Probe assembly, method and equipment for evaluating steam ablation based on biological impedance

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of steam ablation, and provides a probe assembly, method and equipment for evaluating steam ablation based on biological impedance, and the probe assembly comprises a probe body which comprises an insulating base body and a plurality of electrodes arranged on the insulating base body, and the electrodes are used for being in contact with a living body; the selective conduction module is electrically connected with each electrode; the excitation module is electrically connected with the selective conduction module; the detection module is electrically connected with the selection conduction module; and the control processing module is electrically connected with the controlled end of the selective conduction module and the detection module. By means of the structure, the biological impedance condition is measured, steam ablation acts on a diseased tissue area, the physical and physiological states of the tissue can be changed and reflected in the biological impedance characteristic, biological impedance signals are obtained through the probe assembly before and after steam ablation for contrastive analysis, the change condition of the biological impedance can be obtained, and the measurement accuracy is improved. The therapeutic effect of steam ablation is evaluated, and the steam ablation effect can be immediately evaluated after steam ablation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of steam ablation technology, and in particular to probe components, methods and devices for assessing steam ablation based on bioimpedance. Background Technology

[0002] Steam ablation therapy releases a fixed amount of high-temperature water vapor into the diseased tissue area. The heat energy stored in the water vapor is transferred to the diseased tissue area, causing cell membrane deformation and cell death, thereby achieving the therapeutic effect of eliminating the diseased tissue. Steam ablation is often used to treat BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) and has the advantages of being minimally invasive and having a fast recovery.

[0003] However, in existing technologies, steam ablation mainly assesses treatment effectiveness based on indicators such as the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), residual urine volume (PVR), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and changes in prostate size after steam ablation. This requires a long waiting period to determine the effectiveness, and there is a lack of means to immediately understand the treatment effect after steam ablation.

[0004] Therefore, how to immediately assess the effect of steam ablation after treatment is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides probe components, methods, and devices for assessing steam ablation based on bioimpedance, in order to address the shortcomings of existing technologies where the treatment effect cannot be immediately understood after steam ablation.

[0006] This application provides a probe assembly for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance, including: The probe body includes an insulating substrate and a plurality of electrodes disposed on the insulating substrate, the electrodes being used to contact a living organism; Select the conduction module and electrically connect it to each of the electrodes; An excitation module is electrically connected to the selection and conduction module, and the excitation module is used to generate an excitation signal; The detection module is electrically connected to the selection and conduction module; The control processing module is electrically connected to the controlled terminal of the selection conduction module and the detection module, respectively. The control processing module controls the selection and conduction module to select two electrodes, such that one of the electrodes is connected to the excitation module and the other electrode is connected to the detection module. The detection module acquires a bioimpedance signal through the connected electrode and transmits it to the control processing module. The bioimpedance signal characterizes the impedance of the organism.

[0007] According to the probe assembly for bioimpedance assessment of vapor ablation provided in this application, the insulating substrate is cylindrical, the electrode is annularly surrounding the sidewall of the insulating substrate, and a plurality of the electrodes are arranged along the axial direction of the cylinder.

[0008] According to the probe assembly for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance provided in this application, the end of the insulating substrate is provided with a spherical surface.

[0009] According to the probe assembly for bioimpedance assessment of vapor ablation provided in this application, the insulating substrate has a wiring cavity inside, and the electrode is electrically connected to the selective conduction module via a wire in the wiring cavity.

[0010] According to the probe assembly for vapor ablation based on bioimpedance assessment provided in this application, the selection and conduction module includes a first multiple-choice switch unit and a second multiple-choice switch unit. The first multiple-choice switch unit includes an input terminal electrically connected to each of the electrodes and an output terminal electrically connected to the excitation module. The second multiple-choice switch unit includes an input terminal electrically connected to each of the electrodes and an output terminal connected to the detection module. The control processing module is electrically connected to the controlled terminals of the first multiple-choice switch unit and the second multiple-choice switch unit, respectively.

[0011] According to the probe assembly for vapor ablation based on bioimpedance assessment provided in this application, the detection module includes a transimpedance amplification unit and an analog-to-digital conversion unit. The input terminal of the transimpedance amplification unit is electrically connected to the selection and conduction module, the output terminal of the transimpedance amplification unit is electrically connected to the input terminal of the analog-to-digital conversion unit, and the output terminal of the analog-to-digital conversion unit is electrically connected to the control and processing module.

[0012] This application also provides a method for vapor ablation based on bioimpedance assessment, applied to the aforementioned probe assembly for vapor ablation based on bioimpedance assessment, including: Obtain the first bioimpedance information before vapor ablation; Obtain the second bioimpedance information after vapor ablation; Based on the first bioimpedance information and the second bioimpedance information, vapor ablation assessment information is generated based on the change in bioimpedance. The first bioimpedance information and the second bioimpedance information characterize the bioimpedance at multiple locations in the vapor ablation site.

