Balloon Catheter Deformable Fluid Conduit Adaptation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current medical devices for tissue ablation, such as catheters, often require multiple devices with varying dimensions to achieve desired ablative patterns, leading to inaccuracies and inefficiencies due to fixed geometries that don't adapt to individual patient anatomy, and poor heat transfer efficiency due to thermal exchange with non-target tissues and fluids.

Innovation Solution

A medical device with a deformable fluid delivery conduit that can change shape and size during use, featuring a shaft with a movable and rotatable fluid delivery conduit that transitions between linear and curvilinear configurations, allowing for precise thermal treatment of tissue with reduced extraneous thermal loads by controlling fluid flow and geometry.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple catheters with fixed geometries are used to achieve desired ablative patterns, then various ablative patterns can be created, but device complexity and procedure time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveablative pattern capabilityVSAvoidnumber of catheters

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fluid delivery conduit is designed with a deflectable segment that can dynamically change its configuration from linear to curvilinear during the procedure. This dynamic adaptability allows a single catheter to produce multiple ablative patterns by adjusting the conduit shape, eliminating the need for multiple fixed-geometry catheters and reducing procedure complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The catheter incorporates a universal fluid delivery conduit that can perform multiple functions by changing its configuration. The same conduit can create different ablative patterns (linear, curvilinear, circular, etc.) depending on its shape, making the device multi-functional and replacing the need for multiple specialized catheters

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple catheters are exchanged during the procedure, then different ablative patterns are achieved, but placement accuracy decreases and procedure time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveablative pattern varietyVSAvoidplacement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The deflectable segment allows the fluid delivery conduit to be reconfigured in situ without removing the catheter. This maintains the stable placement of the catheter while achieving pattern variety through dynamic shape changes, thereby preserving placement accuracy while providing ablative pattern diversity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Power

If thermal energy is delivered to treat tissue, then ablation is achieved, but thermal exchange with non-target tissues and fluids reduces efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveablation efficacyVSAvoidthermal exchange with non-target tissues

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The curvilinear configuration of the fluid delivery conduit positions the fluid delivery openings in close proximity to the tissue surface, creating a localized thermal field. This concentrates thermal energy where needed (at the tissue interface) and minimizes thermal exchange with non-target tissues and bulk fluids, improving energy efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

By transitioning from a linear to a curvilinear configuration, the conduit utilizes spatial arrangement in multiple dimensions to optimize heat transfer. The curved path allows the conduit to conform to tissue contours, maintaining close contact and improving thermal coupling with target tissue while reducing heat loss to surrounding non-target structures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 flexible and precise ablative patterns with increased heat transfer efficiency, reducing procedure time and complications by allowing a single device to adapt to varying tissue regions and minimizing thermal exchange with non-target tissues and fluids.

Implementation Method 1

the efficacy of certain treatment procedures, such as those involving thermal energy transfer, may be limited by poor thermal conductivity between a device and the tissue site

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

During the course of such a procedure, a physician may employ several different catheters having variations in the geometry and/or dimensions of the ablative element in order to produce the desired ablation pattern and/or continuity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal energy transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS10383677B2Balloon catheter with deformable fluid delivery conduit

Publication Date: 2019.08.20 MEDTRONIC CRYOCATH LP

AI summary

A medical device, including an elongate body having a proximal portion and a distal portion; a shaft at least partially disposed within the elongate body; an expandable element at the distal portion of the elongate body; and a fluid delivery conduit defining a deflectable segment movably coupled to the shaft, the deflectable segment being transitionable from a substantially linear configuration to a substantially curvilinear configuration.