Impedance devices and methods of using the same to obtain luminal organ measurements

Abstract

Impedance systems and methods of use. The impedance systems include only one electrode positioned upon an elongate body, and at least two external electrodes. The only one electrode is configured to both excite an electric field and detect the electric field. The only one electrode works with a first external electrode to generate an electric field and works with a second external electrode to obtain conductance measurements from the electric field. In other embodiments the first external electrode and/or the second external electrode may also be configured to both excite an electric field and detect the electric field. In other embodiments, both the first external electrode and the second external electrode can work with the only one electrode to both generate an electric field and obtain at least one conductance measurement.

1 . An impedance system, comprising:
 an elongated body;   only one electrode located on the elongated body,   at least two external electrodes external to the elongated body;   wherein the only one electrode is configured to operate as both an excitation electrode to generate an electric field and as a detection electrode to obtain one or more conductance values within a luminal organ within the electric field.   
     
     
         2 . The impedance system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two external electrodes comprise a first external electrode and a second external electrode, wherein the only one electrode is configured to generate the electric field with the first external electrode and further configured to obtain the one or more conductance values with the second external electrode. 
     
     
         3 . The impedance system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two external electrodes comprise a first external electrode and a second external electrode, wherein the first external electrode is configured to both generate the electric field with the only one electrode and obtain the one or more conductance values with the only one electrode. 
     
     
         4 . The impedance system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least two external electrodes comprise a first external electrode and a second external electrode, wherein the second external electrode is configured to both generate the electric field with the only one electrode and obtain the one or more conductance values with the only one electrode. 
     
     
         5 . The impedance system of  claim 1 , wherein the impedance device is configured to communicate with a data acquisition and processing system that is configured to calculate a measured parameter of the mammalian luminal organ based upon the one or more conductance values obtained by the only one electrode. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the measured parameter is selected from the group consisting of a luminal organ diameter and a luminal organ cross-sectional area. 
     
     
         7 . The impedance device of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated body is selected from the group consisting of an elongated wire and an elongated catheter. 
     
     
         8 . The impedance device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure within a luminal organ when at least part of the impedance device is positioned therein.   
     
     
         9 . The impedance device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature within a luminal organ when at least part of the impedance device is positioned therein.   
     
     
         10 . The impedance device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an ablation contact configured to ablate within a luminal organ when at least part of the impedance device is positioned therein.   
     
     
         11 . An impedance system comprising:
 an elongated body having only one electrode positioned thereon, said electrode configured to both excite an electric field and detect the electric field; and at least two external electrodes configured to work with the only one electrode to excite the electric field and/or detect the electric field.   
     
     
         12 . The impedance system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least two external electrodes comprise a first external electrode configured to work with the only one electrode to excite the electric field and a second external electrode configured to work with the only one electrode to detect the electric field. 
     
     
         13 . The impedance system of  claim 12 , wherein the first external electrode is further configured to work with the only one electrode to detect the electric field and the second external electrode is further configured to work with the only one electrode to excite the electric field. 
     
     
         14 . The impedance system of  claim 13 , wherein both the first external electrode and the second external electrode are configured to operate as both an excitation electrode and a detection electrode. 
     
     
         15 . The impedance system of  claim 12 , wherein the first external electrode is configured to operate as both an excitation electrode and a detection electrode. 
     
     
         16 . The impedance system of  claim 12 , wherein the only one electrode is configured to obtain at least one conductance value. 
     
     
         17 . A method of using an impedance device, the method comprising the steps of:
 introducing at least part of an impedance device into a luminal organ at a first location, the impedance device comprising:
 an elongated body comprising only one electrode positioned thereon, wherein the only one electrode operates as both an excitation electrode and a detection electrode, and the only one electrode obtains one or more conductance values within the luminal organ, 
 at least two external electrodes; and 
   providing electrical current to the only one electrode such that the only one electrode and a first electrode of the at least two external electrodes generate an electric field, the at least two electrodes positioned upon or within a body containing the luminal organ;   obtaining at least one conductance value using the only one electrode;   calculating a measured parameter of the mammalian luminal organ based in part upon the at least one conductance value.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of obtaining at least one conductance value is performed utilizing a second external electrode of the at least two external electrodes with the only one electrode. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of obtaining at least one conductance value is performed utilizing the first external electrode of the at least two external electrodes with the only one electrode. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the measured parameter is selected from the group consisting of a luminal organ diameter and a luminal organ cross-sectional area.