Patent ID: 8926604
Filing Date: 2015-01-06
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
1. An ablation apparatus, comprising: a flexible catheter, having a proximal segment, a distal end for insertion into a body cavity of a living subject and a distal tip, which is disposed at the distal end of the catheter and is configured to be brought into contact with a tissue in the body cavity, the flexible catheter further comprising a joint connecting the proximal segment to the distal end, the flexible catheter being configured to bend at the joint to define a bend angle corresponding to an angle formed between the distal end and the proximal segment when the distal tip engages the tissue; a detector for sensing a mechanical force against the distal tip when the distal tip engages the tissue; an ablator, which applies a given dosage of energy to the tissue so as to ablate the tissue; a controller, configured to determine a displacement vector defining a displacement force of the distal tip applied normal to a surface of the tissue, and a deflection vector defining a force applied to the tissue at a contact angle, where the contact angle is defined as the angle formed between a line normal to the surface of the tissue and a line normal to the distal tip when the distal tip engages the tissue, in response to signals produced by the detector; further configured to determine a magnitude of the mechanical force by vector addition of the displacement vector; and further the deflection vector and configured to compute an ablation volume using the given dosage of energy and the magnitude of the mechanical force; and a monitor linked to the controller, configured to display a map of the tissue and an indication of the computed ablation volume in the tissue.