US5370678A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Steerable microwave antenna systems for cardiac ablation that minimize tissue damage and blood coagulation due to conductive heating patterns
Assignee: EP Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1993-12-07
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Granted: 1994-12-06
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Expires: 2013-12-07
Abstract
Abstract An antenna assembly has an energy propagating region that is encapsulated in a material having a high dielectric constant for minimizing the loss of energy while having a high thermal conductivity for dissipating conductive heat patterns about the energy propagating region.
Inventors
- 👤 Stuart D. Edwards
- 👤 Jerome Jackson
- 👤 Roger A. Stern
- 👤 Thomas M. Morse
- 👤 Patrick M. Owens
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 02:35
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/02; A61N1/04; A61N1/05; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/22; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/1815; A61N1/06; A61B2018/1861
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
A microwave antenna assembly for cardiac ablation comprising a microwave antenna, and an encapsulant encapsulating the microwave antenna, said encapsulant including a polymeric binder containing a finely divided material selected from the group consisting of diamond dust and sapphire dust having a high dielectric constant for minimizing the loss of microwave energy by the antenna while having a high thermal conductivity for dissipating conductive heat patterns about the antenna.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
69 words
A microwave antenna assembly for cardiac ablation comprising a microwave antenna, and an encapsulant encapsulating the microwave antenna, said encapsulant including a polymeric binder containing a finely divided material selected from the group consisting of diamond dust and sapphire dust having a high dielectric constant for minimizing the loss of microwave energy by the antenna while having a high thermal conductivity for dissipating conductive heat patterns about the antenna.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric binder comprises an epoxy resin.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
An assembly according to claim 2 wherein the encapsulant includes equal parts of epoxy and diamond dust.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the material includes an epoxy and sapphire mixture.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
77 words
A steerable microwave antenna assembly for a catheter comprising a microwave antenna, means for steering the antenna, and an encapsulant encapsulating the microwave antenna, said encapsulant including a finely divided material selected from the group consisting of diamond dust and sapphire dust having a high dielectric constant for minimizing the loss of microwave energy by the antenna while having a high thermal conductivity for dissipating conductive heat patterns about the antenna contained in a polymeric binder resin.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
77 words
A steerable microwave antenna assembly for a catheter comprising a microwave antenna, means for steering the antenna, and an encapsulant encapsulating the microwave antenna, said encapsulant including a finely divided material selected from the group consisting of diamond dust and sapphire dust having a high dielectric constant for minimizing the loss of microwave energy by the antenna while having a high thermal conductivity for dissipating conductive heat patterns about the antenna contained in a polymeric binder resin.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
175 words
A steerable microwave antenna assembly for a catheter comprising a microwave antenna, a coaxial cable having a proximal region for connection to a source of energy and a distal region connected to the microwave antenna for propagating energy, the coaxial cable having an intermediate region between the distal and proximal regions that has a greater degree of flexibility than the proximal region, means for steering said antenna connected directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable and extending from there to a mechanism located at the proximal region of the coaxial cable, the mechanism being operative by the user to bend the intermediate region and, with it, the microwave antenna relative to the proximal region of the cable, and an encapsulant encapsulating the microwave antenna including a polymeric binder containing a finely divided material selected from the group consisting of diamond dust and sapphire dust having a high dielectric constant for minimizing the loss of microwave energy by the antenna while having a high thermal conductivity for dissipating conductive heat patterns about the antenna.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
175 words
A steerable microwave antenna assembly for a catheter comprising a microwave antenna, a coaxial cable having a proximal region for connection to a source of energy and a distal region connected to the microwave antenna for propagating energy, the coaxial cable having an intermediate region between the distal and proximal regions that has a greater degree of flexibility than the proximal region, means for steering said antenna connected directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable and extending from there to a mechanism located at the proximal region of the coaxial cable, the mechanism being operative by the user to bend the intermediate region and, with it, the microwave antenna relative to the proximal region of the cable, and an encapsulant encapsulating the microwave antenna including a polymeric binder containing a finely divided material selected from the group consisting of diamond dust and sapphire dust having a high dielectric constant for minimizing the loss of microwave energy by the antenna while having a high thermal conductivity for dissipating conductive heat patterns about the antenna.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
An assembly according to claim 6 wherein the encapsulant comprises equal amounts of an epoxy resin and finely divided material.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-12-05 | 1998-06-06 | 1998-12-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-12-05 | 2002-06-06 | 2002-12-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-12-05 | 2006-06-06 | 2006-12-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |