US 12,226,150 B2
Ablation catheter tip with flexible electronic circuitry
Brett A. Hillukka, Hanover, MN (US); and Andrew P. Wloch, Minneapolis, MN (US)
Assigned to St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc., St. Paul, MN (US)
Appl. No. 17/442,882
Filed by St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc., St. Paul, MN (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 25, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/052831
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 24, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/194214, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 1, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/824,840, filed on Mar. 27, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0151691 A1, May 19, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 18/14 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01); H05K 1/11 (2006.01); H05K 3/36 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/1492 (2013.01) [H05K 1/118 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00648 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00678 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00714 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00797 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00839 (2013.01); A61B 2218/002 (2013.01); H05K 3/363 (2013.01); H05K 2201/053 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A high-thermal-sensitivity ablation catheter tip, the tip comprising:
a conductive shell configured and arranged to conduct ablation therapy;
a thermally-insulative tip insert positioned such that the conductive shell surrounds at least a portion of the tip insert; and
a flexible electronic circuit extending around the tip insert, and including
a plurality of thermal sensors placed in thermal communication with the conductive shell, wherein the plurality of thermal sensors are distributed across at least one of a length and width of the flexible electronic circuit, and
a plurality of electrodes electrically insulated from the conductive shell and configured to sense electrophysiology characteristics of contacted tissue, wherein the plurality of electrodes are coupled to a distal face of the tip insert and extend through the conductive shell,
wherein an inner diameter of the conductive shell is less than an outer diameter associated with a circumferential placement of the plurality of electrodes on the distal face of the tip insert, and the inner surface of the conductive shell includes one or more longitudinally extending channels.