Ablation Catheter Capacitor Assembly for Consistent Pulsed Fields
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ablation therapies using thermal energy sources for cardiac arrhythmia treatment are costly and complex, often damaging adjacent tissues, and require multiple catheter types to ensure consistent treatment quality, while pulsed field ablation (PFA) is sensitive to tissue impedance variations.
Innovation Solution
An assembly with a capacitor unit connected between the power supply generator and ablation electrodes to compensate for tissue impedance, maintaining consistent pulse shape and preventing signal distortion, allowing for adjustable capacitance to adapt to different tissue conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thermal energy sources (radiofrequency or cryoablation) are used for ablation, then effective tissue ablation is achieved, but adjacent tissue is damaged and treatment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal energy sources (radiofrequency or cryoablation) with pulsed field ablation using electrical pulses. This substitution eliminates thermal effects that cause adjacent tissue damage while maintaining effective ablation through irreversible electroporation of cell membranes, which is highly selective for myocardial tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the energy delivery parameter from continuous thermal energy to pulsed electrical fields with specific voltage amplitudes (e.g., 200-5000 V) and durations (e.g., 0.1-10 ms). This parameter change enables precise control over the ablation zone while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues through non-thermal mechanisms.
2Reliability
If multiple catheter types are used to adapt to different patient treatment needs, then treatment quality consistency is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal ablation catheter with adjustable electrical parameters that can adapt to different tissue types, locations, and patient conditions. The catheter incorporates controllable pulse generators and adjustable electrode configurations, allowing a single device to perform multiple ablation functions previously requiring different specialized catheters, thereby simplifying device inventory while maintaining treatment quality consistency.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If pulsed field ablation is used to avoid thermal damage, then adjacent tissue protection is improved, but treatment time increases due to shorter pulse durations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a series of repeated electrical pulses delivered in continuous sequences rather than single isolated pulses. This continuous pulsed action maintains cumulative electroporation effects on target tissue while allowing brief intervals for charge dissipation, thereby achieving effective ablation with protected adjacent tissues and optimized treatment duration through sustained energy delivery.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables cost-effective and safe ablation treatments with consistent quality by maintaining pulse shape and preventing tissue damage, reducing the need for multiple catheter types and minimizing complications like muscle contractions and gas generation.
Implementation Method 1
An assembly with a capacitor unit connected between the power supply generator and ablation electrodes to compensate for tissue impedance, maintaining consistent pulse shape and preventing signal distortion
Implementation Method 2
By means of an electrical pulse lasting only fractions of seconds, an irreversible change in cell membrane pores occurs (irreversible electroporation). The myocardium is very sensitive to this form of energy delivery compared to the esophagus, pulmonary veins or phrenic nerve.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention describes a catheter (10) for treatment of a patient's tissue using an electrical field with at least one ablation electrode (15), each electrode having an ablation electrode input, wherein the catheter (10) further comprises a catheter connector (19) for electrical connection to a generator output of a power supply generator (30). To further improve ablation treatment of the patient's tissue using an electrical field in terms of treatment cost and complexity while ensuring consistent treatment quality, the catheter (10) comprises at least one assembly (20). The assembly (20) comprises a capacitor unit, an assembly input and an assembly output, wherein the capacitor unit comprises at least one capacitor (24) having a predefined capacity and is electrically connected to the assembly input (21) and the assembly output (22), wherein the assembly (20) is configured to be interposed between and electrically connected to the generator output and the ablation electrode input of a predefined ablation electrode (15, 15'). Further, each assembly (20) is formed integrally with the catheter (10) such that the respective assembly input (21) is electrically connected to the catheter connector (19) and the respective assembly output (22) is electrically connected to the ablation electrode input of a predefined electrode (15). A coupling device containing such assembly and a system comprising the ablation catheter and the power supply generator as well as the coupling device is also described.