US 12,453,597 B2
Focal ablation devices with foldable elements, and systems and methods thereof
Raju Viswanathan, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc., Maple Grove, MN (US)
Filed by Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc., Maple Grove, MN (US)
Filed on Jun. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/853,255.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/218,154, filed on Jul. 2, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0000548 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 18/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/14 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/1492 (2013.01) [A61B 2018/00267 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00351 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00577 (2013.01); A61B 2018/1467 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An endocardial catheter comprising:
an outer shaft having a proximal end and an opposite distal end, and an outer shaft lumen extending through the proximal and distal ends;
an inner shaft slidably disposed within the outer shaft lumen, the inner shaft having a proximal portion and an opposite distal end, the inner shaft sized to extend beyond the distal end of the outer shaft, wherein the spline assembly can be transitioned between an undeployed configuration and a fully deployed configuration by causing relative axial movement between the inner shaft and the outer shaft, and wherein the spline assembly has a maximum diameter in a fully deployed configuration;
a spline assembly comprising a plurality of flexible splines each having a spline proximal end attached to the distal end of the outer shaft, an opposite spline distal end attached to the distal end of the inner shaft, and a plurality of electrodes, wherein the plurality of electrodes on each spline includes a proximal spline electrode and a distal spline electrode, wherein the plurality of splines collectively define an interior space of the spline assembly; and
a foldable membrane disposed within the interior space of the spline assembly, the foldable membrane having an outer edge portion attached to one or more of the splines at a longitudinal location between the proximal spline electrode and the distal spline electrode disposed on each of the one or more splines;
wherein each of the splines has a curved shape when the spline assembly is in the deployed configuration, and wherein the foldable membrane is attached to the one or more splines at a point of maximum curvature thereof, and wherein the point of maximum curvature is located closer to the distal end of each spline than to the proximal end thereof.