of energy.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the energy is selected from electrical energy, RF energy, ultrasound energy, optical, infrared, microwave, laser light, cryogenic energy and combinations thereof.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of monitoring uses low coherence interferometry.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein step of monitoring the depth of ablation occurs in real-time.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of monitoring uses at least one optical probe that is contained in a housing other than the ablation catheter.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one optical probe is a guidewire probe.
17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising terminating the application of energy when the injury has reached a predetermined depth.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the application of energy is terminated by a user.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the application of energy is automatically terminated by a processor based on a feed-back loop controlled by the processor.
20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
interrogating the site of ablation following the termination of the application of energy; and
confirming that ablation has occurred.
21 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
interrogating the site of ablation prior to applying energy; and
identifying irregularities at the site of ablation.
22 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the ablation occurs in cardiac tissue.
23 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the ablation is used to treat an ectopic focus.
24 . A system for monitoring ablation comprising:
an ablation catheter;
at least one optical probe;
a receiver configured to receive a signal from the at least one optical probe
a processor configured to determine the depth of the ablation in real-time during ablation; and
an output device for displaying the depth.
25 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the at least one optical probe is used to perform low coherence interferometry.