Method and apparatus to regulate a tissue temperature

摘要

A system and method are described for sensing the orientation of a catheter relative to a tissue and regulating the application of power to maintain the tissue at a pre-determined temperature.

主权项

1. A system for determining a tissue temperature comprising:
A first thermocouple and a second thermocouple spaced circumferentially apart in a catheter; an external control unit electrically coupled to the thermocouples and to the catheter; the external control unit configured to apply a power to a first tissue through the catheter; the external control unit configured to measure a voltage from each thermocouple; and the external control unit configured to calculate a first tissue temperature based on the thermocouple voltages: the external control unit configured to classify a catheter orientation as one of:
neither thermocouple touches the first tissue,only one thermocouple touches the first tissue,both thermocouples touch the first tissue, based on the thermocouple voltages; the external control unit configured to identify which thermocouple touches the first tissue, if one thermocouple touches the first tissue, based on the thermocouple voltages; and the external control unit configured to calculate each thermocouple temperature based on each thermocouple voltage and, if only one thermocouple touches the first tissue, identifying the thermocouple which touches the first tissue as the thermocouple with the higher temperature.