INTERLEAVED ABLATION ELECTRODES
A medical instrument includes an inflatable balloon and first and second electrodes. The inflatable balloon is coupled to a distal end of a catheter. The first and second electrodes have respective first and second shapes that are interleaved with one another.
1 . A medical instrument, comprising:
an inflatable balloon coupled to a distal end of a catheter; and
first and second electrodes, having respective first and second shapes that are interleaved with one another.
2 . The medical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes are electrically-insulated from one another.
3 . The medical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes are disposed on an outer surface of the inflatable balloon.
4 . The medical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode has at least one concave region, and wherein the second electrode has at least one convex region that protrudes into the concave region of the first electrode.
5 . The medical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode has at least one two-dimensional (2D) depression, and wherein the second electrode has at least one two-dimensional protrusion that protrudes into the 2D depression of the first electrode.
6 . The medical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is concave and is inscribed by a convex shape, and wherein the second electrode has at least one region that extends into the convex shape that inscribes the first electrode.
7 . The medical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes are electrically connected to the distal-end and are configured to receive a signal via the catheter.
8 . The balloon assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes are configured to ablate tissue so as to form a contiguous lesion along the tissue.
9 . A method for producing a medical instrument, the method comprising:
coupling an inflatable balloon to a distal end of a catheter; and
disposing on the balloon first and second electrodes, having respective first and second shapes that are interleaved with one another.
10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the first and second electrodes are electrically-insulated from one another.
11 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein disposing the first and second electrodes comprises separating the first and second electrodes from one another by an electrically-insulating region having a non-linear boundary.
12 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the first electrode has at least one concave region, and wherein the second electrode has at least one convex region that protrudes into the concave region of the first electrode.
13 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the first electrode has at least one two-dimensional depression, and wherein the second electrode has at least one two-dimensional protrusion that protrudes into the depression of the first electrode.
14 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the first electrode is concave and is inscribed by a convex shape, and wherein the second electrode has at least one region that extends into the convex shape that inscribes the first electrode.
15 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein disposing the first and second electrodes comprises electrically connecting the first and second electrodes to the distal end.
16 . A method for ablation at a target location in tissue of a patient, the method comprising:
inserting into the patient body an inflatable balloon coupled to a distal end of a catheter, wherein the inflatable balloon has disposed thereon first and second electrodes having respective first and second shapes that are interleaved with one another;
navigating the distal end of the catheter to the target location, and inflating the balloon to make physical contact between the first and second electrodes and the tissue; and
applying electrical ablation signals to the first and second electrodes.