Electrode Assembly For Catheter System

Abstract

In an electrode assembly for a catheter system, a plurality of struts extends from a proximal end to a distal end of the electrode assembly. Each strut has a longitudinally extending proximal leg, a longitudinally extending distal leg, and a center segment extending between and interconnecting the proximal leg and the distal leg. A hinge interconnects the proximal leg and the center segment, and another hinge interconnects the distal leg and the center segment. The center segment of each of the struts has a corresponding electrode thereon. The electrode assembly is configurable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, with the electrodes being transversely spaced from the longitudinal axis of the electrode assembly a greater distance in the expanded configuration than in the collapsed configuration.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrode assembly for an electrode catheter system, the electrode assembly having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end, the electrode assembly comprising:
 first and second struts each extending from the proximal end to the distal end of the electrode assembly and having a corresponding electrode disposed thereon intermediate said proximal and distal ends of the electrode assembly, wherein the electrode assembly is configurable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the electrodes being transversely spaced from the longitudinal axis of the electrode assembly a greater distance in the expanded configuration than in the collapsed configuration, in the collapsed configuration the electrode on the first strut being at a first longitudinal position intermediate the proximal and distal ends of the electrode assembly and the electrode on the second strut being at a second longitudinal position intermediate the proximal and distal ends of the electrode assembly and different from the first longitudinal position of the electrode on the first strut, in the expanded configuration the first longitudinal position of the electrode on the first strut being substantially equal to the second longitudinal position of the electrode on the second strut.   
     
     
         2 . The electrode assembly of  claim 1  wherein each of the first and second struts comprises a longitudinally extending proximal leg, a longitudinally extending distal leg, and a center segment extending between and interconnecting the proximal leg and the distal leg, the corresponding electrodes being disposed on the center segment of each respective one of the first and second struts, the proximal leg of the first strut having a first length and the proximal leg of the second strut having a second length different from the first length of the proximal leg of the first strut. 
     
     
         3 . The electrode assembly of  claim 2  wherein the center segment of the first strut has a first length and the center segment of the second strut has a second length substantially equal to the first length of the center segment of the first strut. 
     
     
         4 . The electrode assembly of  claim 2  wherein the distal leg of the first strut has a first length and the distal leg of the second strut has a second length different from the first length of the distal leg of the first strut. 
     
     
         5 . The electrode assembly of  claim 2  wherein each strut further comprises a first hinge interconnecting the proximal leg and the center segment, and a second hinge interconnecting the distal leg and the center segment. 
     
     
         6 . An electrode assembly for an electrode catheter system, the electrode assembly having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end, the electrode assembly comprising:
 a plurality of struts each extending from the proximal end to the distal end of the electrode assembly, each strut comprising a longitudinally extending proximal leg, a longitudinally extending distal leg, and a center segment extending between and interconnecting the proximal leg and the distal leg, the proximal leg and the distal leg of at least one of the struts having a corresponding stiffness, the center segment of said at least one of the struts having a stiffness greater than the stiffness of each of the proximal leg and the distal leg of said at least one of the struts, the center segment of each of the struts having a corresponding electrode thereon, wherein the electrode assembly is configurable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the electrodes being transversely spaced from the longitudinal axis of the electrode assembly a greater distance in the expanded configuration than in the collapsed configuration.   
     
     
         7 . The electrode assembly of  claim 6  wherein each strut comprises a first hinge interconnecting the center segment with the proximal leg of said strut and a second hinge interconnecting the center segment with the distal leg of said strut. 
     
     
         8 . The electrode assembly of  claim 6  wherein the center segment of each strut has a cross-section configuration, at least one of the proximal end and the distal end of each strut having a cross-section configuration that is different from the cross-section configuration of the center segment. 
     
     
         9 . The electrode assembly of  claim 8  wherein the center segment of each strut has a cross-section configuration selected from the group comprising: cambered, semicircular, circular, almost closed semicircular, C-shaped, U-shaped, V-shaped, W-shaped and M-shaped. 
     
     
         10 . The electrode assembly of  claim 6  further comprising, for each strut, a respective stiffening element at least one of on and abutting at least the center segment of the strut to increase the stiffness thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The electrode assembly of  claim 7  wherein the strut is generally uniform in cross-section along its length, the first and second hinges being heat-set hinges in which each strut is pre-bent at each of the first and second hinges to define the collapsed configuration of the electrode assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The electrode assembly of  claim 6  wherein each electrode is disposed on a respective strut at a longitudinal distance from the proximal end of the electrode assembly, the longitudinal distance of one electrode being different from the longitudinal distance of at least one other electrode, in the expanded configuration of the electrode assembly the electrodes being transversely spaced from the longitudinal axis of the electrode assembly approximately the same distance. 
     
