Integrated Catheter for Dyssynchrony Detection and CRT Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) methods are not effective for all patients, leading to non-responders and complications, as they fail to accurately detect dyssynchrony and optimize electrode placement.
Innovation Solution
A catheter with a unique shaft design and integrated electrodes and sensors, capable of detecting electrical signals, pacing the heart, and measuring pressure changes within the left ventricle, is used to assess cardiac function and determine the optimal electrode placement for CRT.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional CRT methods are used, then treatment is provided according to standard guidelines, but accuracy in detecting dyssynchrony and optimizing electrode placement is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensing capabilities (electrical signal detection, pressure measurement, pacing functions) into a single integrated catheter system. This merging allows simultaneous acquisition of electrical and mechanical data from the heart, enabling more accurate detection of dyssynchrony and optimization of CRT electrode placement through correlated electrical-mechanical analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both a diagnostic tool for detecting dyssynchrony and a therapeutic device for pacing. It incorporates electrodes for electrical signal detection, pacing capability, and pressure sensing, allowing a single device to perform multiple functions that improve both measurement precision and therapy reliability.
2Loss of information
If multiple separate devices are used for detecting electrical signals and measuring pressure, then comprehensive data can be collected, but device complexity and procedural time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates electrical signal detection electrodes, pressure sensing elements, and pacing electrodes into a single catheter structure. This consolidation eliminates the need for multiple separate devices, reducing procedural complexity while maintaining complete cardiac data collection through simultaneous electrical and mechanical measurements from the same location.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-functional catheter serves as an all-in-one diagnostic and therapeutic device, combining electrical signal detection, pressure measurement, and pacing capabilities. This universal design reduces the number of devices required while ensuring comprehensive data collection for accurate dyssynchrony detection and CRT optimization.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional catheter designs are used, then ease of manufacture is maintained, but adaptability to different heart geometries and optimal electrode placement is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter incorporates a flexible, dynamic design that can adapt to different heart geometries. The shaft is designed to be sufficiently flexible to conform to various cardiac structures while maintaining the ability to position electrodes at optimal locations for detecting dyssynchrony and delivering pacing therapy.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter design incorporates localized functional zones with different properties - electrodes positioned at specific locations for electrical signal detection and pacing, pressure sensors at strategic points for measuring cardiac pressure. This local differentiation of functional qualities enables adaptability to various heart geometries while maintaining manufacturability through modular construction.
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter and method for detecting dyssynergy resulting from dyssynchrony There is provided a catheter for assessing cardiac function, the catheter comprising an elongate shaft extending from a proximal end to a distal end, where the shaft comprises a lumen for a guidewire and/or a saline flush. The catheter further comprises at least one electrode disposed on the shaft for sensing electrical signals in a bipolar or unipolar fashion and applying pacing to a patient's heart, at least one sensor disposed on the shaft for detecting an event relating to the rapid increase in the rate of pressure increase within the left ventricle of a patient; and communication means configured to transmit data received from the electrode(s) and the sensor(s).