US 12,478,427 B2
Contact pressure assessment for cryoballoon ablation catheters
Nicolas Coulombe, Anjou (CA); Rachid Mahrouche, Cote St-Luc (CA); Louis Jacob, Laval (CA); Dan Wittenberger, Blainville (CA); Martin Lacharite, Vaudreuil-Dorion (CA); and Jean-Pierre Lalonde, Candiac (CA)
Assigned to Medtronic CryoCath LP, Toronto (CA)
Filed by Medtronic CryoCath LP, Toronto (CA)
Filed on Jul. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/814,405.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/231,331, filed on Aug. 10, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0053149 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 18/14 (2006.01); A61B 18/02 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/1492 (2013.01) [A61B 18/02 (2013.01); A61B 2018/0022 (2013.01); A61B 2018/0212 (2013.01); A61B 2018/0262 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of ablating tissue, the method comprising:
positioning a treatment device proximate to a target tissue area, the treatment device having an expandable treatment element;
inflating the expandable treatment element with a refrigerant during an inflation phase such that at least a portion of the expandable treatment element is in contact with the target tissue area;
recording a first pressure measurement within the inflated expandable treatment element during the inflation phase and comparing the first pressure measurement to a predetermined pressure threshold;
circulating the refrigerant within the expandable treatment element during an ablation phase to reduce a temperature of the target tissue area to a temperature sufficient to cryoablate the target tissue area;
recording a second pressure measurement within the inflated expandable treatment element during the ablation phase and comparing the second pressure measurement to the predetermined pressure threshold;
calculating a difference between the first pressure measurement and the predetermined pressure threshold; and
assigning a first contact score based on the calculated difference, the assigned first contact score being indicative of a quality of tissue contact by the expandable treatment element during the inflation phase.