Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20050165392A1/en
Timestamp: 2019-07-17 10:58:19
Document Index: 514480219

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 70', 'art 70', 'art 70', 'art 70', 'art 70', 'art 70', 'art 70']

US20050165392A1 - System and method of performing an electrosurgical procedure - Google Patents
US20050165392A1
US20050165392A1 US11/003,451 US345104A US2005165392A1 US 20050165392 A1 US20050165392 A1 US 20050165392A1 US 345104 A US345104 A US 345104A US 2005165392 A1 US2005165392 A1 US 2005165392A1
US11/003,451
US7364578B2 (en
2004-12-03 Priority to US11/003,451 priority patent/US7364578B2/en
2005-07-28 Publication of US20050165392A1 publication Critical patent/US20050165392A1/en
2008-04-29 Publication of US7364578B2 publication Critical patent/US7364578B2/en
With the one preferred atrial application reflected in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a portion of a Maze procedure is performed. In particular, FIG. 5A includes a representation of a heart 70 with its left atrium 72 exposed. In this regard, step 100 of FIG. 4 delineates that access to a target site 74 is gained. Relative to the one exemplary procedure of FIG. 5A, the target site 74 is accessed by splitting the patient's sternum (not shown) and opening the patient's rib cage (not shown) with a retractor. Various incision are then made into the heart 70 to expose an interior of the left atrium 72. Of course, other techniques are available for accessing the target site 74. Further, access to a particular target site 74 could be gained, for example, via a thoractomy, sternotomy, percutaneously, transveneously, arthroscopically, endoscopically, for example through a percutaneous port, stab wound or puncture through a small incision (e.g., in the chest, groin, abdomen, neck, or knee), etc. In addition, it is possible to gain access to the outside of the heart 70 from within the heart 70. For example, a catheter device may be passed from an interior of the heart 70, through an appendage wall of the heart 70, to an exterior of the heart 70. As described below, the electrosurgical instrument 12 may then be manipulated to contact an epicardial of the particular electrosurgical procedure being performed. For example, in an electrosurgical procedure to correct atrial fibrillation, such as a Maze procedure, a transmural lesion is required, and consequently, the desired lesion depth will be equal to the thickness of the target site tissue 74. Of course, other electrosurgical procedures may entail a desired lesion depth that is less than the evaluated thickness of the target site 74, for example, by a prescribed percentage (e.g., 50% of the target site 74 thickness).
32. A method of creating an ablation lesion at a tissue target site, the method comprising:
33. The method of claim 32, wherein the predetermined length of time information correlates a plurality of lesion depth values with a plurality of ablative energy setting values and identifies an energization time period value for each lesion depth value and ablative energy setting value combination.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the recommended energization time period is determined by ascertaining the energization time period value identified by the predetermined length of time information that otherwise corresponds with the desired lesion depth and the selected ablative energy setting combination.
35. The method of claim 34, wherein the predetermined length of time information is embodied in a look-up table.
36. The method of claim 34, wherein the predetermined length of time information includes an algorithm.
37. The method of claim 34, wherein the ablation instrument is further configured to distribute a liquid from a fluid source to a region of the tissue ablating member at a plurality of irrigation rates, and further wherein the predetermined length of time information is generated as a function of irrigation rate.
38. The method of claim 37, further comprising selecting a desired irrigation rate prior to the step of supplying ablative energy and irrigating the tissue ablating member with the liquid during the step of supplying ablative energy.
39. The method of claim 38, wherein the recommended energization time period is further determined based upon the selected irrigation rate.
40. The method of claim 39, wherein the predetermined length of time information includes a first correlation of lesion depth values with ablative energy setting values for a first irrigation rate and a second correlation of lesion depth values with ablative energy setting values for a second irrigation rate.
41. The method of claim 40, wherein the predetermined length of time information includes a first look-up table embodying the first correlation and a second look-up table embodying the second correlation.
