System and method for adaptive RF ablation

摘要

A medical method, device, and system are provided, including advancing an ablation element of a medical device into contact with tissue to be treated, selecting a power level of energy to ablate the tissue, delivering energy at the selected power level to the ablation element, determining whether the ablation element is in continuous contact with the tissue, and reducing the selected power level when the ablation element ceases to be in continuous contact with the tissue.

主权项

1. A medical system for treating tissue, comprising:
a medical device; an ablation electrode and a temperature sensor coupled to the medical device; a source of RF energy in electrical communication with the ablation element, the source having a variable power output, the source of RF energy supplying power to the ablation electrode to ablate the tissue; a control unit in communication with the temperature sensor and operable to receive a temperature signal from the temperature sensor, the control unit programmed to determine a state of contact between the ablation electrode and tissue based at least in part on the temperature signal, the control unit having a delay interval and being programmed to permit the power supplied to the ablation element to be increased when, after a determination that continuous contact has been lost:
the ablation element regains continuous tissue contact; andthe state of regained continuous tissue contact has continued for a time at least equal to the delay interval; and a feedback controller in communication with the control unit, the temperature sensor, and the source of RF energy, the feedback controller being programmed to modify the power output of the source of RF energy based at least in part on the temperature signal.