| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrophysiologic catheter useful for ablation and sensing electrical activity of heart tissue, in particular, an electrophysiologic catheter with contact force sensing capabilities at its distal end. <P>SOLUTION: The mapping and ablation catheter with contact force sensing capabilities at a distal end, includes a catheter body, a deflectable section, and a tip distal section which has a tip electrode and a contact force sensor for sensing a 3D contact force vector applied to the tip electrode. In contact with the tip electrode, the contact force sensor has a body and has an electrical characteristic that is responsive to deformation of the body resulting from contact force vector. The sensor is adapted to receive an electrical current and to output an electrical signal indication of a change in the electrical characteristic. In one embodiment, the sensor is a strain gage responsive to tension and compression of at least a portion of the body of the contact force sensor and the electrical characteristic of the strain gage that is monitored is electrical resistivity. In another embodiment, the sensor is responsive to strain and stress of at least a portion of the body, and the electrical characteristic being monitored is inductance or hysteresis loss. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT |
