Claims
- 1. A probe, comprising:
a first electrode disposed at least partially on the probe surface; a second electrode disposed at least partially on the probe surface; a first conductor electrically coupled to the first electrode; a second conductor electrically coupled to the second electrode; and a reactive element electrically coupling the first conductor and the second conductor.
- 2. The probe of claim 1, wherein the reactive element conducts a high frequency signal between the first conductor and the second conductor.
- 3. The probe of claim 2, wherein the high frequency signal has a frequency higher than about 10 MegaHertz (MHz).
- 4. The probe of claim 1, wherein the reactive element conducts a signal including magnetic resonance imaging frequency energy between the first conductor and the second conductor.
- 5. The probe of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first conductor and the second conductor conducts a low frequency signal to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode.
- 6. The probe of claim 5, wherein the low frequency signal has a frequency of up to about 500 kiloHertz (kHz).
- 7. The probe of claim 6, wherein the frequency is in the range from about 100 Hertz (Hz) to about 1 kHz.
- 8. The probe of claim 6, wherein the frequency is about 100 kHz.
- 9. The probe of claim 1, wherein the reactive element conducts a signal including ablation frequency energy to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode.
- 10. The probe of claim 1, wherein the reactive element conducts a signal including biopotential recording frequency energy to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode.
- 11. The probe of claim 1, wherein the probe further comprises a lumen.
- 12. The probe of claim 1, wherein the reactive element comprises at least one of a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, a band-pass filter, and a capacitor.
- 13. The probe of claim 1, wherein the first conductor couples to the first electrode through a reactance.
- 14. The probe of claim 13, wherein the reactance comprises at least one of an inductor and an LC circuit.
- 15. The probe of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first conductor, the second conductor, the first electrode, and the second electrode comprises at least one of a magnetic resonance compatible material, a superelastic material, copper, gold, silver, platinum, iridium, MP35N, tantalum, titanium, Nitinol, L605, gold-platinum-iridium, gold-copper-iridium, and gold-platinum.
- 16. The probe of claim 1, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are electrically coupled to a tuning/matching/decoupling circuit.
- 17. The probe of claim 1, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are electrically coupled to a signal splitting circuit.
- 18. The probe of claim 1, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are electrically coupled by at least one capacitor.
- 19. The probe of claim 1, further comprising a third conductor electrically coupled to a third electrode, and a fourth conductor electrically coupled to a fourth electrode, wherein a first signal including high frequency energy is conducted between the first conductor and the second conductor through the reactive element, and a second signal including low frequency energy is conducted to at least one of the third electrode and the fourth electrode.
- 20. The probe of claim 1 further comprising a shaft, the shaft including at least one of Kevlar, nylon, Teflon, polyethylene, polyolefin, PTFE, polyurethane, PEBAX, braided Kevlar, and braided nylon.
- 21. The probe of claim 1, wherein the probe surface is covered by a lubricious coating.
- 22. The probe of claim 1, wherein the probe has an outer diameter in the range of about 1 French to about 15 French.
- 23. The probe of claim 1, wherein the probe has a length in the range of about 50 cm to about 200 cm.
- 24. The probe of claim 1, wherein the probe further comprises a pull wire.
- 25. The probe of claim 1, wherein the first conductor, the reactive element, and the second conductor form a loop antenna.
- 26. The probe of claim 1, wherein the first conductor, the reactive element, and the second conductor form a loopless antenna.
- 27. A magnetic resonance imaging probe, comprising:
a coaxial cable including an inner conductor and an outer shield; and a split ring electrode including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being electrically coupled to the inner conductor, and the second portion being electrically coupled to the outer shield.
- 28. The probe of claim 27, wherein the inner conductor and the outer shield are electrically coupled by a reactive element.
- 29. The probe of claim 28, wherein the reactive element comprises at least one of a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, a band-pass filter, and a capacitor.
- 30. A magnetic resonance imaging probe, comprising:
a coaxial cable including an inner conductor and an outer shield; a first split ring electrode electrically coupled to the inner conductor; and a second split ring electrode electrically coupled to the outer conductor; wherein the first split ring and the second split ring are electrically coupled by a first reactive element.
- 31. The probe of claim 30, wherein the inner conductor and the outer shield are electrically coupled by a second reactive element.
- 32. The probe of claim 31, wherein the second reactive element comprises at least one of a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, a band-pass filter, and a capacitor.
- 33. The probe of claim 30, wherein the first reactive element comprises at least one of a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, a band-pass filter, and a capacitor.
- 34. A magnetic resonance imaging probe, comprising:
a coaxial cable including an inner conductor and an outer shield; a first split ring electrode electrically coupled to the inner conductor; and a second split ring electrode electrically coupled to the outer conductor; a first center split ring electrode electrically coupled to the first split ring electrode and to a first conductor; a second center split ring electrode electrically coupled to the first center split ring electrode and to the second split ring electrode, and also coupled to a second conductor.
