Cardiac Catheter Conformal Electronics Mapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current catheter ablation techniques for treating cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, are limited by the inability to define clear targets due to the lack of high-resolution voltage mapping, leading to marginally effective treatments in persistent AF cases.
Innovation Solution
A flexible substrate with a distributed arrangement of sensing elements and intermediate buses, disposed at areas of minimal curvature, allows for high-density mapping and contact sensing, enabling precise measurement of tissue states and therapeutic delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high-density sensing elements are distributed on a flexible substrate, then measurement precision and spatial resolution are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing array is divided into multiple quadrants with each quadrant containing multiple sensing elements. This segmentation allows high-density mapping capability while organizing the complex device into manageable sections that can be independently addressed and processed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional point-by-point sensing to a two-dimensional array of sensing elements distributed across the flexible substrate surface. This dimensional change enables simultaneous multi-point voltage mapping, dramatically improving spatial resolution and measurement precision without proportionally increasing system complexity
2Measurement precision
If sensing elements are disposed at areas of minimal curvature, then sensing accuracy is improved, but the usable area of the flexible substrate is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Sensing elements are strategically positioned at areas of minimal curvature where the flexible substrate maintains its planarity and sensing accuracy is optimized. This local quality approach ensures high measurement precision at critical sensing locations while accepting that other areas of the substrate may have different geometric properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent acknowledges and works with the curved geometry of the flexible substrate when inflated. By positioning sensing elements at minimal curvature regions, the design leverages the natural geometry to maintain sensing accuracy while the overall substrate can still be deployed in three-dimensional configurations
3Productivity
If distributed electrical circuitry is implemented for signal read-out, then productivity and data acquisition speed are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical circuitry is segmented and distributed across the flexible substrate, with each sensing element or quadrant having its own signal conditioning and read-out circuitry. This distributed architecture enables parallel data acquisition from multiple sensing elements simultaneously, dramatically improving productivity and data acquisition speed
Solution Approach 2:
The distributed electrical circuitry serves multiple functions: signal amplification, filtering, analog-to-digital conversion, and data transmission. This multi-functionality allows a single distributed circuit architecture to handle the complete signal processing chain, improving productivity while managing overall device complexity through functional integration
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for medical diagnosis and/or treatment is provided. The apparatus includes a flexible substrate, an intermediate bus disposed on the flexible substrate, and a plurality of sensing elements disposed on the flexible substrate and coupled to the intermediate bus. The plurality of sensing elements and intermediate bus are disposed on the flexible substrate such that the sensing elements are disposed at areas of minimal strain of the flexible substrate.