Biased Electrodes for Cardiac Ablation Tissue Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical probes for cardiac ablation procedures, such as those using irreversible electroporation, face challenges in achieving optimal tissue contact and heat dissipation due to electrode design, leading to inefficiencies in ablation processes.
Innovation Solution
A medical probe with a basket assembly comprising biased electrodes, where each electrode has a lumen fitting a spine and is biased towards the outer side, providing a larger surface area for tissue contact while minimizing non-tissue contacting material, and incorporating smoothed edges and adhesive connections for atraumatic deployment and efficient heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If electrodes are made with larger surface area to increase tissue contact, then heat dissipation improves, but device complexity and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is designed with asymmetric thickness distribution, being thicker at the distal end (outer side) and thinner at the proximal end (inner side). This asymmetric configuration concentrates the conductive material where it is most needed for tissue contact and heat dissipation, while reducing material usage and structural complexity in non-critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode incorporates varying thickness locally along its length, with the distal end having greater thickness to provide enhanced heat dissipation and tissue contact area. The proximal end has reduced thickness to minimize material usage and reduce overall device complexity. This local variation in quality optimizes performance without uniformly increasing device complexity throughout the entire electrode structure.
2Productivity
If electrodes are biased towards outer side to increase tissue contact surface area, then ablation efficiency improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is fabricated with asymmetric thickness, being thicker at the distal end and thinner at the proximal end. This asymmetric design inherently biases the electrode towards the outer side when positioned on the spine, providing greater tissue contact surface area without requiring complex active biasing mechanisms, thus maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode thickness parameter is varied along the length of the electrode, with the distal end having greater thickness to provide bias towards the outer side. This parameter change is implemented during fabrication and results in the desired biasing effect, improving ablation efficiency while remaining manufacturable through standard fabrication techniques.
3Temperature
If electrodes have thicker walls to increase thermal mass, then heat transfer control improves, but device weight and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode employs asymmetric wall thickness, being thicker at the distal end where heat dissipation is most needed and thinner at the proximal end. This asymmetric configuration provides enhanced thermal mass and heat transfer control at the critical tissue interface while minimizing overall material usage and device weight compared to uniform thickness designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode incorporates local variation in wall thickness, with greater thickness at the distal end to provide improved heat transfer control and thermal mass where it is most needed for effective ablation. The reduced thickness at the proximal end minimizes unnecessary material usage and reduces overall device weight, achieving optimal performance-to-weight ratio.
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 biased electrode design allows for effective pulsed field ablation with increased surface area contact, improved heat dissipation, and reduced risk of tissue damage or arcing, enabling more controlled and efficient ablation procedures.
Implementation Method 1
improved heat dissipation
Implementation Method 2
solder material forming an electrical connection
Implementation Method 3
IRE is a nonthermal ablation method based on the unrecoverable permeabilization of cell membranes caused by short pulses of high voltage delivered to the tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A medical probe, including a flexible insertion tube having proximal and distal ends, and a basket assembly at the distal end of the flexible insertion tube. In embodiments of the present invention, the basket assembly includes a plurality of spines and a plurality of electrodes, each of the electrodes having a lumen therethrough fitting a given spine.