Intravascular catheter tip electrode assemblies
View Patent ↗Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to intravascular electrophysiology catheters which utilize electrodes on flexible electronic circuit(s) to facilitate reduced assembly complexity and cost. In one example embodiment, a distal tip assembly of an electrophysiology catheter is disclosed. The distal tip assembly including a catheter shaft, flexible circuitry, and a distal tip coupled to a distal end of the catheter shaft. The catheter shaft includes an outer surface with a trench extending into the outer surface, and the flexible circuitry is inserted into the trench and coupled to the catheter shaft. The flexible circuitry includes one or more electrodes configured and arranged to sense electrophysiological characteristics of tissue.
1 . An electrophysiology catheter system comprising:
a catheter shaft including an outer surface with a trench extending into the outer surface, wherein the trench comprises a helical portion and one or more laterally extending portions such that the trench extends helically and laterally about the catheter shaft;
a flexible circuitry assembly coupled to the catheter shaft, the flexible circuitry assembly comprising:
a helical portion extending longitudinally along and helically about a longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft and disposed within the helical portion of the trench, wherein the helical portion comprises a plurality of electrical traces sandwiched between one or more circuit board layers of the flexible circuitry; and
one or more lateral portions extending from the helical portion and extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and disposed within the one or more laterally extending portions of the trench; and
one or more electrodes configured and arranged on each of the one or more lateral portions to sense electrophysiological characteristics of tissue and receive electrical signals from the plurality of electrical traces,
wherein the one or more lateral portions are weighted along the catheter shaft for enhanced electrophysiology mapping by the one or more electrodes disposed thereon; and
heat shrink material applied over the flexible circuitry assembly, wherein the heat shrink material at least partially compresses the flexible circuitry assembly into the trench of the outer surface of the catheter shaft; and
a distal tip coupled to a distal end of the catheter shaft.
2 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are spot electrodes, and a top surface of the spot electrodes are flush with the outer surface of the catheter shaft.
3 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 2 , the one or more spot electrodes are spaced along a length of the flexible circuitry assembly, and wherein the flexible circuitry assembly is configured and arranged, when coupled to the catheter shaft via the heat shrink material, to circumferentially and longitudinally distribute the spot electrodes about the catheter shaft.
4 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 3 , wherein the distal tip further includes a second flexible circuitry assembly, with a plurality of spot electrodes coupled thereto, radially offset from the flexible circuitry assembly.
5 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 2 , wherein the spot electrodes are further configured and arranged to facilitate electrophysiology mapping using orientation independent sensing/omnipolar technology.
6 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 1 , further including a biocompatible layer that extends over the catheter shaft, the distal tip, and the flexible circuitry assembly.
7 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible circuitry assembly extends distally and enters an internal lumen of the catheter shaft between a distal end of the catheter and the distal tip.
8 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 1 , further includes an ablation electrode on the distal tip, and the ablation electrode is communicatively coupled to the flexible circuitry assembly.
9 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 8 , wherein the flexible circuitry assembly is configured and arranged to facilitate sensing electrophysiology characteristics of the tissue in contact with the ablation electrode, and the distal tip further includes a lead wire that is communicatively coupled to the ablation electrode and is configured and arranged to facilitate high-current ablation energy delivery to the ablation electrode.
10 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible circuitry assembly includes a substrate comprised of polyimide, polyetheretherketone, polyester, polyethylene terephthalate material, or a combination thereof.
11 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible circuitry assembly includes a plurality of internal electrical traces extending along one or more substrate layers of the flexible circuitry assembly, the one or more electrodes are electrically coupled with at least one of the plurality of electrical traces through a solder pad.
12 . The electrophysiology catheter system claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrodes include a combination of electrophysiology mapping electrodes and impedance-based localization electrodes.
