Biphasic RF Electrosurgical System for Non-Thermal Tissue Ablation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrosurgical therapies for treating undesirable tissue often cause permanent damage to surrounding healthy tissue due to detrimental thermal effects from thermal energy exposure.
Innovation Solution
An electrosurgical system that delivers a biphasic radio frequency (RF) or alternating current (AC) waveform to target tissue using multiple electrodes, inducing non-thermal cell death without stimulating muscular tissue, thereby minimizing thermal damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high temperature thermal therapies are used to treat undesirable tissue, then cell necrosis is achieved, but permanent damage occurs to surrounding healthy tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of energy delivery from continuous thermal energy to pulsed electrical energy. By delivering high-voltage electrical pulses with durations of 1-1000 microseconds at frequencies of 1-1000 Hz, the system achieves irreversible electroporation of cell membranes in target tissue without the continuous heating that causes thermal damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic pulsed electrical energy delivery rather than continuous energy application. The electrical pulses are delivered in controlled sequences with specific duty cycles, allowing tissue cooling between pulses and preventing cumulative thermal effects while maintaining effective treatment through repeated electroporation events.
2Productivity
If electrical ablation energy is increased to improve treatment efficacy, then cell death increases, but thermal effects worsen and damage surrounding tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal mechanism (heat transfer) with a direct electrical mechanism (electroporation). Instead of using high temperature to kill cells, the system applies high-voltage electrical pulses that create irreversible pores in cell membranes, causing cell death through electrical disruption rather than thermal heating, thereby decoupling treatment efficacy from temperature increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent exploits the phase transition-like effect of membrane permeability change. The electrical pulses induce a sudden transition from intact cell membranes to permeabilized membranes, creating a binary state change that kills cells without requiring gradual thermal heating. This abrupt transition occurs at specific voltage thresholds rather than temperature thresholds.
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 system effectively treats undesirable tissue with reduced or no thermal damage to surrounding healthy tissue, maintaining tissue temperature below 60°C and minimizing muscle contractions during treatment.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of pulses induce non-thermal cell death in the target tissue without a measurable stimulation in muscular tissue exposed to the biphasic RF waveform
Implementation Method 2
maintaining tissue temperature below 60°C and minimizing muscle contractions during treatment
Data Source
AI summary
An electrosurgical system is disclosed including an energy source and a plurality of electrodes. Each of the plurality of electrodes is coupled to the energy source and each of the plurality of electrodes is positionable for electrical contact with a target tissue. The energy source is configured to deliver, via the plurality of electrodes, a plurality of pulses of a biphasic radio frequency (RF) waveform to the target tissue. The biphasic RF waveform operates at a fundamental frequency greater than that which electrically stimulates muscular cells. The plurality of pulses induce non-thermal cell death in the target tissue without a measurable stimulation in muscular tissue exposed to the biphasic RF waveform.