title: Electrode Contact Force-Controlled Bipolar Radiofrequency Ablation: Different Effects on Lesion Size between Dual- and Single-Bath Preparations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During bipolar (BIP) radiofrequency (RF) ablation using two catheters in humans, each catheter is placed in separate cardiac chambers or spaces. We developed a contact force-controlled experimental preparation, and compared measurements made with two catheters placed in a single bath (SB), versus each catheter placed in separate baths, in order to assess the preparation-dependent differences in the results of BIP-RF ablation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the SB experiments, a porcine heart was placed in the center of the bath, while in the dual-bath (DB) experiments, it was placed between two half baths communicating through windows.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The initial impedance was greatest (110.5 ± 7.2 Ω) with the BIP-DB, followed by the BIP-SB (92.0 ± 5.6 Ω) and the unipolar (UNIP) DB (84.9 ± 4.7 Ω) configurations. During 50-W ablation for 60 seconds at a 20-g contact force, the root mean square voltage was 75.7 ± 2.5 V in the BIP-DB, 68.0 ± 2.1 V in the BIP-SB, and 66.8 ± 2.0 V in the UNIP-DB. The mean surface lesion diameters were similar among the three configurations. However, the endocardial lesion depth was 5.60 ± 0.56 mm with the BIP-DB, 4.71 ± 0.64 mm with the BIP-SB, and 4.24 ± 0.58 mm with the UNIP-DB configuration. On average, the endocardial lesions were significantly deeper than the epicardial ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BIP ablation created much deeper lesions as compared to UNIP ablation. Lesion depth could be different depending on experimental preparation, and contact force-controlled DB preparation may be a much more appropriate model for studying the effects of BIP ablation.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research of Graduate School of Health Sciences, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chinushi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research of Graduate School of Health Sciences, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research of Graduate School of Health Sciences, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research of Graduate School of Health Sciences, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sugai
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research of Graduate School of Health Sciences, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Niigata City General Hospital, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hosaka
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research of Graduate School of Health Sciences, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Furushima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D023421:Models, Animal; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D011312:Pressure; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride
keywords: bipolar catheter ablation; dual-bath experimental preparation; lesion depth