     
         13 . An electrode assembly for an electrode catheter system, the electrode assembly having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end, the electrode assembly comprising:
 a plurality of struts each extending from the proximal end to the distal end of the electrode assembly, each strut comprising a longitudinally extending proximal leg, a longitudinally extending distal leg, and a center segment extending between and interconnecting the proximal leg and the distal leg, the center segment of each of the struts having a corresponding electrode thereon, wherein the electrode assembly is configurable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the electrodes being transversely spaced from the longitudinal axis of the electrode assembly a greater distance in the expanded configuration than in the collapsed configuration.   
     
     
         14 . The electrode assembly of  claim 13  wherein each strut comprises a first hinge interconnecting the center segment with the proximal leg of said strut and a second hinge interconnecting the center segment with the distal leg of said strut. 
     
     
         15 . The electrode assembly of  claim 13  wherein, for at least one of the struts, the center segment has a stiffness, the proximal leg has a stiffness different from the stiffness of the center segment and the distal leg has a stiffness different from the stiffness of the center segment, the first hinge being defined by the difference in stiffness between the center segment and the proximal leg and the second hinge being defined by the difference in stiffness between the center segment and the distal leg. 
     
     
         16 . The electrode assembly of  claim 15  wherein, for at least one of the struts, the center segment has a cross-section along its length, the proximal leg has a cross-section along its length and different from the cross-section of the center segment, and the distal leg has a cross-section along its length and different from the cross-section of the center segment, the first hinge being defined by the difference in cross-section between the center segment and proximal leg, the second hinge being defined by the difference in cross-section between the center segment and the distal leg. 
     
     
         17 . The electrode assembly of  claim 13  wherein the first hinge is formed by at least one cut-out formed in the strut between the center segment and the proximal leg and the second hinge is formed by at least one cut-out formed in the strut between the center segment and the distal leg. 
     
     
         18 . The electrode assembly of  claim 13  wherein the strut has opposed side edges, each of the first and second hinges being defined by at least two transversely extending slots formed in the opposed side edges, wherein for each of the first and second hinges at least one of the slots extends transversely from one of the side edges and terminates prior to the opposite side edge, and at least one other one of the slots extends transversely from the opposite side edge and terminates prior to said one of the side edges, the slots being longitudinally spaced from each other at the respective first and second hinges. 
     
     
         19 . The electrode assembly of  claim 13  wherein the proximal leg of at least one strut has a first length and the proximal leg of at least one other strut has a second length different from said first length 
     
     
         20 . The electrode assembly of  claim 13  wherein the center segment of the at least one strut has a first length and the center segment of the at least one other strut has a second length substantially equal to the first length of the center segment of the at least one strut. 
     
     
         21 . An electrode assembly for an electrode catheter system, the electrode assembly having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end, the electrode assembly comprising:
 a plurality of struts each extending from the proximal end to the distal end of the electrode assembly, each strut having a riser element disposed thereon intermediate the proximal end and the distal end of the electrode assembly, the electrode assembly being configurable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, in the expanded configuration the riser element of each strut extending transversely outward from the longitudinal axis of the electrode assembly a greater distance than any other point along the respective strut, each strut further having an electrode disposed on the respective riser element.   
     
     
         22 . The electrode assembly of  claim 21  wherein each riser element is located a longitudinal distance from the proximal end of the electrode assembly, the riser element of one strut being at a longitudinal distance that is different from the longitudinal distance of the riser element of at least one other strut. 
     
     
         23 . The electrode assembly of  claim 21  wherein the electrode assembly has a length from its proximal end to its distal end, the length of the electrode assembly decreasing upon configuration of the electrode assembly from its collapsed configuration to its expanded configuration. 
     
     
         24 . The electrode assembly of  claim 21  wherein the struts are formed integrally with each other. 
     
     
         25 . The electrode assembly of  claim 21  in combination with the catheter system, the catheter system comprising a handle, an elongate shaft extending from the handle, the electrode assembly, and an actuator associated with the handle and operatively connected to the electrode assembly for selectively configuring the electrode assembly from its collapsed configuration to its expanded configuration. 
     
     
         26 . An electrode assembly for an electrode catheter system, the electrode assembly having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end, the electrode assembly comprising:
 a plurality of struts each extending from the proximal end to the distal end of the electrode assembly and each having a corresponding electrode thereon, wherein the electrode assembly is configurable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the electrodes being transversely spaced from the longitudinal axis of the electrode assembly a greater distance in the expanded configuration than in the collapsed configuration, in the collapsed configuration at least one of the struts having a generally concave segment extending lengthwise along the strut intermediate the proximal and distal ends of the electrode assembly.   
     
     
         27 . The electrode assembly of  claim 26  wherein in the expanded configuration said segment of the strut is less concave than in the collapsed configuration of the electrode assembly. 
     
     
         28 . The electrode assembly of  claim 26  wherein in the expanded configuration said segment of the strut is generally flat along its length. 
     
     
         29 . The electrode assembly of  claim 26  wherein said at least one of the struts comprises a proximal leg, a distal leg and a central segment extending between and interconnecting the proximal leg and the distal leg, the central segment being generally concave as it extends lengthwise intermediate the proximal and distal legs in the collapsed configuration of the electrode assembly.