[0013] According to the method for steam ablation based on bioimpedance assessment provided in this application, obtaining the first bioimpedance information before steam ablation includes: Before vapor ablation, the control selects the conduction module and selects one of the electrodes from multiple electrodes as the first excitation electrode to conduct to the excitation module; The selection and conduction module is controlled to sequentially select one of the electrodes other than the first excitation electrode and connect it to the detection module to obtain the first bioimpedance signal corresponding to each electrode other than the first excitation electrode. A first bioimpedance vector is generated based on each of the first bioimpedance signals; Select a new first excitation electrode, obtain the corresponding first bioimpedance vector, and continue until all the electrodes have been traversed. Based on each of the first bioimpedance vectors, a first bioimpedance matrix is ​​generated as the first bioimpedance information. The first bioimpedance matrix represents the bioimpedance at multiple locations before vapor ablation.

[0014] According to the method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance provided in this application, obtaining the second bioimpedance information after vapor ablation includes: After the vapor dissolves, the selection and conduction module is controlled to select one of the electrodes from the plurality of electrodes as the second excitation electrode and connect it to the excitation module; The selection and conduction module is controlled to sequentially select one of the electrodes other than the second excitation electrode and connect it to the detection module to obtain the second bioimpedance signal corresponding to each electrode other than the second excitation electrode. A second bioimpedance vector is generated based on each of the second bioimpedance signals; Select a new second excitation electrode, obtain the corresponding second bioimpedance vector, and continue until all the electrodes have been traversed; Based on each of the second bioimpedance vectors, a second bioimpedance matrix is ​​generated as the second bioimpedance information; The second bioimpedance matrix characterizes the bioimpedance at multiple locations after vapor ablation.

[0015] According to the method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance provided in this application, the step of generating vapor ablation assessment information based on changes in bioimpedance according to the first bioimpedance information and the second bioimpedance information includes: Based on the first bioimpedance information and the second bioimpedance information, a two-dimensional coherent operation is performed on the first bioimpedance matrix and the second bioimpedance matrix to obtain a third bioimpedance matrix as the vapor ablation assessment information. The third bioimpedance matrix characterizes the vapor ablation effect at multiple locations.

[0016] This application also provides an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the bioimpedance-based vapor ablation method as described above.

[0017] This application also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance as described above.

[0018] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance as described above.

[0019] The probe assembly, method, and device for assessing steam ablation based on bioimpedance provided in this application have at least the following beneficial effects: Based on a structure where multiple electrodes on the probe body contact the organism, a control processing module controls the selection of a conduction module. One electrode can be connected to an excitation module, which generates an excitation signal applied to the organism. Simultaneously, the selection of the conduction module connects another electrode to a detection module. The detection module acquires the bioimpedance signal generated after the excitation signal is applied to the organism via a motor and transmits the bioimpedance signal to the control processing module. This allows for the measurement of bioimpedance. When steam ablation is applied to the diseased tissue area, the physical and physiological state of the tissue changes, and these changes are directly reflected in its bioimpedance characteristics. By comparing the bioimpedance before and after steam ablation—that is, by comparing and analyzing the bioimpedance signals acquired by the probe assembly before and after steam ablation—the changes in bioimpedance can be determined, thereby assessing the therapeutic effect of steam ablation. This facilitates immediate assessment of the steam ablation effect after treatment, providing a foundation for subsequent treatment and recovery. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this application or related technologies, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the probe assembly for vapor ablation based on bioimpedance assessment provided in this application.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the probe body in the probe assembly for vapor ablation based on bioimpedance assessment provided in this application.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of the method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance provided in this application.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in this application.

[0025] Figure label: 100: Probe body; 110: Insulating substrate; 120: Electrode; 200: Selective conduction module; 210: First multiple-choice switch unit; 220: Second multiple-choice switch unit; 300: Excitation module; 400: Detection module; 410: Transimpedance amplification unit; 420: Analog-to-digital conversion unit; 500: Control processing module. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] Cells and tissues of living organisms possess electrical conductivity, which is typically simplified into impedance characteristics for study. Bioimpedance mainly comprises resistance and capacitance. When an alternating current (AC) voltage is applied to the cells and tissues of an organism, the cells generate a current of a corresponding frequency. This current and the applied AC voltage exhibit not only a proportional relationship in amplitude but also a phase difference. The magnitude of the current is primarily determined by the cell's resistance, while the phase difference between the current and voltage is mainly determined by the cell's capacitance. The impedance of cell tissue can be simplified as: Z = R + Xc, where Xc is the capacitive reactance, Xc = 1 / (jωC). In this formula, j is the imaginary unit of a complex number, ω is the angular frequency of the signal, C is the capacitance of the cell, R is the resistance of the cell, and Z is the complex impedance.

