Patent ID: 6936047

Claim:
A system for efficient delivery of radio frequency (RF) energy to cardiac tissue with an ablation catheter, said system comprising: (a) an RF generator; (b) an electrical coupling effective for delivering an electrical current from the RF generator through a multiplicity of ablation electrodes, arranged in a linear or curvilinear assembly at a distal section of the ablation catheter, to the cardiac tissue and a return path for the RF current through a reference electrode; (c) a multiplicity of temperature sensors each positioned in proximity to each of the multiplicity of ablation electrodes, said multiplicity of temperature sensors effective for measuring the temperature of cardiac tissue in contact with the multiplicity of ablation electrodes; and (d) an separate analog-based information processor and RF output controller positioned on each channel and structured to control the amount of RF power delivered through the electrical coupling to provide a gradual increase in RF power calculated in real-time during an initial ramp-up phase, and to limit the delivery of RF power through the electrical coupling based on the temperature of cardiac tissue in contact with the series of ablation electrodes, thereby reducing the likelihood of coagulum formation during delivery of RF energy to cardiac tissue.