FIELD: medicine.
SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to medical equipment, particularly to electrophysiological catheters, used, in particular, for ablation and probing the electrical activity of heart tissue. Irrigated ablation catheter comprises an elongated catheter body; deflection section and a tip electrode. Deflecting section is distal with respect to the catheter body. Tip electrode is distal with respect to the deflection section. Tip electrode comprises an outer shell and an inner member. Outer shell forms a cavity and has a plurality of fluid ports, each of which is part of the common area for fluid outlet of the tip electrode. Inner member includes a fluid inlet for fluid inlet into the point electrode. Fluid inlet has a fluid inlet area. Each fluid port is tapered conically. For each fluid port, the ratio of the thickness of the outer shell of the point electrode to the diameter of the fluid port is less than 3.25. In a second embodiment of the irrigated ablation catheter, the point electrode has a ratio of the total fluid outlet area to the fluid inlet area of less than about 1.8 and each fluid port has a conical configuration with a cone angle between about 4 and 6 degrees. In a third embodiment of the irrigated ablation catheter, the point electrode has a ratio of the total fluid outlet area to the fluid inlet area, the ratio of the thickness of the outer shell of the point electrode to the diameter of the fluid port, and the proportionality factor of the fluid inlet. Cavity has a variable internal cross-section, the cavity having an internal cross-section that varies along the length of the point electrode. Each fluid port has a conical configuration. For each fluid port, the ratio of the thickness of the outer shell of the point electrode to the diameter of the fluid port is less than 3.25.
EFFECT: inventions have improved flow of irrigation fluid at the inlet and outlet of the point electrode, distributing the fluid more evenly and at a higher rate without the need to increase power and energy consumption of the pumping source of the irrigation fluid, or to increase the fluid load on the patient.
14 cl, 29 dwg
