Importance

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Abstract

A catheter has an electrically conductive material coated, deposited, or otherwise formed directly on the outer surface of the catheter. Preferably, an outer electrode is formed by ion-beam assisted deposition using a preselected metal for efficient vaporization onto the designated surface region of the catheter body. Alternatively, the electrically conductive coating may be formed by sputtering the metal onto that region of the catheter, vacuum deposition, spraying, or printing the electrically conductive material onto the entire surface region. Portions of the coating may be removed by directing a laser beam onto the outer surface of the catheter and ablating such portions. The result is an electrically conductive coating of desired thickness used to form a relatively uniform electrode throughout the desired length and surface region of the catheter body to improve the characteristics of electric field and to form an electrode which flexes to substantially the same extent as the catheter body without such a coating. As a result, the electrode does not impede the flexibility of the catheter.

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First Claim