Segmented Catheter Flexible Circuit for Precise Cardiac Ablation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrophysiology catheters face challenges in efficiently ablating cardiac tissue while minimizing damage to surrounding areas, particularly in achieving precise delivery of ablative energy to disrupt abnormal electrical pathways without causing thrombus formation.
Innovation Solution
A flexible circuit design for catheter tips with multiple segments, including a base, lateral wall, and transition sections, allows for a non-planar configuration that optimizes electrode placement and energy delivery, enabling precise ablation and sensing while minimizing energy application to blood, thereby reducing thrombus formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a traditional planar catheter tip is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but electrode placement precision and energy delivery optimization are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tip is divided into multiple discrete segments (first segment, second segment, third segment) that can be independently formed and assembled. Each segment contains specific electrode regions, allowing precise positioning and independent optimization of electrode placement while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter tip transitions from a traditional planar configuration to a three-dimensional non-planar structure with multiple segments arranged in space. This dimensional change enables optimized electrode placement in three-dimensional space, improving energy delivery precision while the modular segment design keeps manufacturing manageable.
2Reliability
If energy is applied broadly to ablate cardiac tissue, then ablation effectiveness is improved, but damage to surrounding areas and thrombus formation increase
Solution Approach 1:
Different segments of the catheter tip are designed with different electrode configurations and functions. The first segment has electrode regions for specific ablation zones, the second segment has additional electrode regions for other areas, and the third segment has electrode regions for yet another zone. This local differentiation enables targeted energy delivery to specific tissue areas while minimizing exposure and thermal damage to surrounding regions, thereby reducing thrombus formation risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter tip is divided into multiple discrete segments (first segment, second segment, third segment) that can be independently formed and assembled. Each segment contains specific electrode regions, allowing precise positioning and independent optimization of electrode placement while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular construction.
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible circuit including a first segment including a base section of the flexible circuit; a second segment including a lateral wall section; a transition section between the base and lateral wall sections, the transition section being at least partially positioned adjacent a shared region of the base and lateral wall sections; and one or more electrode regions including a respective electrode, the one or more electrode regions being positioned at least partially in the transition section and the second segment.