[0028] Under normal physiological conditions, the resistance (R) and capacitance (C) of a cell are within specific ranges. However, when cells dehydrate and die, the cell membrane structure is damaged. At this time, the cell's resistance (R) gradually decreases, and the capacitance (C) also decreases accordingly.

[0029] Therefore, by applying an alternating voltage to the tissue cells of an organism and detecting the corresponding current, the resistance and capacitance characteristics can be determined, i.e., the bioimpedance can be determined. At the same time, by detecting the changes in the resistance value R and capacitance value C of the bioimpedance, normal cells and cells that have died after ablation treatment can be distinguished. In other words, the steam ablation effect can be known based on the changes in bioimpedance.

[0030] The following is combined with Figures 1-2 The probe assembly for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance of this application includes: The probe body 100 includes an insulating substrate 110 and a plurality of electrodes 120 disposed on the insulating substrate 110, the electrodes 120 being used to contact a living organism; Select the conduction module 200 and electrically connect it to each of the electrodes 120; The excitation module 300 is electrically connected to the selection and conduction module 200, and the excitation module 300 is used to generate an excitation signal; The detection module 400 is electrically connected to the selection and conduction module 200; The control processing module 500 is electrically connected to the controlled terminal of the selection and conduction module 200 and the detection module 400, respectively. The control processing module 500 controls the selection and conduction module 200 to select two electrodes 120, such that one of the electrodes 120 is connected to the excitation module 300 and the other electrode 120 is connected to the detection module 400. The detection module 400 acquires a bioimpedance signal through the connected electrode 120 and transmits it to the control processing module 500. The bioimpedance signal characterizes the impedance of the organism.

[0031] Based on the structure of multiple electrodes 120 on the probe body 100 that come into contact with the organism, the control processing module 500 controls the selection and conduction module 200 to connect one of the electrodes 120 to the excitation module 300, which generates an excitation signal that is applied to the organism. At the same time, the selection and conduction module 200 connects another electrode 120 to the detection module 400. The detection module 400 obtains the bioimpedance signal generated after the excitation signal is applied to the organism through a motor and transmits the bioimpedance signal to the control processing module 500.

[0032] This allows for the measurement of bioimpedance. When steam ablation is applied to the diseased tissue area, the physical and physiological state of the tissue changes, and these changes are directly reflected in its bioimpedance characteristics. By comparing the bioimpedance before and after steam ablation, i.e., by using the probe assembly to acquire bioimpedance signals before and after steam ablation for comparative analysis, the changes in bioimpedance can be determined. This enables the assessment of the therapeutic effect of steam ablation, facilitating immediate evaluation of the steam ablation effect and providing a foundation for subsequent treatment and recovery.

[0033] Understandably, the multiple electrodes 120 on the probe body 100 will contact different locations on the organism. By selecting different electrodes 120 to conduct with the excitation module 300, excitation signals, i.e., AC voltage signals, can be applied from different locations. Furthermore, by selecting different electrodes 120 to conduct with the detection module 400, bioimpedance signals, i.e., current signals, caused by the excitation signals can be acquired from different locations. The control processing module 500 can determine the bioimpedance at corresponding locations between two electrodes 120 based on the bioimpedance signals. Therefore, it is possible to determine the changes in bioimpedance caused by steam ablation at various locations, which is beneficial for a more comprehensive and accurate evaluation of the steam ablation treatment effect. A greater number of electrodes 120 allows for the detection of bioimpedance at more locations, making the evaluation of the steam ablation effect more accurate; that is, the number of electrodes 120 is positively correlated with the evaluation accuracy.

[0034] It should be noted that the probe assembly for assessing steam ablation based on bioimpedance provided in this application can be applied to the steam ablation treatment of the prostate. The probe body 100 is used to insert into the urethra to the prostate site to detect the bioimpedance at various locations of the prostate, and then compare the bioimpedance before and after steam ablation to quickly assess the therapeutic effect of steam ablation.

[0035] In some embodiments of this application, the excitation module 300 may include an AC excitation voltage source or other circuit or chip capable of generating an AC voltage signal as an excitation signal. The control processing module 500 may include a microcontroller, embedded processor, FPGA, or other device with control processing functions.

