Intracardiac tools and methods for delivery of electroporation therapies

Abstract

A medical device comprising an elongate body having a proximal portion, a distal portion, a distal end, a longitudinal axis, and a radius, a plurality of deployable arms, the deployable arms being movably coupled to the elongate body, and at least one arm from the plurality of deployable arms having at least one electrically conductive surface. The plurality of deployable arms being movable from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration. In the collapsed configuration, the plurality of deployable arms are approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis. In the expanded configuration, the at least one electrically conductive surface is distal facing and is positioned radially from the longitudinal axis by a distance that is greater than the radius of the elongate body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical system, comprising:
 a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, the catheter comprising:
 an elongate body having a proximal portion and a distal portion and defining a longitudinal axis; and 
 an electrode structure located at the distal end of the catheter, the electrode structure comprising:
 a central shaft configured to extend through a lumen of the elongate body and out of the distal portion of the elongate body; and 
 a plurality of arms arranged around the central shaft, each arm comprising:
 a proximal end operatively connected to the distal portion of the elongate body; 
 a distal end operatively connected to a distal end of the central shaft; and 
 at least one electrode located between the proximal end of the arm and the distal end of the arm, 
 
 
 wherein the electrode structure is configured:
 to be passable through a patient's vasculature in a collapsed configuration in which each arm is in a position that is generally parallel with the central shaft; and 
 to transition from the collapsed configuration to a deployed configuration in a heart of the patient, wherein the plurality of arms defines a plane that is generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the elongate body when in the deployed configuration such the at least one electrode of each of the plurality of arms has at least a distally-facing surface. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The medical system of  claim 1 , further comprising a handle operatively connected to the proximal portion of the elongate body. 
     
     
         3 . The medical system of  claim 2 , further comprising one or more actuation features on the handle configured to transition the electrode structure from the collapsed configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The medical system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more actuation features includes a push button. 
     
     
         5 . The medical system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more actuation features includes a thumb slide. 
     
     
         6 . The medical system of  claim 5 , further comprising a pull wire coupled to the thumb slide and the central shaft, wherein engaging the thumb slide causes the pull wire to pull the central shaft proximally toward the handle to transition the electrode structure into the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode structure is configured to transition from the collapsed configuration to the deployed configuration via pulling the central shaft proximally toward the handle to cause a midpoint of each of the plurality of arms to extend radially outward away from the central shaft in response to a compressive force exerted upon each of the plurality of arms. 
     
     
         8 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode structure is configured to transition from the collapsed configuration to the deployed configuration via pulling the central shaft proximally toward the proximal portion of the elongate body and causing a midpoint of each of the plurality of arms to extend radially outward away from the central shaft in response to a compressive force exerted upon each of the plurality of arms. 
     
     
         9 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the central shaft is configured to retract proximally to enhance contact between a target tissue region of the patient and each electrode of the plurality of arms by causing the electrode structure to transition from the collapsed configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The medical system of  claim 9 , wherein contact includes electrical contact. 
     
     
         11 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein when the electrode structure is in the deployed configuration, electrodes of the at least one electrode of the plurality of arms are configured to contact a radius of a target tissue region of a patient that is an order of magnitude greater than a radius of the elongate body. 
     
     
         12 . The medical system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of electrodes on each arm of the plurality of arms. 
     
     
         13 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of arms includes five arms. 
     
     
         14 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the arms of the plurality of arms are symmetrically arranged around the central shaft such that each arm of the plurality of arms defines a similar radial angle to adjacent arms when viewed along the longitudinal axis the elongate body when the plurality of arms is in the collapsed configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the arms of the plurality of arms are symmetrically arranged around the central shaft such that each arm of the plurality of arms defines a similar radial angle to adjacent arms when viewed along a longitudinal axis of the central shaft when the plurality of arms is in the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode structure is configured to transition into the deployed configuration such that a midpoint of each arm is at a furthest distance away from the central shaft as measured along a plane that is orthogonal to the central shaft and as compared to respective distances between other points of each arm and the central shaft. 
     
     
         17 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the central shaft is configured to apply a compressive force upon the distal end of each arm of the plurality of arms; and   each arm of the plurality of arms is configured to bend away from the central shaft into a predefined shape responsive to the compressive force that compresses each arm between the distal portion of the elongate body and the distal end of the arm connected to the central shaft.   
     
     
         18 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the central shaft is configured to allow a guidewire to extend through the central shaft. 
     
