FIELD: medicine.
SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of medicine, essentially to irreversible electroporation (IRE) procedures, and in particular to methods and a catheter for improving the control of IRE pulses applied to tissue. The ablative IRE catheter contains an insertion tube, the first and second electrodes and a contact force sensor. The insertion tube is made with the possibility of inserting a catheter into the patient’s body. The first and second electrodes are connected to the distal end of the catheter at a predetermined distance from each other and are made with the possibility of: (i) receiving one or more irreversible electroporation (IRE) pulses through the insertion tube and (ii) applying IRE pulses to the patient’s body tissue between the first and second electrodes. The contact force sensor is located between the first and second electrodes and is designed to produce an electrical signal indicating the contact force applied between the distal end and the tissue. A method for creating a focal IRE catheter involves attaching the first and second electrodes to the distal end of the catheter at a predetermined distance from each other to receive one or more irreversible electroporation (IRE) pulses and applying IRE pulses to the patient’s body tissue between the first and second electrodes; and placing a contact force sensor between the first and second electrodes to produce an electrical signal indicating the contact force applied between the distal end and the tissue. The method for controlling IRE pulses applied to the target heart tissue includes inserting a catheter into the patient’s body; combining the first and second electrodes, which are installed at the distal end of the catheter at a predetermined distance from each other, with the patient's body tissue; receiving an electrical signal indicating the contact force applied between the distal end and the tissue; and applying one or more irreversible electroporation (IRE) pulses to the tissue between the first and second electrodes.
EFFECT: in the embodiments of the present invention, which are described above, improved technologies are proposed for controlling IRE ablation by controlling one or more IRE pulses applied to the target heart tissue.
18 cl, 3 dwg