- 35. A magnetic resonance imaging probe, comprising:
a first electrode disposed on the probe surface; a second electrode disposed on the probe surface; a first conductor electrically coupled to the first electrode through a reactance; a second conductor electrically coupled to the second electrode through a reactance; and a frequency-dependent reactive element electrically coupling the first conductor and the second conductor, such that high-frequency energy is conducted between the first conductor and the second conductor.
- 36. A system for magnetic resonance imaging, comprising:
a magnetic resonance imaging probe, including:
a first electrode disposed on the probe surface; a second electrode disposed on the probe surface; a first conductor electrically coupled to the first electrode through a reactance; a second conductor electrically coupled to the second electrode through a reactance; and a frequency-dependent reactive element electrically coupling the first conductor and the second conductor, such that high-frequency energy is conducted between the first conductor and the second conductor; an interface electrically coupled to the probe, the interface including a tuning/matching/decoupling circuit and a signal splitting circuit; and an MRI scanner electrically coupled to the interface.
- 37. A method for simultaneously imaging and ablating a tissue, comprising:
exposing the tissue to a magnetic field, the field including a static component and a gradient component; placing a probe adjacent to the tissue, the probe including:
a first electrode disposed at least partially on the probe surface; a second electrode disposed at least partially on the probe surface; a first conductor electrically coupled to the first electrode; a second conductor electrically coupled to the second electrode; and a frequency-dependent reactive element electrically coupling the first conductor and the second conductor, such that high-frequency energy is conducted between the first conductor and the second conductor, and low frequency energy is conducted to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode; directing low-frequency energy to the probe, the low frequency energy being conducted to the tissue by at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode; and receiving high-frequency energy from at least one of the first conductor and the second conductor for imaging at least one of the probe and the tissue.
- 38. A method for simultaneously imaging a tissue and measuring a bioelectric potential in the tissue, comprising:
exposing the tissue to a magnetic field, the field including a static component and a gradient component; placing a probe adjacent to the tissue, the probe including:
a first electrode disposed at least partially on the probe surface; a second electrode disposed at least partially on the probe surface; a first conductor electrically coupled to the first electrode; a second conductor electrically coupled to the second electrode; and a frequency-dependent reactive element electrically coupling the first conductor and the second conductor, such that high-frequency energy is conducted between the first conductor and the second conductor, and low frequency energy is conducted to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode; receiving low-frequency energy from the probe, the low frequency energy being conducted from at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode; and receiving high-frequency energy from at least one of the first conductor and the second conductor for imaging at least one of the probe and the tissue.
- 39. A method for simultaneously imaging a tissue, ablating the tissue, and measuring a bioelectric potential in the tissue, comprising:
exposing the tissue to a magnetic field, the field including a static component and a gradient component; placing a probe adjacent to the tissue, the probe including: a first electrode disposed at least partially on the probe surface; a second electrode disposed at least partially on the probe surface; a first conductor electrically coupled to the first electrode; a second conductor electrically coupled to the second electrode; and a frequency-dependent reactive element electrically coupling the first conductor and the second conductor, such that high-frequency energy is conducted between the first conductor and the second conductor, and low-frequency and medium-frequency energy is conducted to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode; receiving low-frequency energy from the probe, the low frequency energy being conducted from at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode; directing medium-frequency energy to the probe, the medium-frequency energy being conducted to the tissue by at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode; and receiving high-frequency energy from the probe, the high-frequency energy including magnetic resonance imaging data.
- 40. A method for simultaneously imaging and treating a tissue, comprising:
exposing the tissue to a magnetic field, the field including a static component and a gradient component; placing a probe adjacent to the tissue, the probe including:
a first electrode disposed at least partially on the probe surface; a second electrode disposed at least partially on the probe surface; a first conductor electrically coupled to the first electrode; a second conductor electrically coupled to the second electrode; and a frequency-dependent reactive element electrically coupling the first conductor and the second conductor, such that high-frequency energy is conducted between the first conductor and the second conductor; delivering a therapy to the tissue; and receiving high-frequency energy from the probe, the high-frequency energy having magnetic resonance imaging data.
- 41. The method of claim 40, wherein the therapy comprises at least one of ablation energy, heat, ultrasound energy, a substance discharged through a lumen of the probe, and monitoring the delivering.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/428,090, filed Nov. 4, 1999, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/106,965, filed Nov. 4, 1998. This application also claims benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/283,725, filed Apr. 13, 2001. The aforementioned applications are incorporated herein in their entireties by this reference.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60106965 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
|
60283725 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09428990 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
10123534 |
Apr 2002 |
US |