FLUID COOLED AND PERFUSED TIP FOR A CATHETER

摘要

The invention relates to an ablation catheter (20) which controls the temper ature and reduces the coagulation of biological fluids on a tip (26) of a catheter (20); prevents the impedance rise of tissue in c ontact with the catheter tip (26), and maximizes the ene rgy transfer to the tissue, thereby allowing an increase in the lesion size prod uced by the ablation. The ablation catheter includes a t ip (26) for applying electrical energy to biological tissue. Passages (48) are posit ioned within the tip (26) in a variety of manners for di recting a fluid flow through the tip (26) to the exterior surface of the tip (26) to c ontrol the temperature and form a protective fluid layer around the tip (26). Monitoring structure (47) is also positioned within the tip fo r measurement of the electrical potentials in a biologic al tissue. Ablation electrode structure (30) is also positioned within the tip (26) for application of ablative energy to the biological tissue . A flexible extended embodiment electrode (90) provides the capability to form deep, lin ear lesions along a portion of a heart wall during ablat ion for the treatment of particular arrhythmias.