Catheter having closed electrode assembly with spines of uniform length
A catheter comprising an elongated catheter body, and an electrode assembly distal of the catheter body, the assembly comprising a plurality of spines, wherein each spine has a distal end that is connected to the distal end of at least one other spine, wherein each spine has an electrode-carrying portion, the electrode-carrying portions of all spines of the assembly being in a single common plane, and wherein all spines of the assembly have a uniform exposed total length.
1. A catheter, comprising:
a stem extending along a longitudinal axis in a plane;
a first array of spines comprising at least a first first-array spine and a second first-array spine, each extending in a distal direction away from the stem, each including:
a proximal portion that extends in the distal direction away from the stem, the proximal portion including a first-proximal portion and a second-proximal portion, the first-proximal portion disposed closer to the stem than the second-proximal portion, the first-proximal portion diverging away from the longitudinal axis, and the second-proximal portion converging towards the longitudinal axis,
a linear portion disposed distal to the proximal portion and having first electrodes mounted thereon,
a distal portion disposed distal to the linear portion, the distal portion including a first-distal portion and a second-distal portion, the first-distal portion disposed closer to the stem than the second-distal portion, the first-distal portion diverging away from the longitudinal axis, and the second-distal portion converging towards the longitudinal axis, and
a distal tip; and
a second array of spines comprising at least a first second-array spine and a second second-array spine, each extending in the distal direction away from the stem, each including:
a proximal portion that extends in the distal direction away from the stem and converges towards the longitudinal axis,
a linear portion having second electrodes mounted thereon,
a distal portion, and
a distal tip;
in which the linear portions of the first first-array spine, the second first-array spine, the first second-array spine, and the second second-array spine are disposed in the plane and oriented generally parallel to each other.
2. The catheter of claim 1 , in which the distal tip of the first first-array spine is joined to the distal tip of the second first-array spine.
3. The catheter of claim 2 , in which the distal tip of the first second-array spine is joined to the distal tip of the second second-array spine.
4. The catheter of claim 3 , in which the distal tip of the first first-array spine, the distal tip of the second first-array spine, the distal tip of the first second-array spine, and the distal tip of the second second-array spine are all joined together.
5. The catheter of claim 4 , in which the first first-array spine, the second first-array spine, the first second-array spine, and the second second-array spine define a closed-configuration array in which the closed-configuration array is without any spine whose distal tip is free and unconnected to another spine.
6. The catheter of claim 2 , in which the first first-array spine comprises a first support member.
7. The catheter of claim 6 , in which the first support member has a rectangular cross section.
8. The catheter of claim 6 , in which the first first-array spine includes a first nonconductive covering having a first lumen through which the first support member extends and the second first-array spine includes a second nonconductive covering having a second lumen through which a second support member extends.
9. The catheter of claim 2 , in which the first electrodes comprise ring electrodes.
10. The catheter of claim 9 , in which the ring electrodes comprise at least one irrigated ring electrode.
11. The catheter of claim 10 , in which the at least one irrigated ring electrode is configured to deliver ablation energy through the irrigated ring electrode.
12. The catheter of claim 9 , in which the first electrodes comprise between 6 and 12 ring electrodes and in which the second electrodes comprise between 6 and 12 ring electrodes.
13. The catheter of claim 1 , in which the first first-array comprises a first exposed total length and the second first-array spine comprises a second exposed total length equal to the first exposed total length.
14. The catheter of claim 13 , in which the first second-array comprises a third exposed total length and the second second-array spine comprises a fourth exposed total length equal to the third exposed total length.