Catheter with perforated tip

Abstract

A medical device includes an insertion tube, having a distal end for insertion into a body of a subject. A distal tip is fixed to the distal end of the insertion tube and is coupled to apply energy to tissue inside the body. The distal tip has an outer surface with a plurality of perforations through the outer surface, which are distributed circumferentially and longitudinally over the distal tip. A lumen passes through the insertion tube and is coupled to deliver a fluid to the tissue via the perforations.

1 . A medical device, comprising:
 an insertion tube, having a distal end for insertion into a body of a subject at a treatment area;   a conductive hollow distal tip having a length and a thickness between an inner surface and an outer surface, the conductive hollow distal tip being fixed to the distal end of the insertion tube and coupled to a generator, the conductive hollow distal tip and the generator being configured to directly apply energy to tissue at the treatment area inside the body, and wherein the conductive hollow distal tip has a distribution of perforations that extend from the inner surface to the outer surface, and wherein at least a portion of the perforations are circumferentially and longitudinally arranged over the outer surface of the hollow distal tip and sized and configured to ensure equal flow of a cooling fluid over the entire length of the conductive hollow distal tip while not overloading the treatment area with the cooling fluid; and   a lumen passing through the insertion tube and coupled to deliver the cooling fluid to the tissue at the treatment area via the perforations.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the perforations comprises at least eight perforations. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the perforations comprises at least fifty perforations. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the perforations have a diameter less than 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the distribution of the at least 50 perforations is a distribution of at least 96 perforations, each having a diameter less than or equal to approximately 0.1 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the perforations in the distribution of perforations near the proximal end of the conductive hollow distal tip are smaller than the perforations in the distribution of perforations near the distal end of the conductive hollow distal tip to ensure equal flow of the cooling fluid over the length of the conductive hollow distal tip. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the conductive hollow distal tip is configured to contact and apply electrical energy to the tissue so as to ablate the tissue. 
     
     
         8 . A medical apparatus, comprising:
 an elongate probe, for insertion into a body of a subject, the elongate probe comprising:
 an insertion tube, having a distal end for insertion into the body; 
   a conductive hollow distal tip having a length and an inner and outer surface, which is fixed to the distal end of the insertion tube and is coupled to an energy generator to directly apply energy to tissue inside the body at a treatment area, and which has a distribution of a plurality of perforations distributed through the conductive hollow distal tip, and wherein at least a portion of perforations are circumferentially and longitudinally arranged over the outer surface of the conductive hollow distal tip and sized and configured to ensure equal flow of a cooling fluid over the entire length;   a lumen passing through the insertion tube and in fluid communication with the distribution of the perforations; and   an irrigation pump, for coupling to the lumen so as to supply the cooling fluid via the lumen and the distribution of the perforations to the tissue.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the cylindrically shaped outer surface of the conductive hollow distal tip comprises a conductive material and is configured to contact the tissue, and wherein the energy generator is coupled to supply electrical energy to the conductive hollow distal tip in order to ablate the tissue. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the elongate probe is configured for insertion through a blood vessel into a heart of the subject for ablation of myocardial tissue in the heart. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein each perforation of the distribution of the perforations is not greater than 0.2 mm in diameter. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein the perforations in the distribution of perforations near the proximal end of the conductive hollow distal tip are smaller than the perforations in the distribution of the perforations near the distal end of the conductive hollow distal tip.