Systems and methods for cardiac conduction block
Inventors
Wu, Kenneth S. • Ackermann, Douglas Michael
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12465260-B2
Publication Date
2025-11-11
Expiration Date
Abstract
This disclosure relates to electrophysiology cardiac ablation devices, methods, and systems. In particular, this disclosure relates to devices, methods, and systems that create a reversible non-ablative blockade of cardiac tissue, test the cardiac tissue, and ablate the cardiac tissue.
Core Innovation
The patent describes a method of performing a cardiac electrophysiologic study in a patient by sensing electrical activity at a first cardiac target tissue at a heart and determining that the electrical activity has characteristics of interest. A first non-ablative direct current is delivered to the first cardiac target tissue sufficient to create a reversible conduction block, where the first non-ablative direct current comprises a frequency of less than about 1 Hz. After delivering the first non-ablative direct current, the method determines an absence of the characteristics of interest based on the electrical activity of the first cardiac target tissue.
After confirming the absence of the characteristics of interest following the reversible conduction block, the method ablating the first cardiac target tissue. The sequence is used to perform a cardiac electrophysiologic study by first establishing a reversible conduction block and then using electrophysiologic sensing to support whether the characteristics of interest remain present.
The described approaches further specify that the non-ablative electrical current comprises a frequency of less than about 1 Hz and that the method includes determining absence of aberrant electrical activity following the non-ablative current and then ablating the first cardiac target tissue. Additional non-ablative current forms are described, including non-ablative electrical current comprising HFAC and/or direct current, and the cardiac target tissue can include left atrial tissue and right atrial tissue.
Claims Coverage
The provided set includes three independent claims, each covering a method for cardiac electrophysiologic study that uses a reversible conduction block with a non-ablative current having a frequency less than about 1 Hz, followed by determining absence of a specified characteristic and then ablating the target tissue. The independent claims share a common inventive workflow while differing in how the characteristics of interest are defined and in the naming of the non-ablative current type.
Sensing and non-ablative reversible conduction block guided by characteristics of interest
Sensing electrical activity at a first cardiac target tissue at a heart, determining that the electrical activity has characteristics of interest, delivering a first non-ablative direct current to the first cardiac target tissue sufficient to create a reversible conduction block in the first cardiac target tissue, wherein the first non-ablative direct current comprises a frequency of less than about 1 Hz, and determining an absence of the characteristics of interest based on the electrical activity following delivering the first non-ablative direct current.
Reversible conduction block with absence of aberrant electrical activity followed by ablating
Sensing electrical activity at a first cardiac target tissue at a heart, delivering a non-ablative electrical current to the first cardiac target tissue sufficient to create a reversible conduction block, wherein the non-ablative electrical current comprises a frequency of less than about 1 Hz, determining an absence of aberrant electrical activity of the patient's heart following delivering the non-ablative electrical current, and ablating the first cardiac target tissue.
Reversible conduction block with absence of a characteristic of interest followed by ablating
Sensing electrical activity of a first cardiac target tissue at a heart, determining that the electrical activity has a characteristic of interest, delivering a non-ablative current to the first cardiac target tissue sufficient to create a reversible conduction block in the first cardiac target tissue, wherein the non-ablative current comprises a frequency of less than about 1 Hz, determining an absence of the characteristic of interest following delivering the non-ablative current, and ablating the first cardiac target tissue.
Across the independent claims, the key claimed coverage is sensing and determination of electrical characteristics, delivery of a non-ablative current with frequency less than about 1 Hz to create a reversible conduction block, confirming absence of the relevant characteristic after the reversible block, and then ablating the first cardiac target tissue. Differences are primarily in whether the characteristic is expressed as characteristics of interest, aberrant electrical activity, or a general characteristic of interest, and in how the non-ablative current is characterized.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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