Catheter Deflection Sensor with Compliant Membrane
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current catheters lack effective and straightforward mechanisms for providing feedback on contact between the catheter and tissue, often requiring complex components that increase cost, size, and complexity, or offering non-specific and difficult-to-interpret contact indications.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of contact feedback mechanisms using compliant members with strain gauges or piezoelectric transducers that provide angular displacement feedback, allowing for audible, visual, or tactile outputs to indicate tissue contact, with the ability to tune responses to the magnitude of the load applied, and using vibration or deflection sensing to determine contact through sensors and transducers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If complex contact detection mechanisms are used, then contact detection capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible membrane as a compliant member that deforms in response to contact forces between the catheter and tissue. This thin film structure provides simple yet effective contact detection without requiring complex mechanical or electronic systems, directly resolving the contradiction between detection capability and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical contact detection mechanisms with optical sensing methods. The flexible membrane's deformation is detected optically, eliminating the need for complex mechanical linkages, gears, or electrical contacts, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision
2Measurement precision
If additional contact sensing components are added, then contact feedback accuracy is improved, but catheter size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the contact sensing function directly into the catheter's existing structure by incorporating the flexible membrane and optical sensor within the catheter body. This merging of functions allows contact detection without adding external components, maintaining a compact catheter design while achieving accurate contact feedback
Solution Approach 2:
The use of a thin flexible membrane as the sensing element minimizes the volume required for contact detection. The membrane's thin profile allows it to be integrated within the catheter's existing structure without significantly increasing catheter size, while still providing accurate contact feedback
3Device complexity
If non-specific contact indicators are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but contact interpretation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the optical sensor provides real-time information about membrane deformation caused by tissue contact. This feedback loop allows the system to distinguish between specific contact events and other movements, improving contact interpretation clarity while maintaining system simplicity through the use of a single sensor modality
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
Enables accurate and user-friendly feedback on catheter-tissue contact, improving the precision and efficiency of cardiac ablation and diagnostic procedures by providing clear and adjustable feedback mechanisms that correlate contact force with specific outputs.
Implementation Method 1
One or more of these compliant members are fitted with strain gauges or other sensor(s) that respond to the displacement of the material with a change in resistance
Implementation Method 2
the compliant members and strain gauges are replaced with piezoelectric transducers that are configured to respond to input forces from any electrode deflection
Implementation Method 3
The transducer may be driven by an electrical signal to vibrate the electrode at a defined frequency, such as a resonant frequency
Implementation Method 4
When the electrode contacts an object, the amplitude, phase, and/or frequency of the resonant vibrations of the electrode may be dampened, and the dampening may be sensed either through the electrical drive signal or through a second independent transducer
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A catheter comprising an elongate tubular body comprising a distal end, a catheter tip connected to the elongate tubular body via a spherical joint configured to allow relative movement between the catheter tip and the elongate tubular body, a deformable member disposed adjacent to the spherical joint and a deflection measuring sensor configured to measure a deformation of the deformable member.