Catheter with staggered electrodes spine assembly

Abstract

An electrophysiology catheter with a distal electrode assembly having covered spine carrying a plurality of microelectrodes. The position of the microelectrodes on each spine is staggered relative to microelectrodes on adjacent spines so as to minimize the risk of electrodes on adjacent spines touching each other during use of the catheter. The staggered electrode configuration provides the distal electrode assembly with a greater effective contact surface because the effective concentric electrode arrays is increased or at least doubled.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrophysiology catheter comprising:
 an elongated body defining a longitudinal axis;   a distal electrode assembly distal of the elongated body and comprising:   a unibody support member having a proximal stem with an inner lumen and configured to define a circumference around the longitudinal axis, and a plurality of spines emanating from the proximal stem and diverging at their distal ends, the plurality of spines alternating between first spines and second spines around the circumference of the stem;   a plurality of nonconductive spine covers, each spine cover surrounding a respective spine;   a plurality of microelectrodes carried on the spines, the microelectrodes having a staggered configuration between the first spines and the second spines, wherein a most proximal microelectrode on each first spine is positioned at a greater distance from the proximal stem, and a most proximal electrode on each second spine is positioned at a lesser distance from the proximal stem, and   an insert situated in the inner lumen of the proximal stem, the insert having an outer surface smaller than the inner lumen of the proximal stem in defining a circumferential void between the inner lumen and the outer surface that is filled with an adhesive.   
     
     
         2 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the distal electrode assembly comprises at least four first spines and four second spines, and each spine carries six microelectrodes. 
     
     
         3 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the microelectrodes on the first spines have a first separation distance from each other, and the microelectrodes on the second spines have a second separation distance, wherein the first and second separation distances are about the same. 
     
     
         4 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the microelectrodes on the first spines have a first separation distance from each other, and the microelectrodes on the second spines have a second separation distance, wherein the first and second separation distances are different. 
     
     
         5 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the microelectrodes are configured as monopoles. 
     
     
         6 . The catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the microelectrodes are configured as bipoles.