A SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING A LOCATION WITHIN A MEDICAL DEVICE OF A FAULT IN AN ENERGY DELIVERY PATHWAY

A system for determining a location within a medical device of a fault in an energy delivery pathway, the system comprising:an energy generator including a processing unit;an electrode distribution system including a processing unit and a complex impedance measuring device, the electrode distribution system being in communication with the energy generator, the complex impedance measuring device having a radiofrequency generator and being configured to render a real portion and an imaginary portion of an impedance measurement;a medical device in communication with the electrode distribution system including an elongate body having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a lumen extending between the proximal portion and the distal portion, a treatment element at the distal portion having at least one electrode, and at least one electrode wire, each of the at least one electrode being connected to one of the at least one electrode wire, the energy delivery pathway including at least a part of each of the at least one electrode wire and having a forward portion and a rearward portion,the radiofrequency generator of the complex impedance measuring device being configured to deliver a first test signal along each of the forward portion and the rearward portion of the energy delivery pathway at a first frequency and a second test signal along each of the forward portion and the rearward portion of the energy delivery pathway at a second frequency, the processing unit and complex impedance measuring device being configured to:calculate a first complex impedance rendered at the first frequency at a known reference point inside the electrode distribution system based on incident and reflected waves in each of the forward and rearward portions of the energy delivery pathway;calculate a second complex impedance rendered at the second frequency at the known reference point inside the electrode distribution system based on incident and reflected waves in each of the forward and rearward portions of the energy delivery pathway; andidentify a location of a fault in the energy delivery pathway within the system based on the real and imaginary components of each of the first and second complex impedances rendered by the impedance measuring device.