Energy generation circuit, energy generation method and medical device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an energy generation circuit, an energy generation method and a medical device, and relates to the field of medical devices. The energy generation circuit comprises: a control module configured to generate a frequency setting indication, the frequency setting indication being used to indicate to set a signal frequency suitable for one of the radio frequency ablation and the microwave ablation; a signal generation module configured to generate a square wave signal based on the frequency setting indication; and an energy adjustment module configured to generate ablation energy suitable for the one of the radio frequency ablation and the microwave ablation based on the square wave signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of medical devices, and more particularly to the field of ablation therapy. Specifically, this disclosure relates to an energy generation circuit and energy generation method for radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation, as well as a medical device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the two most commonly used ablation methods are radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation. Both are performed via arteries / veins through catheters, respectively, to reach the target tissue and generate heat, leading to cell degeneration and necrosis. However, the mechanisms of action of radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation differ slightly. In radiofrequency ablation, at frequencies above 100 kHz, the rapid changes in the electromagnetic field as the radiofrequency current flows through the tissue cause frictional heating due to the movement of charged ions, raising the tissue temperature to 60°C-100°C. At this point, water evaporates and dries out inside and outside the cells, leading to cell degeneration and necrosis, thus achieving the therapeutic goal. In microwave ablation, high-frequency electromagnetic waves cause dipole molecules to rotate under the influence of an electric field, generating heat. In the microwave oscillating electric field, the intense frictional heating of water molecules within the cells (which are dipole molecules with an unbalanced charge distribution) leads to cell coagulation and necrosis, achieving the therapeutic goal.

[0003] The key issue at present is how to perform radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation simply and conveniently.

[0004] The methods described in this section are not necessarily methods that had been previously conceived or adopted. Unless otherwise specified, no method described in this section should be assumed to be prior art simply because it is included in this section. Similarly, unless otherwise specified, the issues mentioned in this section should not be considered to be accepted in any prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an energy generation circuit for radio frequency ablation and microwave ablation is provided, comprising: a control module configured to generate a frequency setting indication for indicating the setting of a signal frequency suitable for one of the radio frequency ablation and the microwave ablation; a signal generation module configured to generate a square wave signal based on the frequency setting indication; and an energy adjustment module configured to generate ablation energy suitable for one of the radio frequency ablation and the microwave ablation based on the square wave signal.

[0006] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a medical device is provided, including an energy generating circuit according to this disclosure.

[0007] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a method for generating energy for radio frequency ablation and microwave ablation is provided, comprising: generating a frequency setting indication based on a user instruction, the frequency setting indication being used to indicate setting a signal frequency suitable for one of the radio frequency ablation and the microwave ablation; generating a square wave signal based on the frequency setting indication; and generating ablation energy suitable for one of the radio frequency ablation and the microwave ablation based on the square wave signal.

[0008] According to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, a frequency-tunable power source circuit can be implemented simply and efficiently to integrate radio frequency ablation devices and microwave ablation devices into the same device, thereby reducing the number of components in the radio frequency ablation device and simplifying its structure. This can reduce manufacturing costs and facilitate the manufacture of smaller devices.

[0009] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The accompanying drawings exemplify embodiments and form part of the specification, serving together with the textual description to explain exemplary implementations of the embodiments. The illustrated embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the claims. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to similar but not necessarily identical elements.

[0011] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an energy generation circuit for radio frequency ablation and microwave ablation according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0012] Figure 2 Schematic diagrams of energy generation circuits for radio frequency ablation and microwave ablation according to other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown; and

[0013] Figure 3 A flowchart of an energy generation method for radio frequency ablation and microwave ablation according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0014] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the drawings and description are to be considered exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0015] In related technologies, microwave ablation devices and radiofrequency ablation devices are implemented independently. That is, each device has its own main unit (specifically, energy source). The main unit of the radiofrequency ablation device is attached to the radiofrequency ablation catheter to supply the generated ablation energy to the catheter, thereby causing the catheter to generate radiofrequency current that acts on human cells. Similarly, the main unit of the microwave ablation device is attached to the microwave ablation catheter to supply the generated ablation energy to the catheter, thereby causing the catheter to generate microwaves that act on human cells.

[0016] The applicant's research revealed that both radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation achieve ablation through thermal effects; the difference lies in the frequency of the energy source. Radiofrequency ablation devices typically operate at frequencies between 200kHz and 500kHz, while microwave ablation devices typically operate at 2450MHz.