[0036] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments of the probe assembly for bioimpedance assessment of vapor ablation in this application, the insulating substrate 110 is cylindrical, the electrode 120 is annularly surrounding the sidewall of the insulating substrate 110, and a plurality of the electrodes 120 are arranged along the axial direction of the cylinder.

[0037] The insulating substrate 110 is cylindrical and has multiple annular electrodes 120 arranged along its axis, allowing the probe body 100 to be easily inserted into tubular organs such as the urethra, facilitating the detection of bioimpedance in prostate tissue. The electrodes 120 surround the sidewalls of the insulating substrate 110, ensuring stable and uniform contact between the electrodes 120 and the prostate tissue. This allows for the detection of bioimpedance at different axial positions (depths) along the prostate, facilitating a comprehensive assessment of the prostate tissue's bioimpedance and thus a more accurate evaluation of the therapeutic effect of steam ablation.

[0038] It should be noted that the electrode 120 is surrounded by the side wall of the cylinder, so that the contact position of the electrode 120 will not change due to the rotation of the probe body 100. This makes the contact position between the electrode 120 and the organism more stable. By controlling the insertion depth, the contact position of the electrode 120 can be considered the same. This facilitates the detection of bioimpedance at the same position of the organism before and after steam ablation, and makes the comparative analysis of bioimpedance before and after more accurate in reflecting the effect of steam ablation on the organism tissue.

[0039] In some embodiments of this application, in the context of prostate vapor ablation therapy, after the probe body 100 is inserted into the urethra, in order to ensure that the urethral wall can fit tightly with the electrode 120 and to ensure good electrical contact and signal transmission, the diameter of the probe body 100 can be in the range of 5 mm to 7 mm, but is not limited to this diameter range.

[0040] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments of the probe assembly for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance in this application, the end of the insulating substrate 110 is provided with a spherical surface.

[0041] The insulating substrate 110 has a spherical surface at its end, meaning the insertion tip of the probe body 100 also has a spherical surface. This provides a smooth structural transition, which helps reduce friction and damage to biological tissues, such as the urethral wall, during insertion. This structure effectively reduces discomfort during insertion and lowers the chance of tissue damage, while also improving the smoothness of probe body 100 insertion.

[0042] In some embodiments of the probe assembly for bioimpedance assessment of vapor ablation in this application, the insulating substrate 110 has a wiring cavity inside, and the electrode 120 is electrically connected to the selection and conduction module 200 via a wire in the wiring cavity.

[0043] The insulating substrate 110 has a wiring cavity inside, within which wires are arranged to connect the electrode 120 to the selection and conduction module 200, achieving electrical connection between the electrode 120 and the selection and conduction module 200. This structure avoids placing the wires outside the probe body 100, effectively preventing potential damage or accidental contact with biological tissue during probe body 100 insertion. Simultaneously, the insulating substrate 110 protects the wires within the wiring cavity, thus ensuring the stability of electrical signal transmission and the biocompatibility of the probe.

[0044] In some embodiments of this application, a flexible circuit board may be integrated within the wiring cavity of the insulating substrate 110, and the electrode 120 may be electrically connected to the selection and conduction module 200 through the flexible circuit board.

[0045] In some embodiments of this application, a conductive metal layer may be deposited on the surface of the insulating substrate 110. The conductive metal layer may be made of materials with good conductivity, such as silver, platinum, or nickel-titanium alloy. Then, the conductive metal layer is divided into multiple independent regions by an etching process. Each independent region is connected to a wire and connected to the selection and conduction module 200, so that each independent region forms an independent electrode 120.

[0046] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments of the probe assembly for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance in this application, the selection and conduction module 200 includes a first multiplexer unit 210 and a second multiplexer unit 220. The first multiplexer unit 210 includes an input terminal electrically connected to the electrode 120 and an output terminal electrically connected to the excitation module 300. The second multiplexer unit 220 includes an input terminal electrically connected to the electrode 120 and an output terminal connected to the detection module 400. The control processing module 500 is electrically connected to the controlled terminals of the first multiplexer unit 210 and the second multiplexer unit 220, respectively.

[0047] The selection and conduction module 200 includes a first multiplexer unit 210 and a second multiplexer unit 220. Under the control of the control processing module 500, the first multiplexer unit 210 can select an electrode 120 to conduct with the excitation module 300, and the second multiplexer unit 220 can select an electrode 120 to conduct with the detection module 400. This structure enables a flexible and accurate electrode 120 switching mechanism, facilitating rapid and orderly measurement of bioimpedance signals between different electrode 120 combinations, thus improving the efficiency and comprehensiveness of data acquisition.