42. The method of claim 32, wherein determining a desired lesion depth includes:
43. The method of claim 32, wherein the ablative energy supplied to the tissue ablating member is radiofrequency energy.
44. The method of claim 32, wherein selecting a desired ablative energy setting further includes:
45. The method of claim 44, wherein selecting a desired ablative energy setting further includes:
46. The method of claim 32, wherein the predetermined length of time information corresponds to a length of time needed for the ablation system to create a lesion having a length of 1 cm.
48. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of drawing the tissue ablating member back and forth results in a first lesion segment upon completion of the recommended energization time period, the method further comprising forming a second lesion segment connected to the first lesion segment to define a lesion pattern.
49. The method of claim 48, wherein the lesion pattern is created as a part of a Maze procedure.
50. The method of claim 32, wherein the ablation system further includes a controller storing the predetermined length of time information, and further wherein the recommended energization time period is determined by:
51. The method of claim 50, wherein the controller includes an input device and a display device, and further wherein operating the controller includes:
52. The method of claim 50, wherein the controller further includes a warning device, the method further comprising:
53. The method of claim 32, wherein the tissue ablating member is an ablation electrode.
54. The method of claim 32, wherein the tissue ablating member is positioned at a distal portion of the ablation instrument.
55. The method of claim 32, wherein at least a portion of the tissue ablating member is porous.
56. The method of claim 32, wherein the ablative energy source is a radiofrequency generator.
57. The method of claim 32, wherein the tissue target site is heart tissue.
58. The method of claim 57, wherein the heart tissue is epicardial tissue.
59. The method of claim 57, wherein the heart tissue is endocardial tissue.
60. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of gaining access to the tissue target site through a sternotomy.
61. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of gaining access to the tissue target site through a thoractomy.
62. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of gaining access to the tissue target site through a small incision.
63. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of gaining access to the tissue target site through a port.
64. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of gaining access to the tissue target site percutaneously.
65. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of gaining access to the tissue target site transveneously.
66. An ablation system for creating an ablation lesion at a tissue target site, the system comprising:
67. The system of claim 66, further including:
68. The system of claim 67, wherein the energization look-up table correlates the energization time period information with a desired irrigation rate.
69. The system of claim 66, wherein the system further comprises:
70. The system of claim 69, wherein the controller is electrically connected to the ablative energy source, and further wherein the controller is configured to control the ablative energy setting of the ablative energy source.
71. The system of claim 70, wherein the controller is adapted to automatically deactivate the ablative energy source upon completion of the recommended energization time period.
72. The system of claim 69, wherein the controller includes an input device and a display device, and further wherein operating the controller includes:
73. The system of claim 72, wherein the controller further includes a warning device that is activated upon completion of the recommended energization time period.
74. The system of claim 66, wherein the tissue ablating member is an ablation electrode.
75. The system of claim 66, wherein the tissue ablating member is positioned at a distal portion of the ablation instrument.
76. The system of claim 66, wherein at least a portion of the tissue ablating member is porous.
77. The system of claim 66, wherein the ablative energy source is a radiofrequency generator.
78. The system of claim 77, wherein the ablative energy supplied to the tissue ablating member is radiofrequency energy.
79. The system of claim 66, wherein the ablation instrument is further configured to distribute a liquid from a fluid source to a region of the tissue ablating member at a plurality of irrigation rates.
US11/003,451 2002-01-25 2004-12-03 System and method of performing an electrosurgical procedure Active 2023-02-16 US7364578B2 (en)
US11/003,451 US7364578B2 (en) 2002-01-25 2004-12-03 System and method of performing an electrosurgical procedure
US10/056,806 Continuation US6827715B2 (en) 2002-01-25 2002-01-25 System and method of performing an electrosurgical procedure
US20050165392A1 true US20050165392A1 (en) 2005-07-28
US7364578B2 US7364578B2 (en) 2008-04-29
US10/056,806 Active 2022-02-12 US6827715B2 (en) 2002-01-25 2002-01-25 System and method of performing an electrosurgical procedure
US11/003,451 Active 2023-02-16 US7364578B2 (en) 2002-01-25 2004-12-03 System and method of performing an electrosurgical procedure
DE60319341T2 (en) 2008-07-31
US20010031961A1 (en) 2001-10-18 Method for transmural ablation