Balloon Ablation Catheter Depth Control via Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ablation catheters with balloons face challenges in accurately estimating the depth of ablation, as methods that work for metal electrodes do not apply directly to balloon-based systems, leading to variable ablation depths due to inconsistent balloon-tissue contact.
Innovation Solution
An ablation catheter system with a balloon, equipped with a heating electrode, temperature sensor, pressure sensor, balloon volume sensor, and a processor that calculates the estimated depth of ablation using a mathematical expression correlating balloon pressure, volume, and heating temperature, allowing for precise ablation depth estimation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If balloon pressure and volume are increased to improve contact with tissue, then ablation depth increases, but control precision over ablation depth decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates pressure sensors and volume sensors that provide real-time feedback to a control unit. The control unit calculates the contact state between the balloon and myocardial tissue based on pressure and volume data, and adjusts heating parameters dynamically to achieve precise ablation depth control. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables accurate depth control without requiring complex manual adjustment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces manual mechanical adjustment of balloon pressure and volume with automated computational control. The control unit uses mathematical models and algorithms to calculate optimal pressure and volume settings based on desired ablation depth, substituting complex mechanical tuning with computational precision.
2Reliability
If balloon surface temperature is maintained constant, then heating uniformity improves, but ablation depth becomes variable due to inconsistent contact state
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses pressure sensors and volume sensors to provide real-time feedback on the contact state between the balloon and tissue. Based on this feedback, the control unit dynamically adjusts the heating power to compensate for variations in contact quality, ensuring consistent ablation depth even when contact state varies. This allows the system to maintain reliable ablation outcomes while accommodating natural variations in balloon-tissue contact.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors and control systems are added to improve ablation depth estimation, then measurement precision increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it processes pressure sensor data, processes volume sensor data, calculates contact state, determines ablation depth, and controls heating parameters. By making the control unit multi-functional, the system achieves high measurement precision without proportionally increasing overall system complexity. The same computational hardware performs multiple critical tasks efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines pressure sensing, volume sensing, temperature control, and ablation depth calculation into an integrated system. The control unit merges multiple measurement functions and control functions into a single coordinated system, reducing the complexity that would arise from separate independent systems while maintaining high measurement precision.
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 reliable estimation and control of ablation depth, ensuring effective treatment by adjusting balloon pressure, volume, heating temperature, and ablation time, thereby consistently achieving the desired ablation depth.
Implementation Method 1
a heating device that applies electrical energy to the heating electrode
Implementation Method 2
tissue is ablated by the thermal conduction of the balloon heated by a heating device
Data Source
AI summary
An ablation catheter system includes: a catheter shaft; a balloon attached to the catheter shaft; a lumen extending through the catheter shaft in a longitudinal direction thereof and communicating with the interior of the balloon; a heating electrode and a temperature sensor provided in the interior of the balloon; a heater that applies electrical energy to the heating electrode; a pressure sensor; a balloon volume sensor; and a processor that calculates the estimated depth of ablation, using as variables, heating temperature of a generator, ablation time of the generator, a value of balloon pressure obtained from the pressure sensor and a value of balloon volume obtained from the balloon volume sensor.