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Abstract

A system and method for creating lesions and assessing their completeness or transmurality. Assessment of transmurality of a lesion is accomplished by monitoring the depolarization signal amplitude in a local electrogram taken using electrodes located adjacent the tissue to be ablated. Following onset of application of ablation energy to heart tissue, the amplitude of a local electrogram measured with electrodes located adjacent tissue to be ablated first gradually drops and then stabilizes, indicating that the tissue being monitored has ceased making any contribution to the sensed electrogram. The amplitude drop and/or the following amplitude plateau may be used alone or together as indicators of transmurality. Detection of a rapid drop in amplitude may be employed as an indicator that the ablation process is proceeding too quickly and may be employed to trigger a reduction in the power of applied ablation energy. Detection of an insufficiently rapid drop in amplitude may be employed as an indicator that the ablation process is proceeding too slowly and may be employed to trigger an increase in the power of applied ablation energy.

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First Claim