Rf ablation catheter for treating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and method of treating hypertrophic cardiomyopahty by using same

Abstract

An RF catheter for treating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy includes: a body part constituting a catheter body made of a flexible and soft material; and an intraseptal insertion part provided at a distal part of the body part and having one or more electrodes, a tapered tip gradually becoming thinner toward an end thereof, and a guidewire lumen therein, into which a guidewire is inserted, so that during hypertrophic cardiomyopathy treatment, the intraseptal insertion part is inserted into the interventricular septum along the guidewire. A method of treating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by using an RF ablation catheter includes: i) positioning the guidewire to a hypertrophied septum through a coronary sinus and a septal vein; ii) transferring the RF ablation catheter to the hypertrophied septum; and iii) performing RF ablation by applying RF energy to the electrodes provided at an end part of the RF ablation catheter by using an RF generator.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . An RF catheter assembly for treating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a heart, insertable on a guidewire through at least a portion of a septal vein to a selected target position proximate a His bundle, the assembly comprising:
 an intraseptal insertion part having a first proximal end and a first distal end, the first distal end including a tapered tip and a first guide wire insertion hole defined in the tip and having a radius dimensioned to receive the guidewire therethrough;   a tip lumen extending from the guidewire insertion hole to a first position in the first distal end communicating with a first guidewire lumen extending from the first position to a second position in the proximal end of the insertion part;   a plurality of RF ablation electrodes embedded in a peripheral surface of the intraseptal insertion part;   a body part having a second distal end connected to the first proximal end of the insertion part, a second proximal end, and a second guidewire lumen communicating with the first guidewire lumen in the first proximal end of the insertion part and extending to the second proximal end to receive the guidewire therethrough; and   electrode wires extending through the body part and the insertion part providing power to at least one of the plurality of electrodes.   
     
     
         24 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of electrodes is selectively energizable to detect a position of the catheter assembly relative to the selected target position. 
     
     
         25 . The RF catheter of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of electrodes is selectively energizable to generate heat to treat the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. 
     
     
         26 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 23 , wherein at least the body portion has a selected stiffness. 
     
     
         27 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 23 , further comprising a second guidewire insertion hole defined in a peripheral sidewall of one of the intraseptal insertion part, or the body part. 
     
     
         28 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 23 , wherein at least the guidewire lumen and the first guidewire insertion hole are configured for passage of a coolant therethrough. 
     
     
         29 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 23 , further comprising a hydrophilic coating layer provided on an outer surface of at least the insertion part. 
     
     
         30 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 23  comprising one of a spiral coil wire or a braided wire provided in one the insertion part or the body part. 
     
     
         31 . An RF catheter assembly for treating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a heart, insertable on a guidewire through at least a portion of a septal vein to a selected target position proximate a His bundle, the assembly comprising:
 an intraseptal insertion part having a first proximal end and a first distal end, the first distal end including a tapered tip and a first guide wire insertion hole defined in the tip and having a radius dimensioned to receive the guidewire therethrough;   a tip lumen extending from the guidewire insertion hole to a first position in the first distal end communicating with a first guidewire lumen extending from the first position to a second position in the proximal end of the insertion part;   a plurality of RF ablation electrodes embedded in a peripheral surface of the insertion part;   a body part having a second distal end connected to the first proximal end of the insertion part, a second proximal end, and a second guidewire lumen communicating with the first guidewire lumen in the first proximal end of the insertion part and extending to the second proximal end to receive the guidewire therethrough;   electrode wires extending through the body part and the insertion part providing power to at least one of the plurality of electrodes; and   a cooling channel defined in at least the intraseptal insertion part.   
     
     
         32 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the cooling channel comprises a first cooling tube directing a coolant past the plurality of RF ablation electrodes along a first path. 
     
     
         33 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 32 , wherein the cooling channel further comprises a second cooling tube directing the coolant past the plurality of RF ablation electrodes along a second path. 
     
     
         34 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of RF ablation electrodes is selectively energizable to detect a position of the catheter assembly relative to the selected target position. 
     
     
         35 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of RF ablation electrodes is energizable to generate heat to treat the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. 
     
     
         36 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the body portion has a selected stiffness. 
     
     
         37 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 31 , further comprising a second guidewire insertion hole defined in a peripheral sidewall of one of the intraseptal insertion part, or the body part. 
     
     
         38 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 31 , further comprising one of a spiral coil wire or a braided wire provided in one the insertion part or the body part. 
     
     
         39 . The RF catheter assembly of  claim 31 , further comprising a hydrophilic coating layer provided on an outer surface of at least the insertion part. 
     
     
         40 . A method of treating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a human heart, comprising:
 positioning a guidewire in an interventricular septum through a septal vein in the heart;   positioning on the guidewire an RF ablation catheter at least one selected target position proximate a His bundle, the RF ablation catheter comprising at least an intraseptal insertion part having a tapered tip, a first guidewire insertion hole defined in the tip and having a radius dimensioned to receive the guidewire therethrough, and a plurality of RF ablation electrodes embedded in a peripheral surface thereof, and a body part connected to the insertion part; and   selectively energizing at least one of the plurality of RF ablation electrodes.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein selectively energizing the at least one of the plurality of RF ablation electrodes detects a position of the catheter assembly relative to the selected target position. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein selectively energizing the at least one of the plurality of RF ablation electrodes generates heat to treat the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising providing cooling from one of a proximal end of the insertion part or the body part, to at least one of a plurality of positions proximate the plurality of RF ablation electrodes. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein providing cooling includes discharging a coolant from the catheter via the first guidewire insertion hole. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein providing cooling includes recycling a coolant within the catheter. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein positioning the guidewire in the interventricular septum includes penetrating a coronary sinus and the septal vein. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein energizing the at least one of the plurality of RF ablation electrodes to detect the position of the catheter assembly relative to the selected target position includes displaying a signal analysis on an electrical signal analyzer. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising providing a hydrophilic polymer coating layer provided on a proximal part thereof. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein providing the hydrophylic polymer coating layer includes providing the layer on at least the insertion part. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein providing the hydrophylic polymer coating layer includes not providing the coating layer over the at least one of the plurality of RF ablation electrodes. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising providing a selected amount of amount of stiffness to at least the body part. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising one of sensing a myocardial electrical signal, or sensing whether the RF ablation catheter is proximate the His bundle by an electrocardiogram. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein as the guidewire ablation catheter is positioned at different selected positions of the His bundle, different ones of the plurality of RF ablation elements are energized.