Systems and methods for treating tissue regions of the body

Abstract

Systems and methods deploy an electrode from a catheter assembly. The systems and methods provide a catheter handle having a trigger lever adapted to carry an actuator rod. The actuator rod is adapted to cause movement of the electrode between a retracted position and an extended position. A pinion is carried by the trigger lever for engagement with a rack carried by the actuator rod. Compression of the trigger lever moves the rack along the actuator rod between a first position corresponding to the electrodes being in the retracted position and a second position corresponding to either the primed electrode firing position or the electrodes being in an extended position.

1 . An actuator assembly comprising 
 a pinion carried by a trigger lever,    a rack carried by an actuator rod, the pinion engaging the rack upon compression of the trigger lever to move the rack along the actuator rod between a first position and a second position, the actuator rod being biased in one of the first and second positions, and    a locking element for locking the actuator rod in at least one of the first and second positions.    
     
     
         2 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 1   wherein the locking element is spring-loaded.    
     
     
         3 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 1   wherein the locking element is biased in a latched position.    
     
     
         4 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 1   wherein at least a portion of the locking element rides along a cam surface as the rack is moved between the first and second positions.    
     
     
         5 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 4   wherein the cam surface is carried by the rack.    
     
     
         6 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 4   wherein the cam surface is carried by the trigger lever.    
     
     
         7 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 1   wherein the rack includes a detent adapted to receive at least a portion of the locking element in at least one of the first and second positions.    
     
     
         8 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 1   wherein the trigger lever includes a detent adapted to receive at least a portion of the locking element in at least one of the first and second positions.    
     
     
         9 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 1   wherein the actuator rod is biased in one of the first and second positions by a spring.    
     
     
         10 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 3   wherein a spring biases the locking element in the latched position.    
     
     
         11 . An actuator system for deploying an electrode from a catheter assembly comprising 
 a handle having a trigger lever and adapted to carry an actuator rod, the actuator rod being adapted to move the electrode between a retracted position and an extended position,    a pinion carried by the trigger lever, and    a rack carried by the actuator rod, the pinion engaging the rack upon compression of the trigger lever to move the rack along the actuator rod between a first position corresponding to the electrodes being in the retracted position and a second position corresponding to the electrodes being in an extended position.    
     
     
         12 . An actuator system as in  claim 11   wherein the actuator rod is biased in one of the first and second positions.    
     
     
         13 . An actuator system as in  claim 11 , further comprising 
 a locking element for locking the actuator rod in at least one of the first and second positions.    
     
     
         14 . An actuator system as in  claim 13   wherein the locking element is spring-loaded.    
     
     
         15 . An actuator system as in  claim 13   wherein the locking element is biased in a latched position.    
     
     
         16 . An actuator system as in  claim 13   wherein at least a portion of the locking element rides along a cam surface as the rack is moved between the first and second positions.    
     
     
         17 . An actuator system as in  claim 16   wherein the cam surface is carried by the rack.    
     
     
         18 . An actuator system as in  claim 16   wherein the cam surface is carried by the trigger lever.    
     
     
         19 . An actuator system as in  claim 13   wherein the rack includes a detent adapted to receive at least a portion of the locking element in at least one of the first and second positions.    
     
     
         20 . An actuator system as in  claim 13   wherein the trigger lever includes a detent adapted to receive at least a portion of the locking element in at least one of the first and second positions.    
     
     
         21 . An actuator system as in  claim 12   wherein the actuator rod is biased in one of the first and second positions by a spring.    
     
     
         22 . An actuator system as in  claim 15   wherein a spring biases the locking element in the latched position.    
     
     
         23 . An actuator assembly comprising: 
 a pinion carried by a trigger lever,    a rack carried by an actuator rod, the pinion engaging the rack upon compression of the trigger lever to move the rack along the actuator rod between a first actuator rod position and a second actuator rod position, the actuator rod being biased in one of the first and second actuator rod positions,    an electrode advancer mandrel operating in a biased relationship to the actuator rod, and    a locking element for locking the electrode advancer mandrel in at least one of the first and second electrode advancer mandrel positions.    
     
     
         24 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 23   wherein the locking element is spring loaded.    
     
     
         25 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 23   wherein the actuator rod is biased in one of the first and second actuator rod positions by a spring.    
     
     
         26 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 23   including a retraction member for moving the actuator rod from the second actuator rod position back to the first actuator rod position.    
     
     
         27 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 23   wherein the electrode advancer mandrel includes a sear for cooperating with the locking element.    
     
     
         28 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 27   wherein the locking element includes a sear release member for restraining and releasing the sear.    
     
     
         29 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 28   further comprising a sear latch, the sear latch being moved from a first sear latch position to a second sear latch position to move the sear release.    
     
     
         30 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 23   wherein the locking element is biased in a latched position.    
     
     
         31 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 30   wherein a spring biases the locking element in the latched position.    
     
     
         32 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 23   further including an actuator spring, the actuator rod applying a force to the actuator spring when the actuator rod is moved from the first actuator rod position to the second actuator rod position.    
     
     
         33 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 32   wherein the locking mechanism holds the electrode advancer mandrel in at least one of the first and second electrode advancer mandrel position against the force of the actuator spring.    
     
     
         34 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 32   wherein the actuator spring is a compression spring.    
     
     
         35 . An actuator system for deploying an electrode from a catheter assembly comprising 
 a handle having a trigger lever and adapted to carry an actuator rod,    a pinion carried by the trigger lever,    a rack carried by the actuator rod, the pinion engaging the rack upon compression of the trigger lever to move the rack along the actuator rod between a first actuator rod position and a second actuator rod position,    the actuator rod applying a force to an electrode advancer mandrel when the actuator rod is moved between the first actuator rod position and the second actuator rod position, and    the electrode advancer mandrel being adapted to move the electrode between a first retracted position and a second extended position.    
     
     
         36 . An actuator system as in  claim 35   wherein the actuator rod is biased in one of the first and second actuator rod positions.    
     
     
         37 . An actuator system as in  claim 35   wherein the actuator rod is biased in one of the first and second actuator rod positions by a spring.    
     
     
         38 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 35   including a retraction member for moving the actuator rod from the second actuator rod position back to the first actuator rod position.    
     
     
         39 . An actuator system as in  claim 35 , further comprising 
 a locking element for locking the electrode advancer mandrel in at least one of the first and second electrode advancer mandrel positions.    
     
     
         40 . An actuator system as in  claim 39   wherein the locking element is spring-loaded.    
     
     
         41 . An actuator system as in  claim 39   wherein the locking element is biased in a latched position.    
     
     
         42 . An actuator system as in  claim 41   wherein a spring biases the locking element in the latched position.    
     
     
         43 . An actuator system as in  claim 39   wherein the electrode advancer mandrel includes a sear for cooperating with the locking element.    
     
     
         44 . An actuator system as in  claim 43   wherein the locking element includes a sear release member for restraining and releasing the sear.    
     
     
         45 . An actuator system as in  claim 44   further comprising a sear latch, the sear latch being moved from a first sear latch position to a second sear latch position to move the sear release.    
     
     
         46 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 37   further including an actuator spring, the actuator rod applying a force to the actuator spring when the actuator rod is moved from the first actuator rod position to the second actuator rod position.    
     
     
         47 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 46   wherein the locking mechanism holds the electrode advancer mandrel in at least one of the first and second electrode advancer mandrel positions against the force of the actuator spring.    
     
     
         48 . An actuator assembly as in  claim 46   wherein the actuator spring is a compression spring.