[0048] In some embodiments of this application, the first multiplexer unit 210 and the second multiplexer unit 220 may include implementations of multiplexer chips. Each multiplexer chip has multiple input pins and one output pin. Each electrode 120 is connected to the input terminals of two multiplexer chips, respectively. The output pin of one multiplexer chip is connected to the excitation module 300, and the output pin of the other multiplexer chip is connected to the detection module 400. The first multiplexer unit 210 and the second multiplexer unit 220 may also be implemented using an analog multiplexer or a crossbar switch array to achieve the function of selecting one of the multiple electrodes 120 to be turned on.

[0049] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments of the probe assembly for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance in this application, the detection module 400 includes a transimpedance amplification unit 410 and an analog-to-digital converter 420. The input terminal of the transimpedance amplification unit 410 is electrically connected to the selection and conduction module 200, the output terminal of the transimpedance amplification unit 410 is electrically connected to the input terminal of the analog-to-digital converter 420, and the output terminal of the analog-to-digital converter 420 is electrically connected to the control and processing module 500.

[0050] The detection module 400 includes a transimpedance amplification unit 410 and an analog-to-digital converter 420. The transimpedance amplification unit 410 accurately converts the received bioimpedance signal, i.e., the current signal, into a voltage signal and linearly amplifies it, amplifying the weak bioimpedance signal without distortion for subsequent processing. Then, the analog-to-digital converter 420 converts the analog voltage signal into a digital signal and transmits it to the control processing module 500 for analysis to determine the bioimpedance status. This structure ensures high-sensitivity acquisition and high-precision digitization of the bioimpedance signal, laying the foundation for subsequent bioimpedance analysis.

[0051] In some embodiments of this application, the transimpedance amplifier unit 410 may include an implementation of a transimpedance amplifier circuit or other circuit or chip, and the analog-to-digital converter unit 420 may include an implementation of an analog-to-digital converter circuit or chip.

[0052] The method for vapor ablation based on bioimpedance assessment provided in this application is described below. The method for vapor ablation based on bioimpedance assessment described below can be referred to in correspondence with the probe assembly for vapor ablation based on bioimpedance assessment described above.

[0053] refer to Figure 3 This application also provides a method for vapor ablation based on bioimpedance assessment, applied to the aforementioned probe assembly for vapor ablation based on bioimpedance assessment, comprising: Obtain the first bioimpedance information before vapor ablation; Obtain the second bioimpedance information after vapor ablation; Based on the first bioimpedance information and the second bioimpedance information, vapor ablation assessment information is generated based on the change in bioimpedance. The first bioimpedance information and the second bioimpedance information characterize the bioimpedance at multiple locations in the vapor ablation site.

[0054] Based on the principle that the bioimpedance of biological tissues changes before and after steam ablation, this method acquires first bioimpedance information of the treatment area before steam ablation and second bioimpedance information of the same treatment area after steam ablation. By comparing and analyzing the differences between the first and second bioimpedance information, the changes in tissue cells at different locations within the treatment area due to steam ablation can be determined, thereby quantifying the steam ablation effect and generating steam ablation assessment information.

[0055] Therefore, by comparing the first and second bioimpedance information before and after steam ablation, steam ablation assessment information can be generated after steam ablation. This is beneficial for immediate assessment of the steam ablation effect after steam ablation, providing a basis for subsequent treatment and recovery. At the same time, based on the steam ablation assessment information, the impact of steam ablation on cells and tissues at different locations in the treatment area can be determined, ensuring the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the assessment.

[0056] In some embodiments of the method for vapor ablation based on bioimpedance assessment in this application, obtaining the first bioimpedance information before vapor ablation includes: Before vapor ablation, the control selection and conduction module 200 selects one of the multiple electrodes 120 as the first excitation electrode and connects it to the excitation module 300. The selection and conduction module 200 is controlled to sequentially select one of the electrodes 120 other than the first excitation electrode to conduct with the detection module 400, thereby acquiring the first bioimpedance signal corresponding to each electrode 120 other than the first excitation electrode. A first bioimpedance vector is generated based on each of the first bioimpedance signals; Select a new first excitation electrode, obtain the corresponding first bioimpedance vector, and continue until all electrodes 120 are traversed. Based on each of the first bioimpedance vectors, a first bioimpedance matrix is ​​generated as the first bioimpedance information. The first bioimpedance matrix represents the bioimpedance at multiple locations before vapor ablation.

[0057] Before vapor ablation, the selection and conduction module 200 is controlled to select one electrode 120 from multiple electrodes 120 as the first excitation electrode and connect it to the excitation module 300; then, the selection and conduction module 200 is controlled to sequentially select one electrode 120 other than the first excitation electrode and connect it to the detection module 400.

