Ablation Catheter Fiber Optic Force Sensor Mirror
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ablation catheters lack precise control over the orientation and force exerted by the ablation head during medical procedures, leading to suboptimal ablation or damage to healthy tissue due to inaccurate positioning and variable contact pressure.
Innovation Solution
An ablation catheter with a spring assembly and three optical fibers connected to mirrors with varying light reflectivity, which uses light power detectors to calculate the force and orientation of the ablation head, providing real-time feedback to ensure precise axial and lateral force control and accurate positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional ablation catheters are used without force sensors, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision of force and orientation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical force sensors with an optical measurement system. Optical fibers deliver light to mirrors on the ablation head, and the reflected light intensity varies with mirror orientation and distance from tissue, enabling force and orientation measurement without mechanical contact sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical system serves multiple functions: it measures both force magnitude and orientation angle simultaneously, and can also provide visual feedback on catheter positioning. The same optical components perform multiple measurement tasks that would otherwise require separate sensor systems.
2Measurement precision
If mirrors with varied light reflectivity are used, then the measurement precision of orientation and force is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mirror surface has non-uniform reflectivity with different regions having different reflectance properties. This local variation in optical properties encodes orientation information, allowing the system to distinguish different angular positions based on which reflective regions are illuminated and viewed by the optical fiber.
3Reliability
If real-time optical feedback is implemented, then the reliability of ablation procedure is improved, but the loss of energy through optical fibers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements real-time feedback by continuously monitoring the intensity of reflected light from the mirrors and providing immediate information to the operator about force and orientation. This allows dynamic adjustment of catheter positioning and ablation parameters to maintain optimal conditions throughout the procedure.
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
The solution enables precise control of the ablation head's force and orientation, reducing tissue damage and improving the efficacy of ablation therapies by providing accurate and real-time feedback to the surgeon, thereby enhancing the precision and safety of the procedure.
Implementation Method 1
A proximally-facing mirror having varied light reflectivity across its surface is supported at the proximal end of the ablation head. When light from the optical fibers shines on the mirror, its varied light reflectivity is used to indicate to the surgeon the amount of force that the ablation head is exerting on the myocardial tissue
Data Source
AI summary
An ablation catheter Has a spring assembly residing between an ablation head and a proximal catheter body. Three optical fibers extend through a lumen in the catheter body. Three mirrors supported by the ablation head face proximally but are spaced distally from the optical fibers. The mirrors are provided with a pattern of reflectance that varies along a radius from a central area of reflectance. Light of a respective defined power shines from each of the optical fibers to a corresponding one of the mirrors with a reflected percentage of the respective defined light power being reflected back to the optical fiber. A percentage of the reflected percentage of the respective defined light power is captured by and travels along each optical fiber to a dedicated light wave detector connected to a controller. From the percentage of the reflected percentage of the light of the respective defined power received by each detector, the controller is programmed to calculate whether an axial or lateral force is imparted to the ablation head and, if so, the magnitude and vector of those forces.