[0017] In view of this, this disclosure proposes a frequency-adjustable energy generation circuit. By controlling the frequency of the square wave signal generated by the signal generation module, it is made suitable for either radio frequency ablation or microwave ablation. Ablation energy is generated based on the square wave signal. This allows for a simple and efficient implementation of a frequency-adjustable energy source circuit, facilitating the integration of radio frequency ablation equipment and microwave ablation equipment into the same device. This reduces the number of components in the radio frequency ablation equipment and microwave ablation equipment, and simplifies their structure.

[0018] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an energy generation circuit 100 for radio frequency ablation and microwave ablation according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the energy generation circuit 100 may include a control module 110, a signal generation module 120, and an energy adjustment module 130. The control module 110 is attached to the signal generation module 120 and configured to generate a frequency setting indication for setting a signal frequency suitable for either radiofrequency ablation or microwave ablation. The signal generation module 120 is attached between the control module 110 and the energy adjustment module 130 and configured to generate a square wave signal based on the frequency setting indication. The energy adjustment module 130 is configured to generate ablation energy suitable for either radiofrequency ablation or microwave ablation based on the square wave signal. In this document, "ablation energy" refers to the electrical energy supplied to a radiofrequency ablation catheter or a microwave ablation catheter, which has parameters such as voltage, current, power, and / or frequency.

[0020] The square wave signal generated by the control signal generation module described above has a frequency suitable for both radio frequency (RF) and microwave ablation, enabling a simple and efficient implementation of a frequency-tunable energy source. This is because the frequency of a square wave signal can be easily changed by altering its duty cycle. Therefore, the above implementation facilitates the integration of RF and microwave ablation devices into a single device, thereby reducing the number of components and simplifying the structure of both devices. This reduces manufacturing costs and promotes the production of smaller devices.

[0021] Radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation each have their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, radiofrequency ablation has a lower temperature and longer treatment time but is less expensive, while microwave ablation has a higher temperature and shorter treatment time but is more expensive. Therefore, when using ablation devices with the aforementioned energy generation circuitry, doctors can easily choose different ablation treatment plans based on the patient's specific condition.

[0022] In some embodiments, the frequency setting indication can be generated based on user instructions. User instructions may include a first user instruction and a second user instruction. The frequency setting indication generated based on the first user instruction is used to indicate setting a frequency signal suitable for radiofrequency ablation, and the frequency setting indication generated based on the second user instruction is used to indicate setting a frequency signal suitable for microwave ablation. That is, the user can send a user instruction to the control module 110, for example, via a button on the host device, instructing its control signal generation module 120 to generate a square wave signal with a signal frequency suitable for microwave ablation, or to generate a square wave signal with a signal frequency suitable for radiofrequency ablation. The above embodiments can generate ablation energy suitable for radiofrequency ablation or microwave ablation according to user needs. Alternatively, the control module 110 can also be configured to generate a signal frequency suitable for radiofrequency ablation during a specific time period and a signal frequency suitable for microwave ablation during another specific time period, to achieve time-segmented generation of ablation energy suitable for different ablation treatment methods. In some examples, the control module 110 can be implemented by a controller or control unit, for example, a microcontroller unit (MCU) (e.g., STM32 series, MPS430 series, etc.). The control module 110 and the signal generation module 120 can communicate via SPI, etc. In this case, the control module 110 can send a frequency setting instruction to the signal generation module 120 via SPI communication, etc.

[0023] In some embodiments, the signal generation module 120 can generate a square wave signal with a preset frequency based on a frequency setting instruction. That is, when the frequency setting instruction is used to indicate setting a signal frequency suitable for radio frequency ablation, the signal generation module 120 generates a square wave signal with a signal frequency suitable for radio frequency ablation. When the frequency setting instruction is used to indicate setting a signal frequency suitable for microwave ablation, the signal generation module 120 generates a square wave signal with a signal frequency suitable for microwave ablation. In some examples, the square wave generation module may include a digital integrated circuit, such as a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD) (e.g., MAX V series, etc.), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) (e.g., MAX 10 series, etc.), etc.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an energy generation circuit 200 for radio frequency ablation and microwave ablation according to some other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 The features of the control module 110 and the signal generation module 120 in the middle are similar to those of the control module 110 and the signal generation module 120. Figure 1 The control module 110 and signal generation module 120 in the above have roughly the same features, which will be discussed below. Figure 2 Describe in detail the differences between them.