[0058] After acquiring the first bioimpedance signals corresponding to each electrode 120 except the first excitation electrode, a first bioimpedance vector can be generated based on these first bioimpedance signals. In this way, the first excitation electrode is sequentially combined with the remaining electrodes 120 to detect and acquire the first bioimpedance signals; that is, under a defined excitation position, the bioimpedance between the electrode and the positions of different electrodes 120 is acquired. The first bioimpedance signals acquired from each combination form a first bioimpedance vector, which corresponds to the electrode 120 serving as the first excitation electrode.

[0059] After obtaining the corresponding first bioimpedance vector by using one electrode 120 as the first excitation electrode, a new electrode 120 is selected as the first excitation electrode, and the process of obtaining the first bioimpedance vector is repeated until all electrodes 120 have been used as the first excitation electrode. Finally, a first bioimpedance matrix is ​​generated based on the first bioimpedance vectors corresponding to each electrode 120.

[0060] Thus, the first bioimpedance matrix can characterize the bioimpedance between the positions of each electrode 120 and the positions of the other electrodes 120 when they are excited before vapor ablation, which is beneficial to fully understand the bioimpedance of the target area before vapor ablation. The first bioimpedance matrix can concisely, comprehensively and accurately characterize the bioimpedance.

[0061] In some embodiments of the method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance in this application, obtaining the second bioimpedance information after vapor ablation includes: After the vapor dissolves, the selection and conduction module 200 is controlled to select one of the electrodes 120 from the plurality of electrodes 120 as the second excitation electrode and conduct to the excitation module 300. The selection and conduction module 200 is controlled to sequentially select one of the electrodes 120 other than the second excitation electrode to conduct with the detection module 400, thereby acquiring the second bioimpedance signal corresponding to each electrode 120 other than the second excitation electrode. A second bioimpedance vector is generated based on each of the second bioimpedance signals; Select a new second excitation electrode and obtain the corresponding second bioimpedance vector until all electrodes 120 have been traversed. Based on each of the second bioimpedance vectors, a second bioimpedance matrix is ​​generated as the second bioimpedance information; The second bioimpedance matrix characterizes the bioimpedance at multiple locations after vapor ablation.

[0062] Similar to the process of obtaining the first bioimpedance matrix as the first bioimpedance information before steam ablation, after steam ablation, by controlling the selection and conduction module 200, one electrode 120 is selected from multiple electrodes 120 as the second excitation electrode and connected to the excitation module 300; then, the selection and conduction module 200 is controlled to sequentially select one electrode 120 other than the second excitation electrode and connect it to the detection module 400.

[0063] After acquiring the second bioimpedance signals corresponding to each electrode 120 except the second excitation electrode, a second bioimpedance vector can be generated based on these signals. In this way, the second excitation electrode is sequentially combined with the remaining electrodes 120 to detect and acquire the second bioimpedance signals; that is, under a defined excitation position, the bioimpedance between the electrode and the positions of different electrodes 120 is acquired. The second bioimpedance signals acquired from each combination form a second bioimpedance vector, which corresponds to the electrode 120 serving as the second excitation electrode.

[0064] After obtaining the corresponding second bioimpedance vector by using one electrode 120 as the second excitation electrode, a new electrode 120 is selected as the second excitation electrode, and the process of obtaining the second bioimpedance vector is repeated until all electrodes 120 have been used as the second excitation electrode. Finally, a second bioimpedance matrix is ​​generated based on the second bioimpedance vectors corresponding to each electrode 120.

[0065] Thus, the second bioimpedance matrix can characterize the bioimpedance between the locations of each electrode 120 and the locations of the other electrodes 120 when they are excited before vapor ablation, which is beneficial to fully understand the bioimpedance of the target area after vapor ablation. The second bioimpedance matrix can concisely, comprehensively and accurately characterize the bioimpedance.

[0066] To more clearly understand the process of obtaining the first and second bioimpedance matrices, an illustrative example is provided: Assume there are 8 electrodes 120, designated as electrodes 1 to 8. Under the control of the control processing module 500, electrode 1 is first selected as the excitation electrode, and then electrode 2 is selected to be connected to the detection module 400 to obtain the current amplitude and phase corresponding to electrode 2, i.e., the bioimpedance signal A12. Then, the subsequent electrodes 3 to 8 are selected sequentially to repeatedly obtain bioimpedance signals A13 to A18. Based on the 7 bioimpedance signals A12 to A18, a bioimpedance vector [A11, A12, ..., A18] is generated, where A11 is filled with 0. This bioimpedance vector is obtained with electrode 1 as the excitation electrode.

