Method and apparatus for controlling lesion size in catheter-based ablation treatment

1. A method for ablating a target tissue, comprising:

providing an elongate flexible catheter adapted to be introduced into a patient during a medical procedure, said catheter including a distal portion having an ablation head operatively coupled with a force sensor;

exerting said ablation head of said catheter against said target tissue;

measuring a sequence of contact forces with said force sensor while said ablation head is exerted against said target tissue, said contact forces being in reaction to said exerting of said ablation head against said target tissue;

energizing said ablation head for a period of time while said sequence of contact forces is being measured; and

determining a force-time integral based on said sequence of contact forces that were measured with said force sensor over said period of time of energizing said ablation head.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising estimating a size parameter of a lesion formed on said target tissue during the step of energizing said ablation head, said size parameter being based on said force-time integral.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said size parameter of said lesion is one of volume and depth of said lesion.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising: determining a magnitude of an energization parameter delivered to said ablation head during said energizing of said ablation head; and estimating a size parameter of a lesion formed on said target tissue during the step of energizing said ablation head using said magnitude of said energization parameter.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said energization parameter is one of a power and an electrical current.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising controlling said magnitude of said energization parameter during said energizing of said ablation head.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said magnitude of said energization parameter is selected based on the contact forces of said sequence of contact forces to prevent or reduce the incidence of steam pop.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

measuring a sequence of magnitudes of an energization parameter delivered to said ablation head during said energizing of said ablation head.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said force-time integral is one of a force-energization-time integral, a force-time-energization product and a normalized force-time integral.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said force-time integral is a force over time integral.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said force-time integral is calculated in real time.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising terminating energization of said ablation head when said force-time integral reaches a predetermined value.

13. A method for ablating a target tissue, comprising:

providing an elongate flexible catheter adapted to be introduced into a patient during a medical procedure, said catheter including an ablation head operatively coupled with a force sensor;

providing a power source for energization of said ablation head;

providing a force signal conditioning system adapted to source said force sensor and to monitor an output of said force sensor;

providing a central processor adapted to receive said output of said force sensor, said central processor being configured to determine a force-time integral that is utilized to characterize ablation of said target tissue; and

providing a set of instructions on a tangible medium for operation of said elongate flexible catheter, said instructions including:

exerting said ablation head of said catheter against said target tissue; and

monitoring a sequence of contact forces with said force sensor while said ablation head is exerted against said target tissue, said contact forces being in reaction to said exerting of said ablation head against said target tissue.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said instructions provided in the step of providing a set of instructions further include energizing said ablation head for a period of time while said sequence of contact forces is being measured to form a lesion on said target tissue.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said central processor provided in the step of providing a central processor is configured to determine a magnitude of an energization parameter delivered to said ablation head during said step of energizing said ablation head and to estimate a size parameter of said lesion using said magnitude of said energization parameter.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said central processor provided in the step of providing a central processor is configured to monitor a sequence of magnitudes of an energization parameter delivered to said ablation head during said step of energizing said ablation head.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said central processor provided in the step of providing a central processor is configured for control of a magnitude of an energization parameter during said step of energizing said ablation head.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said central processor provided in the step of providing a central processor is adapted to estimate a size parameter of a lesion formed on said target tissue by energization of said power source.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing a current sensor for detection of an electrical current that flows between said power source and said ablation head for energization of said ablation head.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said magnitude of said energization parameter is selected based on the contact forces of said sequence of contact forces to prevent or reduce the incidence of steam pop.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein said central processor provided in the step of providing a central processor is configured for termination of energization of said ablation head when said force-time integral reaches a predetermined value.