Ablation catheter and method for electrically isolating cardiac tissue

Abstract

Ablation catheter comprising an elongate member with proximal and distal ends, wherein the distal end is arranged to apply a high energy electrical shock from a plurality of locations along the length of said distal end and wherein said distal end is curved. Preferably the distal end of the elongate member extends in a circle segment.

1 .- 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A system for electrically isolating cardiac tissue, comprising:
 an ablation catheter comprising an elongate member, wherein the elongate member comprises a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end comprises a plurality of electrodes and is configured to apply a high energy electrical shock across a plurality of the plurality of electrodes to a cardiac tissue, and wherein each of the plurality of the plurality of electrodes is configured to contact the cardiac tissue and to deliver a shock sufficient for ablation of the cardiac tissue; and   a measurement device electrically coupled to the ablation catheter, wherein the measurement device is configured to monitor a heart rhythm,   wherein the high energy electrical shock is configured to be applied in dependence of the heart rhythm, wherein the high energy electrical shock is applied at a predetermined time in the heart rhythm on or before the QRS-complex of the ECG.   
     
     
         40 . The system according to  claim 39 , wherein the distal end comprises the plurality of electrodes, and wherein the plurality of electrodes have the same polarity. 
     
     
         41 . The system according to  claim 40 , wherein the high energy electrical shock comprises shocks with different voltages from at least two adjacent electrodes of the plurality of electrodes along the length of the distal end. 
     
     
         42 . The system according to  claim 40 , wherein the high energy electrical shock is configured to simultaneously apply a shock from the plurality of electrodes. 
     
     
         43 . The system according to  claim 39 , wherein the elongate member comprises one electrode extending along substantially the whole length of the distal end. 
     
     
         44 . The system according to  claim 39 , wherein the distal end of the elongate member is configured to be contacted with the tissue along a path, and wherein the high energy electrical shock is configured to form a closed path of electrically non-conducting tissue. 
     
     
         45 . The system according to  claim 39 , wherein a curvature of the distal end of the elongate member is configured to be adjusted to a surface of the cardiac tissue to be isolated. 
     
     
         46 . The system according to  claim 45 , wherein the distal end of the elongate member extends in a circle segment, and wherein a diameter of the circle segment is configured to be adjusted. 
     
     
         47 . The system according to  claim 39 , wherein the distal end of the ablation catheter is curved and wherein a plane of the curved segment is configured to be adjusted. 
     
     
         48 . The system according to  claim 39 , further comprising a sheath, wherein the ablation catheter is configured to be advanced through the sheath, wherein the elongate member is configured to be moveable between a first position wherein the elongate member extends substantially rectilinear and a second position wherein the distal end of the elongate member is curved, and wherein the elongate member is configured to move from the first to the second position by advancing the elongate member out of the sheath. 
     
     
         49 . The system according to  claim 39 , wherein one of the plurality of electrodes comprises an indifferent electrode. 
     
     
         50 . The system according to  claim 39 , wherein the cardiac tissue comprises pulmonary vein ostia of a pulmonary vein near an entrance to a left atrium. 
     
     
         51 . The system according to  claim 50 , wherein the high energy electrical shock is configured to be applied radially outward from the distal end of the ablation catheter along a cross-section of the pulmonary vein. 
     
     
         52 . The system according to  claim 51 , further comprising a sheath, wherein the sheath comprises a coil configured to be an indifferent electrode. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the high energy electrical shock comprises a shock between 250 and 400 Joule. 
     
     
         54 . The system according to  claim 53 , wherein the high energy electrical shock comprises a shock of 350 Joule. 
     
     
         55 . The system according to  claim 39 , wherein the predetermined period of time is less than 5 ms. 
     
     
         56 . The system according to  claim 55 , wherein the predetermined period of time is approximately 1 ms. 
     
     
         57 . The system according to  claim 39 , wherein the distal end of the ablation catheter is configured to be inserted into a pulmonary vein. 
     
     
         58 . The system according to  claim 39 , wherein the distal end of the elongate member comprises a radially expanding circle segment, and wherein the radially expanding circle segment is configured to be placed within a pulmonary vein.