[0067] Then, electrode 2 is selected as the new excitation electrode, and electrodes 1, 3 to 8 are sequentially connected to the detection module 400 to obtain the bioimpedance vector [A21, A22, ..., A28] corresponding to electrode 2, where A22 is filled with 0 (and A33, A44, ..., A88 are also filled with 0). Electrode 3 is then selected as the new excitation electrode, and the above process is repeated until electrode 8 has been used as the excitation electrode and its corresponding bioimpedance vector has been obtained.

[0068] Based on the eight bioimpedance vectors, an 8x8 bioimpedance matrix A is constructed, which can reflect the bioimpedance between the positions of electrodes 1 to 8 at different locations as excitation electrodes and the positions of the other electrodes.

[0069] It should be noted that since the same electrode 120 will be used as the excitation electrode and connected to the detection module 400 at the same time, the short-circuit current will increase significantly. Therefore, the same electrode 120 will not be used as the excitation electrode and connected to the detection module 400 at the same time. For the integrity of the matrix, elements with the same subscript, i.e., S11, ..., S88, are filled with 0.

[0070] The above is just an illustrative example; the actual number of electrodes 120 can be set according to the actual application scenario.

[0071] In some embodiments of the method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance in this application, the step of generating vapor ablation assessment information based on changes in bioimpedance according to the first bioimpedance information and the second bioimpedance information includes: Based on the first bioimpedance information and the second bioimpedance information, a two-dimensional coherent operation is performed on the first bioimpedance matrix and the second bioimpedance matrix to obtain a third bioimpedance matrix as the vapor ablation assessment information. The third bioimpedance matrix characterizes the vapor ablation effect at multiple locations.

[0072] Based on the first and second bioimpedance information, corresponding first and second bioimpedance matrices are determined. A two-dimensional coherent operation is then performed on these two matrices to obtain a third bioimpedance matrix, which serves as the steam ablation assessment information. This two-dimensional coherent operation reflects the changes between corresponding elements of the matrices, i.e., the changes in bioimpedance, thereby determining the impact of steam ablation on different locations in biological tissues and achieving a comprehensive and accurate assessment of the steam ablation effect.

[0073] It should be further explained that the comparison of the first bioimpedance matrix and the second bioimpedance matrix using two-dimensional coherent computation is not merely a simple numerical difference, but rather considers the spatial relationship and change pattern of the two matrices. This can more accurately and comprehensively reflect the impact of vapor ablation on biological tissue, thereby achieving a quantitative assessment of the vapor ablation effect between the locations of the two electrodes 120.

[0074] Understandably, since the resistance and capacitance values ​​of bioimpedance decrease after cell tissue dies, the degree of cell tissue dies can be determined based on the degree of decrease. Furthermore, based on the third bioimpedance matrix, the degree of cell tissue dies in the steam ablation area can be determined, which can reflect the depth of steam ablation and achieve quantitative evaluation of the steam ablation effect.

[0075] In some embodiments of this application, after obtaining the third bioimpedance matrix as the vapor ablation assessment information, the method may further include: generating a visualization image based on the third bioimpedance matrix, the visualization image representing the ablation effect of vapor ablation on the target area.

[0076] Figure 4 An example is a schematic diagram of the physical structure of an electronic device, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the electronic device may include a processor 810, a communications interface 820, a memory 830, and a communication bus 840, wherein the processor 810, the communications interface 820, and the memory 830 communicate with each other via the communication bus 840. The processor 810 can call logic instructions in the memory 830 to execute the aforementioned method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance.

[0077] Furthermore, the logical instructions in the aforementioned memory 830 can be implemented as software functional units and, when sold or used as independent products, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0078] On the other hand, this application also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, is implemented to perform the methods for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance provided by the methods described above.

[0079] In another aspect, the present invention also provides a computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer program that can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer is able to perform the method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance provided by the above methods.

[0080] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0081] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments.

[0082] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0083] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0084] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A probe assembly for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance, characterized in that, include: The probe body (100) includes an insulating substrate (110) and a plurality of electrodes (120) disposed on the insulating substrate (110), the electrodes (120) being used to contact a living organism; Select the conduction module (200) and electrically connect it to each of the electrodes (120); An excitation module (300) is electrically connected to the selection and conduction module (200), and the excitation module (300) is used to generate an excitation signal; The detection module (400) is electrically connected to the selection and conduction module (200); The control processing module (500) is electrically connected to the controlled terminal of the selection conduction module (200) and the detection module (400), respectively; The control processing module (500) controls the selection and conduction module (200) to select two electrodes (120), such that one of the electrodes (120) is connected to the excitation module (300) and the other electrode (120) is connected to the detection module (400). The detection module (400) acquires the bioimpedance signal through the connected electrode (120) and transmits it to the control processing module (500). The bioimpedance signal characterizes the impedance of the organism.

