Catheter with contoured ablation electrode.

摘要

A catheter (10) which can be advanced through a body vessel to an internal organ, typically the heart, for electroshock ablation. The catheter (10) includes a catheter lead (12) and a contoured electroshock ablation electrode (20) attached to the catheter lead (12) at or near its distal end (12a). The contoured electrode (20) and the catheter lead (12) are configured to provide a high arcing threshold. The electrode (20) has a smoothly curved surface free of sharp edges. The catheter lead (12) at the junction (32) with the electrode (20) has a smaller diameter than the electrode (20). Preferably, the diameter of the catheter lead (12) at the junction (32) with the electrode (20) is no more than one third the diameter of the electrode (20). The catheter lead (12) includes a flexible sheath (54) that is tapered to a smaller diameter at or near the junction (32) of the electrode (20) with the catheter lead (12). In a preferred embodiment, the electrode (20) includes a cylindrical surface (20a) coaxial with the catheter lead (12) and hemispherical end surfaces (20b, 20c) having the same diameter as the cylindrical surface (20a). The catheter (10) permits delivery of high energy shocks without arcing.