Automated Atherectomy Catheter with Electrical Tissue Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical procedures for removing undesirable tissue, such as atherectomy, face challenges in differentiating between plaque and blood vessel walls without harming adjacent tissue, especially when the undesirable tissue is adherent, and existing automation methods are limited by the need for tactile guidance or reliance on guide wires.
Innovation Solution
An automated system using a catheter tip to measure electrical conductivity and permittivity at multiple frequencies, allowing for the differentiation of tissue types and hydraulic steering to navigate and remove undesired tissue without harming adjacent tissue, employing a servo system and miniature bellows for precise control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a high speed rotary burr is used to pulverize plaque, then plaque removal effectiveness is improved, but the risk of harming adjacent vessel wall tissue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously measures electrical properties (conductivity and permittivity) of surrounding tissues and feeds this information back to the control system, which adjusts burr positioning and removal rates in real-time to maximize plaque removal while preventing vessel wall damage
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces tactile mechanical guidance with electrical property-based sensing and automated hydraulic positioning, substituting manual surgeon control with an automated feedback-driven mechanical system that precisely controls burr location and removal parameters
2Ease of operation
If guide wires or self-steering methods are used to navigate the catheter, then navigation capability is improved, but reliability in complete occlusion or with varying plaque hardness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter system performs self-positioning and self-steering by automatically measuring electrical properties in multiple directions and autonomously adjusting its orientation and location to navigate through occlusions and position the burr against plaque, eliminating dependence on guide wires or surgeon tactile skills
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters dynamically by measuring electrical conductivity and permittivity at multiple frequencies and adjusting catheter positioning, burr rotation speed, and removal rate based on real-time tissue characterization to maintain reliability across varying conditions
3Measurement precision
If multiple frequencies are used to measure electrical properties, then tissue differentiation precision is improved, but measurement complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic measurement cycles at multiple frequencies, systematically rotating the catheter and sequentially measuring electrical properties at different frequency bands to comprehensively characterize tissues while managing measurement time through structured periodic sampling
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary electrical property measurements at multiple frequencies before initiating plaque removal, characterizing tissue types in advance to pre-plan the removal strategy and minimize actual removal time
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 precise and gentle removal of undesirable tissue while avoiding damage to adjacent tissue, reducing surgeon time and operating room expenses, and can be applied to various medical procedures beyond atherectomy by identifying different materials surrounding the catheter tip.
Implementation Method 1
The invention uses the tip of a catheter as a sensing device, in order to measure both the electrical conductivity and permittivity of the surrounding tissue at multiple frequencies
Implementation Method 2
The invention uses the tip of a catheter as a sensing device, in order to measure both the electrical conductivity and permittivity of the surrounding tissue at multiple frequencies
Implementation Method 3
The steering is done hydraulically, by pressurizing miniature bellows located near the catheter tip
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic atherectomy system uses a rotary burr at the tip of a catheter as a sensing device, in order to measure both electrical conductivity and permittivity of surrounding tissue at multiple frequencies. From these parameters it is determined which tissue lies in different directions around the tip. A servo system steers the catheter tip in the direction of the tissue to be removed. In non-atherectomy applications the rotary burr can be replaced with any desired tool and the system can be used to automatically steer the catheter to the desired position. The steering may be done hydraulically, by pressurizing miniature bellows located near the catheter tip.