[0025] In some embodiments, the energy generation circuit 100 may further include a monitoring module 140 for acquiring parameters of the ablation energy. The monitoring module 140 may be attached between the control module 110 and the energy adjustment module 130 (specifically, the energy amplification module 1322, which will be described in detail below). In this case, the control module 110 may also be configured to control at least one of the signal generation module 120 and the energy adjustment module 130 based on the parameters of the ablation energy. This allows the parameters of the generated ablation energy to be fed back to the control module 110 in real time, so that the control module 110 can adjust the parameters of the signal generation module 120 and the energy adjustment module 130 to output the ablation energy more accurately. The monitoring module 140 may be implemented, for example, using a voltage transformer and / or a current transformer and a chip (e.g., an RMS chip such as LTC1966, an ADC chip, etc.). Specifically, for example, the monitoring module 140 acquires the voltage of the generated ablation energy through a voltage transformer, generates a monitoring analog signal based on this voltage using an RMS chip, and then converts the monitoring analog signal into a digital signal using an ADC chip and transmits it to the control module 110.

[0026] In some embodiments, the parameters of the ablation energy may include at least one of the frequency and power of the ablation energy, so as to allow for more accurate monitoring of the generated ablation energy. Alternatively, the parameters of the ablation energy may include frequency and voltage and / or current.

[0027] In some embodiments, the energy adjustment module 130 may include: an adjustment module 131 for modulating a square wave signal into a sine wave signal; and an energy generation module 132 for amplifying the sine wave signal to form ablation energy for either radiofrequency ablation or microwave ablation, thereby generating ablation energy suitable for both radiofrequency ablation catheters and microwave ablation catheters. Alternatively, the adjustment module may also modulate the square wave signal into other waveforms such as a cosine wave signal. The adjustment module 131 may be implemented using a combination of filters (e.g., LT1568), oscillators (e.g., LTC6930), potentiometers (e.g., AD5293), multipliers (e.g., AD633), etc. The energy generation module 132 may include, for example, a transformer.

[0028] In some other embodiments, for microwave ablation, the generated square wave signal does not need to be modulated into a sine wave signal; it can simply be amplified to form ablation energy supplied to the microwave ablation catheter. In the above case, the energy adjustment module may include an adjustment module for modulating the square wave signal corresponding to radiofrequency ablation into a sine wave signal; a first energy generation module for amplifying the sine wave signal to form ablation energy for radiofrequency ablation; and a second energy generation module for amplifying the square wave signal corresponding to microwave ablation to form ablation energy for microwave ablation. That is, when the generated square wave signal corresponds to radiofrequency ablation, the square wave signal is transmitted to the adjustment module, and when the generated square wave signal corresponds to microwave ablation, the square wave signal is transmitted to the second energy generation module. The above process can be controlled by a control module. Similarly, the adjustment module can be implemented by a combination of multiple components such as filters (e.g., LT1568), oscillators (e.g., LTC6930), potentiometers (e.g., AD5293), and multipliers (e.g., AD633). The first energy generation module may include a transformer, etc. The second energy generation module may include a power amplifier and a power detector, etc.

[0029] In some embodiments, the energy generating module 132 may include: a power supply module 1321 for providing electrical energy; and an energy amplification module 1322 for amplifying a sinusoidal signal using the electrical energy to generate ablation energy for either radio frequency ablation or microwave ablation. That is, the power supply module 1321 provides energy to amplify the sinusoidal signal. The energy amplification module 1322 may be implemented using a transformer or a power amplifier, etc. The power supply module may be an AC-to-DC power supply (e.g., a 220V to 48V AC-to-DC power supply).

[0030] In some embodiments, the energy adjustment module 130 (specifically, the energy amplification module) is used to selectively connect to either the radiofrequency ablation catheter or the microwave ablation catheter. That is, the energy adjustment module can be detachably connected to each of the radiofrequency ablation catheter and the microwave ablation catheter through the same output port to achieve compatibility of the two ablation methods with the same energy source.

[0031] It should be understood here that Figure 2 Some features of the energy generation circuit 200 described herein can be omitted, for example, features of the monitoring module 140 can be omitted. Furthermore, Figure 2 The features of the energy generation circuit 200 described herein can be added to Figure 1 On the energy generation circuit 100 described herein, for example, Figure 2 The features of the energy adjustment module 130 in the middle are attached to Figure 1 On the energy adjustment module 130 in the middle.

