Ablation Catheter Cooling Channels for Heat Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ablation catheters used in Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) are prone to damage due to excessive heat when the energy transmission element comes into contact with the sleeve structure.

Innovation Solution

The ablation catheter design includes an inner tube and an outer tube with separate cooling channels, ensuring that any virtual line from the energy transmission element to the outer tube passes through at least one of these channels, allowing cooling medium to flow radially and prevent overheating, and features adapter assemblies with rotation limiting structures to maintain alignment and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the energy transmission element is sleeved with an inner tube and outer tube structure, then the protection and stability of the ablation catheter is improved, but the risk of contact between components causing excessive heat increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of ablation catheterVSAvoidexcessive heat damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is segmented into two independent channels: a first cooling channel between the inner tube and energy transmission element, and a second cooling channel between the outer tube and inner tube. This segmentation allows separate cooling paths that prevent heat accumulation at contact points while maintaining structural protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The first cooling channel acts as an intermediary cooling path between the energy transmission element and inner tube, while the second cooling channel serves as an intermediary between the inner tube and outer tube. These intermediary cooling channels prevent direct thermal contact damage by providing thermal isolation and active cooling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Temperature

If cooling channels are introduced between the tubes and energy transmission element, then the cooling effect and prevention of overheating is improved, but the structural complexity of the ablation catheter increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling effectVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling channels are nested within the existing multi-layer tube structure. The first cooling channel is nested between the inner tube and energy transmission element, while the second cooling channel is nested between the outer tube and inner tube. This nesting approach integrates cooling functionality without adding external structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The inner tube and outer tube serve dual functions: they provide structural protection for the energy transmission element while simultaneously forming the walls of the cooling channels. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate cooling channel structures, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Stability of the object's composition

If the inner tube and outer tube are arranged coaxially, then the alignment and stability of components is improved, but the risk of contact points forming between tubes increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment of componentsVSAvoidcontact points between tubes

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cross-sectional shapes of the inner tube and outer tube are designed with different geometries (e.g., inner tube with circular cross-section, outer tube with rectangular or oval cross-section). This local quality difference ensures that even when coaxially arranged, the tubes cannot make contact at any point, eliminating thermal contact damage while maintaining alignment stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

This design effectively prevents overheating and damage to the ablation catheter, enhancing its service life and reliability by ensuring stable cooling and maintaining the alignment of components.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling medium from the cooling source passes through the first channel and the second channel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

optical energy is accurately transmitted by the energy transmission element to the tissue where the lesion occurs, so as to increase a temperature at a region where the lesion is located due to photothermal conversion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotothermal conversion:

Data Source

PatentUS20250380987A1Ablation catheter and ablation system

Publication Date: 2025.12.18 HANGZHOU GENLIGHT MEDTECH CO LTD

AI summary

An ablation catheter includes: an energy transmission element; an inner tube, a first channel being formed between an inner wall of the inner tube and an outer wall of the energy transmission element; an outer tube, a second channel being formed between an inner wall of the outer tube and an outer wall of the inner tube. The outer tube is provided with a hermetically sealed member at a proximal end, the second channel is in communication with the first channel in the hermetically sealed member, the first channel or the second channel is in communication with a cooling source, and a cooling medium from the cooling source passes through the first channel and the second channel and is discharged from the ablation catheter.