Basket Probe Electrode Grouping for Lower-Density IRE Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing a basket probe for irreversible electroporation (IRE) that balances electrode size to avoid tissue damage from high current density while ensuring safe deployment within the body is challenging.
Innovation Solution
A basket probe with smaller electrodes that are shorted into groups, reducing current density, and using switches to rotate electrodes between groups for varied current distribution, combined with superelastic elements and polymeric sleeves for a compact collapsed profile.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If electrode size is reduced, then tissue damage from high current density is avoided, but current delivery capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode array is segmented into multiple individual electrodes distributed along the basket probe. By dividing the total current delivery function across multiple smaller electrodes, the patent achieves both low current density at each electrode (reducing tissue damage) and high total current delivery capability through the combined action of all electrodes.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple electrodes are electrically combined and mechanically integrated into a single basket probe structure. The electrodes are connected through the basket framework to function as a unified current delivery system, allowing the sum of individual electrode currents to achieve the required total power while maintaining low density at each location.
2Power
If electrode size is increased, then current delivery capability is improved, but tissue damage from high current density increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single large electrode, the patent segments the current delivery function across multiple smaller electrodes arranged along the basket probe. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high total current delivery capability while maintaining low current density at each individual electrode-tissue interface, thereby avoiding tissue damage.
3Ease of operation
If basket probe size is reduced, then ease of deployment is improved, but current delivery capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The current delivery function is segmented across multiple electrodes distributed along the basket probe, allowing the probe itself to remain compact for easy deployment while the combined electrical output of all electrodes provides sufficient current delivery capability for the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The basket probe utilizes radial expansion from a compact collapsed state to a deployed state where electrodes are distributed in three-dimensional space around the catheter tip. This dimensional transformation allows the probe to be small for deployment yet provide extensive current delivery surface area when expanded.
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 solution effectively varies current distribution across tissue, enhancing procedure effectiveness while minimizing probe size during deployment and collapse.
Implementation Method 1
The power generator is configured to apply a voltage between the shorted first subset and the shorted second subset
Implementation Method 2
The spines include respective expandable superelastic elements
Data Source
AI summary
A system for use with multiple electrodes coupled to respective spines of a probe includes multiple switches connected to the electrodes and configured to short different respective first subsets of the electrodes to each other and different respective second subsets of the electrodes to each other per different respective settings of the switches. The system further includes a processor configured to control the switches so as to alternate through the settings and, for each of the settings, cause a power generator to apply a voltage between the shorted first subset and the shorted second subset while the probe is deployed within a body of a subject. Other examples are also described.