Atrial Driver Mapping and Targeted Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current treatments for atrial fibrillation, such as catheter-based radiofrequency ablation, face challenges in effectively isolating multiple atrial drivers within the heart, leading to lower success rates for complex and persistent forms of the condition due to the complexity of electrical signal pathways and the difficulty in locating all sources of irregular signals.

Innovation Solution

The development of systems and methods for identifying, locating, and treating atrial drivers using electrophysiology apparatuses to measure and visualize electrical activity, map the heart, and rank electrograms to determine driver positions, allowing for targeted ablation to isolate and treat the sources of atrial fibrillation, thereby improving treatment effectiveness and reducing unnecessary scarring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If catheter-based radiofrequency ablation is used to treat atrial fibrillation, then the treatment is less invasive than surgery, but the success rate is reduced due to difficulty in isolating multiple atrial drivers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinvasiveness of treatmentVSAvoidsuccess rate of treatment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment approach is segmented into distinct phases: first mapping and identifying individual atrial drivers, then isolating each driver separately through targeted ablation. This segmentation allows the complex task of treating multiple drivers to be broken down into manageable steps, improving success rates while maintaining the less invasive catheter-based approach

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary mapping and identification of all atrial drivers before performing ablation. By visualizing and locating drivers in advance using electrophysiology apparatus and electrogram ranking, the treatment plan is predetermined, ensuring all drivers are targeted systematically rather than attempting ablation without complete knowledge of driver locations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If extensive ablation is performed to isolate multiple atrial drivers, then treatment effectiveness may improve, but unnecessary scarring and complications increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment effectivenessVSAvoidscarring and complications

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The ablation approach applies local quality by targeting specific localized regions where drivers are identified through mapping. Rather than performing extensive widespread ablation, the system concentrates energy delivery precisely at driver locations determined by electrogram analysis, thereby improving effectiveness while minimizing unnecessary scarring in non-driver regions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The mapping system itself identifies the precise locations that require treatment through electrogram ranking and driver localization. The system's own diagnostic capabilities guide the therapeutic intervention, ensuring ablation is performed only where needed based on objective electrical activity measurements rather than empirical or extensive approaches

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If traditional ablation methods are used without precise driver localization, then the procedure is simpler to perform, but the ability to isolate all atrial drivers is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of procedureVSAvoidaccuracy of driver localization

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces mechanical trial-and-error navigation and blind ablation with an electrophysiology-based mapping system that uses electrical field measurements and electrogram analysis to automatically locate drivers. This substitution of mechanical procedures with electrical field-based detection maintains operational simplicity while dramatically improving localization accuracy through objective electrical signal ranking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 approach increases the success rate of atrial fibrillation treatment by accurately identifying and isolating multiple atrial drivers, leading to improved heart rhythm regularization and reduced complications from extensive scarring.

Implementation Method 1

measure electrical activity occurring in a heart of the patient

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical signal detection: Conduction (electrical)

Implementation Method 2

Catheter-based radiofrequency ablation is a particularly common treatment for symptomatic AF

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadiofrequency heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 3

use heating or cooling sources to create impulse-blocking lesions on the heart by ablation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAblation: Ablation

Data Source

PatentUS10702181B2Atrial fibrillation treatment systems and methods

Publication Date: 2020.07.07 INTERMOUNTAIN INTELLECTUAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC

AI summary

Methods for treating cardiac complex rhythm disorder in a patient can include receiving a plurality of electrical signals from a sensor system, wherein each electrical signal corresponds with a separate location on a cardiac wall of the heart of the patient, and wherein each electrical signal comprises an electrogram waveform; and ranking the electrical signals relative to each other based on at least a uniformity and a frequency of the electrogram waveform of each electrical signal.