DC Ablation Protection Circuit Mitigates Voltage Spikes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current DC ablation systems for non-thermal BPH treatment face issues with sudden impedance rises due to gas bubbles and gradual impedance increases from tissue desiccation, leading to painful voltage spikes and reduced treatment effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A protection circuit is introduced, comprising a power source, overload protection device, monitoring circuit, switching circuit, and controller, which limits peak voltage and modifies current delivery pathways to manage impedance changes, using capacitors to prevent voltage spikes and ensure constant current delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If DC ablation is used for non-thermal BPH treatment, then tissue destruction effectiveness is improved, but voltage spikes occur due to impedance changes causing patient discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by introducing a capacitor circuit that预先 buffers voltage spikes before they reach the patient. The capacitor is charged during normal operation and automatically discharges to counteract sudden voltage increases caused by gas bubble formation or tissue desiccation, thereby cushioning the harmful voltage spikes while maintaining effective tissue destruction.
2Productivity
If gas bubbles form within prostate tissue during non-thermal ablation, then voltage spikes are induced causing painful sensations, but the ablation process continues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through a monitoring circuit that continuously detects impedance changes in the tissue during ablation. When gas bubble formation causes impedance increase and voltage spike, the monitoring circuit detects this change and triggers the capacitor discharge to counteract the spike, providing real-time feedback control that maintains ablation continuity while eliminating painful sensations.
3Productivity
If tissue near the electrode becomes desiccated, then impedance gradually increases reducing current effectiveness, but treatment must continue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the circuit configuration adaptable to changing tissue conditions. The system dynamically switches between different circuit configurations based on real-time impedance monitoring: using the capacitor buffer when gas bubbles cause sudden impedance changes, and modifying current delivery pathways when tissue desiccation causes gradual impedance increases, thereby maintaining treatment continuity and current effectiveness 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 effectively mitigates sudden voltage increases from gas bubbles and adjusts for gradual impedance rises, reducing patient discomfort and maintaining treatment effectiveness by stabilizing current delivery.
Implementation Method 1
A capacitor circuit is used to prevent sudden voltage spikes
Implementation Method 2
an overload protection device configured to limit the peak voltage
Data Source
AI summary
A protection circuit for a direct-current (DC) ablation prostate therapy system. The protection circuit is selectively coupled to a power source that provides DC constant current to a plurality of electrodes in a catheter configured to deliver DC ablation therapy to prostate tissue. The protection circuit is controlled by a controller and a switching circuit to buffer energy from the power source in response to a monitoring circuit that monitors at least one parameter of the DC ablation therapy, such as voltage or impedance. The controller is configured to selectively activate the switching circuit based on the monitoring circuit detecting an undesirable increase in the energy delivered for the DC ablation therapy.