Catheter with combined position and pressure sensing structures

摘要

A catheter is responsive to external and internal magnetic field generators for generating position data of the catheter position and pressure data to determine pressured exerted on a distal end of the catheter when engaged with tissue, with a reduced number of sensing coils and reduced number of sensing coil leads for minimizing lead breakage and failure. The catheter includes a distal section adapted for engagement with patient tissue, where the distal section has a proximal portion, a distal portion and a flexible joint with a resilient member adapted to allow axial displacement and angular deflection between the proximal and distal portions of the distal section. The catheter may have three or less sensing coils with three or less leads, each transmitting signals between a respective sensing coil and the signal processor.

主权项

1. A catheter for use with a catheterization system having a plurality of magnetic field generators, each generating a position-data magnetic field, the catheter comprising:
a flexible tubing; and a distal section adapted for engagement with patient tissue, the distal section having:
a proximal portion, a distal portion and a flexible joint between the proximal portion and the distal portion;a distal section magnetic field generator positioned in one of the proximal and distal portions, the distal section magnetic field generator adapted to generate a pressure-data magnetic field;a plurality of sensing coils positioned in the other of the proximal and distal portions, at least one sensing coil of the plurality of sensing coils being configured as a position sensing, and a least one other of the sensing coils of the plurality of sensing coils being configured as a pressure sensor;wherein at least one sensing coil of the plurality of sensing coils is configured to sense each position-data magnetic field and each pressure-data magnetic field, and to generate signals representative of data relating to a position of the distal section and data relating to a pressure exerted on the distal section when engaged with the patient tissue; andwherein the at least one sensing coil of the plurality of sensing coils has a respective lead connected thereto configured to transmit signals for signal processing.