Balloon-Blocking Catheter for Low-Impedance RF Nerve Ablation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radio frequency ablation devices face challenges in efficiently ablating nerves near blood vessels due to high impedance and conductivity issues caused by blood flow, leading to potential vessel injury and suboptimal ablation effects.
Innovation Solution
A radio frequency ablation device with a balloon blocking guide catheter that inflates to block blood flow, allowing for the infusion of liquids or gases to alter conductivity and temperature environments, forming an electrical loop between electrodes through the blood vessel wall without requiring peripheral electrodes, thereby reducing impedance and enhancing ablation efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a peripheral patch electrode is used as return electrode with radio frequency current passing through entire human tissue, then the radio frequency ablation can be performed, but large voltage, current, and radio frequency power are needed which inevitably injures the blood vessels
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the return electrode into multiple segments (first return electrode and second return electrode) positioned at different locations within the blood vessel. This segmentation allows the radio frequency current to form a localized loop through the blood vessel wall rather than passing through the entire human body, thereby reducing the total current and voltage required while maintaining ablation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a conductive fluid as an intermediary medium within the blood vessel to facilitate current flow. The conductive fluid acts as a mediator between the radio frequency electrode and the return electrodes, enabling efficient current transmission through the blood vessel wall without requiring large currents to pass through the entire body, thus preventing blood vessel injury.
2Reliability
If radio frequency current passes through entire human body loop, then the ablation can be achieved, but large human body impedance needs to be overcome requiring large voltage and current
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the current path from the entire human body loop and confines it within the blood vessel. By positioning return electrodes inside the blood vessel and using conductive fluid, the current loop is extracted from the large-impedance body loop and reconfigured to flow through the smaller-impedance path within the blood vessel wall, significantly reducing the voltage and current requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the electrical parameters by introducing conductive fluid to modify the conductivity within the blood vessel. This parameter change creates a more favorable electrical environment for current flow, reducing impedance and allowing effective ablation with lower voltage and current compared to using the entire body loop.
3Reliability
If flowing blood exists inside the renal artery during ablation, then the ablation can be performed, but conductivity of the blood affects formation of the radio frequency loop making it difficult to achieve ideal effect
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces conductive fluid as an intermediary to replace flowing blood as the current transmission medium. The conductive fluid provides stable, controllable conductivity that facilitates reliable radio frequency loop formation, eliminating the variability and interference caused by flowing blood while maintaining the ability to perform effective ablation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the conductivity parameter by replacing blood with conductive fluid in the blood vessel. This parameter change creates a more favorable and stable electrical environment for radio frequency loop formation, improving ease of operation and ablation effectiveness by eliminating the interference from flowing blood conductivity.
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 device achieves a more effective and safer nerve ablation by minimizing radio frequency loss and protecting the blood vessel, with improved conductivity and temperature control, resulting in enhanced ablation outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
the blocking balloon is inflated to block local blood flow inside the blood vessel
Implementation Method 2
liquid or gas is infused into the blood vessel at the target portion through the through-wall electrode
Implementation Method 3
an electrical loop is formed between the radio frequency electrode and the return electrode
Data Source
AI summary
A radio frequency ablation device (300) comprising a balloon blocking catheter. The radio frequency ablation device (300) comprises a double or multi-lumen balloon blocking catheter (310) and a radio frequency ablation catheter (320). a stent (321) is arranged at the far end of the radio frequency ablation catheter (320). Two or more electrodes (322, 325, 326) are arranged on the stent (321), and are connected to a radio frequency generator respectively by means of the corresponding guide wires arranged in the radio frequency ablation catheter (320). When the radio frequency ablation device (300) is used for ablating blood vessel peripheral nerves, inflating a blocking balloon (311) arranged at the far end of the guide catheter (310) to block local blood flow in a blood vessel. The invention has ideal nerve ablation effect.