Optical-guided ablation system for use with pulsed fields or other energy sources

Abstract

Described herein is a system including a catheter, an optical circuit, a pulsed field ablation energy source, and a processing device. The catheter includes a proximal section, a distal section, and a shaft coupled between the proximal section and the distal section. The optical circuit is configured to transport light at least partially from the proximal section to the distal section and back. The pulsed field ablation energy source is coupled to the catheter and configured to transmit pulsed electrical signals to a tissue sample. The processing device is configured to analyze one or more optical signals received from the optical circuit to determine changes in polarization or phase retardation of light reflected or scattered by the tissue sample, and determine changes in a birefringence of the tissue sample based on the changes in polarization or phase retardation.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system comprising:
 a catheter for applying ablation energy to an ablation site, comprising:
 a proximal section; 
 a distal section comprising a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of optical ports; 
 an optical circuit configured to transmit an optical signal between the proximal section and the ablation site via the plurality of optical ports; and 
 an electrical transmission medium coupling the plurality of electrodes and the proximal section; 
   a radio frequency (RF) source configured to provide an RF energy to the ablation site via the plurality of electrodes;   a pulsed field ablation (PFA) source configured to provide a PFA energy to the ablation site via the plurality of electrodes;   a processing unit coupled to the catheter and configured to:
 analyze the optical signal returned from the ablation site via the optical circuit; and 
 determine a structural change of the ablation site based on the optical signal. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a control unit configured to choose between the RF source and the PFA source to couple to the catheter. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine a condition of contact stability between the distal section and the ablation site by analyzing the optical signal. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the PFA energy comprises a series of voltage pulses having peak-peak amplitudes between 500 Vpp to 1500 Vpp. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to monitor changes in a birefringence during delivery of the RF energy or the PFA energy to the ablation site. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to assess the ablation site in real time by comparing the structural change before and after the RF or PFA energy is applied to the ablation site. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the distal section comprises at least one of a helical, loop, radial, conical, cylindrical, or spherical structure. 
     
     
         28 . A method for performing ablation in a patient, the method comprising:
 identifying contact between a distal end of a catheter inserted into vasculature of the patient and an ablation site;   determining a stability condition of the contact by measuring an optical signal applied through a plurality of optical ports on the distal end and returned from the ablation site;   selecting an energy source between a pulsed field ablation (PFA) energy source and a radio frequency (RF) energy source;   delivering an energy through the distal end to the ablation site from the energy source; and   assessing a lesion at the ablation site by measuring the optical signal.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein assessing the lesion comprises measuring changes in polarization or phase retardation of the optical signal before and after delivering the energy to the ablation site. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein assessing the lesion comprises measuring changes in the optical signal in real time when delivering the energy to the ablation site. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein assessing the lesion comprises assessing a size of the lesion in real time. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein assessing the lesion comprises assessing a depth of the lesion in real time. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein assessing the lesion comprises monitoring structural changes of the ablation site during delivering the energy to the ablation site. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising continuing to determine the stability condition of the contact by measuring the optical signal while delivering energy to the ablation site. 
     
     
         35 . A catheter for ablating a tissue, the catheter comprising:
 a proximal section;   a distal section;   a shaft coupling the proximal section and the distal section;   a plurality of electrodes disposed on the distal section and configured to deliver an energy to the tissue;   a plurality of optical ports positioned on the distal section and configured to transmit an optical signal to the tissue;   an electrical transmission medium disposed in the shaft and connecting the plurality of electrodes to an electrical connector on the proximal section, wherein the electrical connector is connected to a radio frequency (RF) source and a pulse field ablation (PFA) source; and   a plurality of optical fibers disposed in the shaft and coupled to the plurality of optical ports and an optical connector on the proximal section, wherein the optical connector is coupled to an external optical source and an external optical sensor.   
     
     
         36 . The catheter of  claim 35 , wherein the electrical connector is configured to switch between the RF source and the PFA source to couple to the electrical transmission medium. 
     
     
         37 . The catheter of  claim 35 , wherein the distal section comprises a loop configuration. 
     
     
         38 . The catheter of  claim 35 , wherein the distal section comprises a memory material. 
     
     
         39 . The catheter of  claim 35 , wherein the distal section comprises a 3D spherical configuration expended from a surface of the distal section. 
     
     
         40 . The catheter of  claim 35 , wherein each of the plurality of optical ports is positioned at a midpoint between a pair of the plurality of the electrodes.