     
         19 . A medical system, comprising:
 a handle including a thumb-slide operatively coupled to a pull wire; and   a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end operatively coupled to the handle, the catheter comprising:
 an elongate body having a proximal portion and a distal portion and defining a longitudinal axis; 
 an electrode structure located at the distal end of the catheter, the electrode structure comprising:
 a central shaft operatively coupled to the pull wire and configured to extend through a lumen of the elongate body; and 
 five arms arranged around the central shaft, each arm comprising:
 a proximal end operatively connected to the distal portion of the elongate body; 
 a distal end operatively connected to a distal portion of the central shaft; and 
 a plurality of electrodes located between the proximal end and the distal end of each arm, 
 
 wherein the electrode structure is configured:
 to be passable through a patient's vasculature in a collapsed configuration in which each arm is in a position that is generally parallel with the central shaft; and 
 to transition from the collapsed configuration to a deployed configuration in a heart of the patient via an actuation of the thumb-slide, causing the central shaft to apply a compressive force upon each of the five arms via the pull wire, wherein the five arms form a plane that is generally orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the central shaft when in the deployed configuration; and 
 wherein the five arms are symmetrically arranged around the central shaft such that each arm of the five arms defines a similar radial angle to adjacent arms when viewed along the longitudinal axis of the elongate body when the five arms are in either the collapsed configuration or the deployed configuration. 
 
 
   
     
     
         20 . The medical system of  claim 19 , wherein the central shaft is configured to move longitudinally into the lumen relative to the elongate body. 
     
     
         21 . The medical system of  claim 19 , wherein the central shaft is configured to move longitudinally into the lumen relative to the proximal ends of the plurality of arms. 
     
     
         22 . The medical system of  claim 19 , wherein the central shaft is configured to retract proximally to enhance contact between a target tissue region of the patient and each electrode of the five arms by causing the electrode structure to transition from the collapsed configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         23 . The medical system of  claim 22 , wherein contact includes electrical contact. 
     
     
         24 . The medical system of  claim 19 , wherein when the electrode structure is in the deployed configuration, electrodes of the five arms are configured to contact a radius of a target tissue region of a patient that is an order of magnitude greater than a radius of the elongate body. 
     
     
         25 . A medical system, comprising:
 a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, the catheter comprising:
 an elongate body having a proximal portion and a distal portion and defining a longitudinal axis; 
 an electrode structure located at the distal end of the catheter, the electrode structure comprising:
 a central shaft configured to extend through a lumen of a distal portion of the elongate body; and 
 a plurality of arms arranged around the central shaft, each arm comprising:
 a proximal end operatively connected to a distal portion of the elongate body; 
 a distal end operatively connected to the central shaft; and 
 at least one electrode between the proximal end of the arm and the distal end of the arm, 
 
 wherein the electrode structure is configured:
 to be passable through a patient vasculature in a collapsed configuration in which each arm is in a position that is generally parallel with the central shaft; 
 to transition from the collapsed configuration to a deployed configuration in a heart of the patient, wherein the plurality of arms define a plane that is generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the elongate body when in the deployed configuration such that the at least one electrode of the each of the plurality of arms has at least a distally-face surface, 
 such that proximally retracting the central shaft toward the proximal end of the catheter is configured to enhance electrical contact between a target tissue region of the patient and each electrode of the plurality of arms via causing the electrode structure to transition into the deployed configuration; and 
 such that deploying into the deployed configuration enables electrodes of the plurality of arms to contact a radius of a target tissue region of a patient that is an order of magnitude greater than a radius of the elongate body. 
 
 
   
     
     
         26 . The medical system of  claim 25 , further comprising a handle operatively connected to the proximal portion of the elongate body. 
     
     
         27 . The medical system of  claim 26 , further comprising one or more actuation features on the handle configured to transition the electrode structure from the collapsed configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         28 . The medical system of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more actuation features includes a thumb slide. 
     
     
         29 . The medical system of  claim 28 , further comprising a pull wire coupled to the thumb slide and the central shaft, wherein engaging the thumb slide causes the pull wire to pull the central shaft proximally toward the handle to transition the electrode structure into the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         30 . The medical system of  claim 25 , further comprising a plurality of electrodes on each arm of the plurality of arms. 
     
     
         31 . The medical system of  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of arms includes five arms. 
     
     
         32 . The medical system of  claim 25 , wherein the arms of the plurality of arms are symmetrically arranged around the central shaft such that each arm of the plurality of arms defines a similar radial angle to adjacent arms when viewed along the longitudinal axis the elongate body when the plurality of arms is in both the collapsed configuration and the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         33 . The medical system of  claim 25 , wherein the electrode structure is configured to transition into the deployed configuration such that a midpoint of each arm is at a furthest distance away from the central shaft as measured along a plane that is orthogonal to the central shaft and as compared to respective distances between other points of each arm and the central shaft.