Dispersive return pad with phase change material for active thermal management during an ablation procedure

1. A dispersive return pad for a radiofrequency (RF) ablation procedure, the dispersive return pad comprising:

a skin material adapted to be adhered on a patient's skin;

a conductive material having a top face, a bottom face, and four side edges that are perpendicular to the top face and the bottom face, the bottom face of the conductive material positioned adjacent to the skin material;

a phase-change material surrounding the four side edges of the conductive material, the phase-change material positioned: i) adjacent to and in contact with only the four side edges of the conductive material and ii) on top of the skin material, the phase-change material being configured to undergo a phase transition at a target temperature range corresponding to a non-damaging hyperthermic temperature range for the patient's skin, the phase-change material configured to absorb excess heating from the RF ablation procedure and to prevent burns to the patient's skin; and

a non-conductive material that is different from the skin material, the conductive material, and the phase-change material, the non-conductive material encapsulating the conductive material and the phase-change material.

2. The dispersive return pad of claim 1 , wherein the phase-change material undergoes the phase transition within an ISO IEC 60601 maximum allowable temperature rise of six (6) degrees Celsius (° C.).

3. The dispersive return pad of claim 1 , wherein the target temperature range of the phase transition is less than about 43 degrees Celsius (° C.).

4. The dispersive return pad of claim 3 , wherein the target temperature range of the phase transition ranges from about 40 degrees Celsius (° C.) to about 42° C.

5. The dispersive return pad of claim 1 , wherein the phase-change material further comprises a heat-activated color changing film or pigment incorporated therein that provides a visual indicator of the phase transition.

6. The dispersive return pad of claim 1 , wherein the skin material further comprises one or more insulation layers, and wherein, when in contact with the patient's skin, the skin material equilibrates to a core body temperature of about 37° C. due to the one or more insulation layers.

7. The dispersive return pad of claim 1 , wherein the RF ablation procedure has a maximum duration period of less than three (3) minutes so as to minimize an amount of the phase-change material and mitigate any rising temperature within the duration period.

8. The dispersive return pad of claim 1 , wherein the phase-change material comprises at least one of paraffin wax, non-paraffin organics, hydrated salts, or one or more metallic materials.

9. The dispersive return pad of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material comprises a metallic film at least partially covered with an electrically-conductive gel material.

10. A radiofrequency ablation system for performing a radiofrequency (RF) ablation procedure, comprising:

an energy source for delivering energy to a patient's body;

one or more energy delivery devices electrically coupled to the energy source; and,

a dispersive return pad electrically coupled to the energy source, the dispersive return pad comprising:

a skin material adapted to be worn on a patient's skin;

a conductive material having a top face, a bottom face, and four side edges that are perpendicular to the top face and the bottom face, the bottom face positioned adjacent to the skin material;

a phase-change material surrounding the four side edges of the conductive material, the phase-change material positioned: i) adjacent to and in contact with only the four side edges of the conductive material and ii) on top of the skin material, the phase-change material being configured to undergo a phase transition at a target temperature range corresponding to a non-damaging hyperthermic temperature range for the patient's skin, the phase-change material configured to absorb excess heating from the RF ablation procedure and to prevent burns to the patient's skin; and

a non-conductive material that is different from the skin material, the conductive material, and the phase-change material, the non-conductive material encapsulating the conductive material and the phase-change material.

11. The radiofrequency ablation system of claim 10 , wherein the phase-change material undergoes the phase transition within an ISO IEC 60601 maximum allowable temperature rise of six (6) degrees Celsius (° C.).

12. The radiofrequency ablation system of claim 10 , wherein the target temperature range is less than about 43 degrees Celsius (° C.).

13. The radiofrequency ablation system of claim 10 , wherein the phase-change material further comprises a heat-activated color changing film or pigment incorporated therein that provides a visual indicator of the phase transition.

14. The radiofrequency ablation system of claim 10 , wherein the skin material of the dispersive return pad further comprises one or more insulation layers, and wherein, when in contact with the patient's skin, the skin material equilibrates to a core body temperature of about 37° C. due to the one or more insulation layers.

15. The radiofrequency ablation system of claim 10 , wherein the RF ablation procedure has a maximum duration period of less than three (3) minutes so as to minimize an amount of the phase-change material and mitigate any rising temperature within the duration period.

16. The radiofrequency ablation system of claim 10 , wherein the phase-change material of the dispersive return pad is at least one of paraffin wax, non-paraffin organics, hydrated salts, or one or more metallic materials, and wherein the conductive material is a metallic film at least partially covered with an electrically-conductive gel material.