[0032] Figure 3 A flowchart of an energy generation method 300 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the energy generation method 300 may include: step S301, generating a frequency setting instruction based on a user instruction, the frequency setting instruction being used to indicate the setting of a signal frequency suitable for either radio frequency ablation or microwave ablation; step S302, generating a square wave signal based on the frequency setting instruction; and step S303, generating ablation energy suitable for either radio frequency ablation or microwave ablation based on the square wave signal.

[0033] In some embodiments, step S303, generating ablation energy suitable for either radio frequency ablation or microwave ablation based on a square wave signal, may include: modulating the square wave signal into a sine wave signal; and amplifying the sine wave signal to form ablation energy for either radio frequency ablation or microwave ablation.

[0034] It should be understood that Figure 3 The various steps of the energy generation method 300 shown can be compared with those in the reference. Figure 1 The described energy generation circuit 100 and Figure 2 The various modules in the energy generation circuit 200 described above correspond to each other. Therefore, the operations, features, and advantages described above for energy generation circuits 100 and 200 also apply to the energy generation method 300 and its included modules. For the sake of brevity, some operations, features, and advantages will not be repeated here.

[0035] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a medical device is provided, including an energy generation circuit 100 or 200. In some examples, the energy generation circuit 100 may include a radiofrequency ablation catheter and a microwave ablation catheter. The energy generation circuit 100 or 200 can be used to power the radiofrequency ablation catheter and the microwave ablation catheter. Therefore, the medical device can achieve the advantages described with reference to one or more embodiments of the energy generation circuit, which will not be detailed here.

[0036] It should be understood that in this specification, the terms "center," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship or dimensions based on the orientation or positional relationship or dimensions shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are used only for ease of description and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0037] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0038] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0039] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0040] This specification provides many different implementations or examples that can be used to implement this disclosure. It should be understood that these different implementations or examples are entirely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way. Those skilled in the art will be able to conceive of various variations or substitutions based on the disclosure of this specification, and these should all be covered within the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should be determined by the scope defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An energy generation circuit for radio frequency ablation and microwave ablation, comprising: The control module is configured to generate a frequency setting indication, which is used to indicate the setting of a signal frequency suitable for one of the radio frequency ablation and the microwave ablation. A signal generation module, configured to generate a square wave signal based on the frequency setting indication; as well as An energy adjustment module is configured to generate ablation energy suitable for one of the radio frequency ablation and the microwave ablation based on the square wave signal; The frequency setting indication is generated based on user instructions, which include a first user instruction and a second user instruction. The frequency setting indication generated based on the first user instruction is used to indicate the setting of a frequency signal suitable for the radio frequency ablation, and the frequency setting indication generated based on the second user instruction is used to indicate the setting of a frequency signal suitable for the microwave ablation.

2. The energy generation circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The energy adjustment module includes: An adjustment module is used to modulate the square wave signal into a sine wave signal; and An energy generation module is used to amplify the sinusoidal signal to generate ablation energy for one of the radio frequency ablation and the microwave ablation.

3. The energy generation circuit according to claim 2, wherein, The energy generation module includes: The power module is used to provide electrical energy; An energy amplification module is used to amplify the sinusoidal signal using the electrical energy to generate ablation energy for one of the radio frequency ablation and the microwave ablation.

4. The energy generation circuit according to claim 1, in, The energy generation circuit also includes a monitoring module for acquiring parameters of the ablation energy. The control module is further configured to control at least one of the signal generation module and the energy adjustment module based on the parameters of the ablation energy.

5. The energy generation circuit according to claim 4, wherein, The parameters of the ablation energy include at least one of the frequency and power of the ablation energy.

6. The energy generation circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The energy adjustment module is used to selectively attach to one of the radiofrequency ablation catheter and the microwave ablation catheter.

7. A medical device comprising an energy generating circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The medical device according to claim 7, comprising a radiofrequency ablation catheter and a microwave ablation catheter.

9. A method for generating energy for radio frequency ablation and microwave ablation, comprising: A frequency setting instruction is generated based on user commands. The frequency setting instruction is used to indicate the setting of a signal frequency suitable for one of the radio frequency ablation and the microwave ablation. Based on the frequency setting indication, a square wave signal is generated; as well as Based on the square wave signal, an ablation energy suitable for either radio frequency ablation or microwave ablation is generated; The frequency setting indication is generated based on user instructions, which include a first user instruction and a second user instruction. The frequency setting indication generated based on the first user instruction is used to indicate the setting of a frequency signal suitable for the radio frequency ablation, and the frequency setting indication generated based on the second user instruction is used to indicate the setting of a frequency signal suitable for the microwave ablation.

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