13 . An electrophysiology catheter system comprising:
a catheter comprising:
a catheter shaft including an outer surface with a trench extending into the outer surface, wherein the trench comprises a helical portion and one or more laterally extending portions such that the trench extends helically and laterally about the catheter shaft;
a distal tip coupled to the distal end of the catheter shaft;
a catheter handle coupled to a proximal end of the catheter shaft; and
a flexible circuitry assembly coupled to the catheter shaft, the flexible circuitry assembly comprising:
a helical portion extending longitudinally along and helically about a longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft and disposed within the helical portion of the trench, wherein the helical portion comprises a plurality of electrical traces sandwiched between one or more circuit board layers of the flexible circuitry; and
one or more lateral portions extending from the helical portion and extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and disposed within the one or more laterally extending portions of the trench; and
one or more electrodes configured and arranged on each of the one or more lateral portions to sense electrophysiological characteristics of tissue and receive electrical signals from the plurality of electrical traces,
wherein the one or more lateral portions are weighted along the catheter shaft for enhanced electrophysiology mapping by the one or more electrodes disposed thereon; and
heat shrink material applied over the flexible circuitry assembly, wherein the heat shrink material at least partially compresses the flexible circuitry assembly into the trench of the outer surface of the catheter shaft; and
controller circuitry communicatively coupled to the one or more electrodes via the flexible circuitry assembly, the controller circuitry configured and arranged to receive signals from the one or more electrodes indicative of the electrophysiological characteristics of tissue in contact with the one or more electrodes.
14 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 13 , wherein the flexible circuitry assembly includes a plurality of internal electrical traces extending along one or more substrate layers, the traces communicatively coupling the one or more electrodes to the controller circuitry, and
the one or more electrodes are ring electrodes surrounding at least a portion of the catheter shaft and are electrically coupled with at least one of the plurality of electrical traces on the flexible circuitry assembly; and
the catheter further includes a biocompatible outer covering extending over at least a portion of the flexible circuitry assembly and the catheter shaft.
15 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 13 , further comprising at least one positioning electrode, wherein the at least one positioning electrode is configured to sense a signal indicative of both a position and orientation of a distal portion of the catheter by sensing an impedance, the at least one positioning electrode communicatively coupled to the flexible circuitry assembly; and
the controller circuitry further configured and arranged to receive signals from the at least one positioning electrode indicative of the position and orientation of the distal portion of the catheter.
16 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 13 , further comprising at least one positioning electrode, wherein the at least one positioning electrode is configured to sense a signal indicative of both a position and orientation of a distal portion of the catheter by sensing a strength and orientation of a magnetic field in proximity to the positioning electrode, the at least one positioning electrode communicatively coupled to the flexible circuitry assembly; and
the controller circuitry further configured and arranged to receive signals from the at least one positioning electrodes indicative of the position and orientation of the distal portion of the catheter.
17 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of positioning electrodes, wherein at least one of the plurality of positioning electrodes is configured to provide a signal indicative of both a position and orientation of a distal portion of the catheter by sensing an impedance and wherein at least one of the plurality of positioning electrodes is configured to provide a signal indicative of both a position and orientation of the distal portion of the catheter by sensing a strength and orientation of a magnetic field.
18 . An electrophysiology catheter system comprising:
a catheter shaft with a trench extending into an outer surface of the catheter shaft, wherein the trench comprises a helical portion and one or more laterally extending portions such that the trench extends helically and laterally about the catheter shaft;
flexible circuitry assembly longitudinally and helically extending about, and coupled to, the catheter shaft, the flexible circuitry assembly including one or more spot electrodes configured and arranged to sense electrophysiological characteristics of tissue, the one or more spot electrodes disposed on one or more lateral portions of the flexible circuitry assembly such that the one or more spot electrodes are radially offset between longitudinally adjacent spot electrodes, wherein the one or more lateral portions extend perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft and are disposed within the one or more laterally extending portions and extending a majority of a circumference of the catheter shaft, wherein the one or more lateral portions are weighted along the catheter shaft for enhanced electrophysiology mapping;
heat shrink material applied over the flexible circuitry assembly, wherein the heat shrink material at least partially compresses the flexible circuitry assembly into the outer surface of the catheter shaft; and
a distal tip coupled to a distal end of the catheter shaft.
19 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 18 , wherein the flexible circuitry assembly is coupled to the catheter shaft via a reflow process.
20 . The electrophysiology catheter system of claim 18 , wherein the flexible circuitry assembly is coupled to the catheter shaft via an adhesive.