2. The probe assembly for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance according to claim 1, wherein, The insulating substrate (110) is cylindrical, and the electrode (120) is arranged in a ring around the side wall of the insulating substrate (110). A plurality of the electrodes (120) are arranged along the axial direction of the cylinder.

3. The probe assembly for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance according to claim 2, wherein, The end of the insulating substrate (110) is provided with a spherical surface.

4. The probe assembly for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance according to claim 1, wherein, The insulating substrate (110) has a wiring cavity inside, and the electrode (120) is electrically connected to the selection and conduction module (200) through the wire in the wiring cavity.

5. The bioimpedance-based assessment of vapor ablation probe assembly of any of claims 1-4, wherein, The selection and conduction module (200) includes a first multiple-choice switch unit (210) and a second multiple-choice switch unit (220). The first multiple-choice switch unit (210) includes an input terminal that is electrically connected to the electrode (120) in a one-to-one correspondence and an output terminal that is electrically connected to the excitation module (300). The second multiple-choice switch unit (220) includes an input terminal that is electrically connected to the electrode (120) in a one-to-one correspondence and an output terminal that is connected to the detection module (400). The control processing module (500) is electrically connected to the controlled terminal of the first multiple-choice switch unit (210) and the controlled terminal of the second multiple-choice switch unit (220) respectively.

6. The probe assembly for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The detection module (400) includes a transimpedance amplifier unit (410) and an analog-to-digital converter unit (420). The input terminal of the transimpedance amplifier unit (410) is electrically connected to the selection and conduction module (200), the output terminal of the transimpedance amplifier unit (410) is electrically connected to the input terminal of the analog-to-digital converter unit (420), and the output terminal of the analog-to-digital converter unit (420) is electrically connected to the control processing module (500).

7. A method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance, characterized in that, The probe assembly for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance as described in any one of claims 1 to 6 comprises: Obtain the first bioimpedance information before vapor ablation; Obtain the second bioimpedance information after vapor ablation; Based on the first bioimpedance information and the second bioimpedance information, vapor ablation assessment information is generated based on the change in bioimpedance. The first bioimpedance information and the second bioimpedance information characterize the bioimpedance at multiple locations in the vapor ablation site.

8. The method of assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance according to claim 7, wherein, The acquisition of the first bioimpedance information before vapor ablation includes: Before vapor ablation, the control selects the conduction module and selects one of the electrodes from multiple electrodes as the first excitation electrode to conduct to the excitation module; The selection and conduction module is controlled to sequentially select one of the electrodes other than the first excitation electrode to conduct with the detection module, thereby acquiring the first bioimpedance signal corresponding to each electrode other than the first excitation electrode. A first bioimpedance vector is generated based on each of the first bioimpedance signals; Select a new first excitation electrode, obtain the corresponding first bioimpedance vector, and continue until all the electrodes have been traversed; Based on each of the first bioimpedance vectors, a first bioimpedance matrix is ​​generated as the first bioimpedance information; The first bioimpedance matrix represents the bioimpedance at multiple locations before vapor ablation.

9. The method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance according to claim 8, characterized in that, The acquisition of the second bioimpedance information after vapor ablation includes: After the vapor dissolves, the selection and conduction module is controlled to select one of the electrodes from the plurality of electrodes as the second excitation electrode and connect it to the excitation module; The selection and conduction module is controlled to sequentially select one of the electrodes other than the second excitation electrode and connect it to the detection module to obtain the second bioimpedance signal corresponding to each electrode other than the second excitation electrode. A second bioimpedance vector is generated based on each of the second bioimpedance signals; Select a new second excitation electrode, obtain the corresponding second bioimpedance vector, and continue until all the electrodes have been traversed; Based on each of the second bioimpedance vectors, a second bioimpedance matrix is ​​generated as the second bioimpedance information; The second bioimpedance matrix characterizes the bioimpedance at multiple locations after vapor ablation.

10. The method for assessing steam ablation based on bioimpedance according to claim 9, characterized in that, The step of generating vapor ablation assessment information based on changes in bioimpedance, according to the first bioimpedance information and the second bioimpedance information, includes: Based on the first bioimpedance information and the second bioimpedance information, a two-dimensional coherent operation is performed on the first bioimpedance matrix and the second bioimpedance matrix to obtain a third bioimpedance matrix as the vapor ablation assessment information. The third bioimpedance matrix characterizes the vapor ablation effect at multiple locations.

11. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance as described in any one of claims 7 to 10.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance as described in any one of claims 7 to 10.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method for assessing vapor ablation based on bioimpedance as described in any one of claims 7 to 10.

Images