ABLATION SYSTEM WITH FORCE CONTROL
An ablation system comprises: an ablation catheter and a console. The ablation catheter comprises: a shaft including a proximal end, a distal portion and a distal end; an ablation element configured to deliver energy to tissue; and a force maintenance assembly comprising a force maintenance element and configured to control and/or assess contact force between the ablation element and cardiac tissue. The console is configured to operably attach to the ablation catheter and comprises: an energy delivery assembly configured to provide energy to the ablation element. Methods of ablating tissue are also provided.
1 . (canceled)
2 . An ablation system comprising:
an ablation catheter comprising:
a shaft including a proximal end, a distal portion and a distal end;
an ablation element configured to deliver energy to tissue; and
a force maintenance assembly comprising a force maintenance element configured to control and/or assess contact force between the ablation element and cardiac tissue, wherein the force maintenance element comprises a piston, the piston extending from the shaft distal end;
and
a console configured to operably attach to the ablation catheter and comprising:
an energy delivery assembly configured to provide energy to the ablation element.
3 . The ablation system according to claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the piston translates linearly within the shaft distal portion.
4 . The ablation system according to claim 2 , further comprising a hydraulic fluid, wherein the console is configured to deliver the hydraulic fluid into the piston.
5 . The ablation system of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic fluid is configured to exit the ablation catheter proximate the ablation element.
6 . The ablation system of claim 5 , wherein the piston further comprises at least one irrigation lumen, and wherein the hydraulic fluid exits the shaft distal end and the at least one irrigation lumen.
7 . The ablation system according to claim 2 , wherein the console further comprises a force maintenance module.
8 . The ablation system according to claim 7 , wherein the force maintenance module is configured to adjust the force maintenance assembly.
9 . The ablation system according to claim 7 , wherein the force maintenance module is configured to provide a control signal to the force maintenance assembly.
10 . The ablation system according to claim 7 , wherein the piston comprises a hydraulic piston, and wherein the force maintenance assembly controls a parameter selected from the group consisting of: fluid flow to the hydraulic piston; fluid pressure within the hydraulic piston; and combinations thereof.
11 . The ablation system according to claim 2 , wherein the ablation catheter further comprises at least one mapping electrode.
12 . The ablation system according to claim 2 , wherein the ablation catheter further comprises an articulating tip assembly.
13 . The ablation system according to claim 12 , wherein the articulating tip assembly comprises a spherical member and a cavity that rotatably engages the spherical member.
14 . The ablation system according to claim 2 , wherein the ablation catheter further comprises a contact sensor configured to produce a signal representative of the amount of contact between the ablation element and tissue.
15 . The ablation system according to claim 2 , wherein the energy delivered by the ablation element comprises energy selected from the group consisting of: thermal energy; heat energy; cryogenic energy; electromagnetic energy; radio frequency (RF) energy; microwave energy; light energy; light energy provided by a laser; sound energy; subsonic energy; ultrasound energy; chemical energy; and combinations thereof.
16 . The ablation system according to claim 2 , wherein the energy delivered by the ablation element comprises at least two forms of energy selected from the group consisting of: electromagnetic energy; RF energy; microwave energy; light energy; laser light energy; cryogenic energy; ultrasound energy; and combinations thereof.
17 . The ablation system according to claim 2 , wherein the force maintenance assembly is configured to dynamically respond to movement of a heart wall.
18 . The ablation system according to claim 2 , wherein the force maintenance assembly is configured to compress up to a maximum compression distance, and wherein the maximum compression distance comprises a distance between 0.1 mm and 10 mm.
19 . The ablation system according to claim 2 , further comprising a locking element configured to lock the force maintenance assembly to prevent linear and/or angular movement of the ablation element with respect to the shaft.
20 . The ablation system according to claim 2 , wherein the force maintenance assembly further comprises at least one displacement sensor configured to produce a signal correlating to a travel distance of the force maintenance assembly.
21 . The ablation system according to claim 20 , wherein the system is configured to determine when the travel distance is equal to the maximum compression distance based on the sensor signal.