Bipolar Ablation Catheter with Integrated Sensing Electrode
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ablation techniques using electrical energy for cardiac tissue face challenges in accurately assessing and tracking lesion formation, particularly due to the difficulty in distinguishing between unipolar and bipolar lesion creation, which affects the effectiveness of treating abnormal cardiac electrical activity.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a probe with first and second ablation electrodes and a sensing electrode, where energy is applied through the ablation electrodes while monitoring cardiac electrical activity to detect when it becomes undetectable, allowing for termination of energy application and switching between bipolar and unipolar modes, with graphical mapping to track the ablation path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ablation energy is applied to create lesions in cardiac tissue, then abnormal electrical pathways are disrupted, but it becomes difficult to accurately assess and track lesion formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a sensing electrode that continuously monitors cardiac electrical activity during ablation to provide real-time feedback on lesion formation. When the sensing electrode detects that electrical activity has been eliminated at the target site, the system automatically terminates energy delivery, ensuring complete lesion formation without requiring complex external monitoring equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The ablation catheter integrates both ablation electrodes and a sensing electrode into a single device, allowing the system to self-monitor its own treatment efficacy. The sensing electrode is positioned between the ablation electrodes to directly detect when the ablation lesion has successfully blocked electrical conduction, eliminating the need for separate complex assessment systems.
2Adaptability or versatility
If unipolar or bipolar ablation modes are used, then different lesion creation mechanisms are activated, but it becomes difficult to distinguish between the two modes during treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into distinct functional segments: first and second ablation electrodes for energy delivery, and a separate sensing electrode positioned between them for monitoring. This segmentation allows the system to clearly distinguish between unipolar and bipolar modes by measuring electrical activity at the specific location of the sensing electrode, which is electrically isolated from the ablation electrodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing electrode acts as an intermediary element positioned between the ablation electrodes. It serves as a reference point that can detect electrical activity regardless of whether unipolar or bipolar mode is used, allowing the system to differentiate between modes by analyzing the electrical signals detected by this intermediate sensing element.
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
This approach enables precise monitoring and control of cardiac ablation, ensuring complete lesion formation and effective disruption of abnormal electrical pathways, improving the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias by distinguishing between different modes of lesion creation.
Implementation Method 1
applying alternating currents, for example radiofrequency energy, to electrodes, at a sufficient power to destroy target tissue
Implementation Method 2
delivering energy via at least one of the one or more needles to ablate at least a portion of the target tissue to form a lesion
Implementation Method 3
the cardiac electrical activity is near-field activity
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems treat abnormal cardiac electrical activity employing a probe having first and second ablation electrodes disposed on a distal portion of the probe and a sensing electrode disposed between the first and second ablation electrodes, bringing the probe into contact with cardiac tissue, and applying energy through the first and second ablation electrodes to ablate target tissue along an ablation path, monitoring cardiac electrical activity using the sensing electrode to detect the cardiac electrical activity. After making an observation that the cardiac electrical activity is no longer detectable by the sensing electrode, energy application is terminated.