Catheter In-Plane Electrode Array for High-Density Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intravascular catheters for tissue diagnostics and ablation face challenges in achieving high-density mapping and adaptability to varying tissue surfaces, such as flat, curved, or irregular surfaces, while maintaining consistent electrode placement and minimizing interference between electrodes.
Innovation Solution
The catheter features a distal electrode array with laterally offset closed spine loops, where the electrode-carrying main portions are arranged in a common plane, and the distal connecting portions are off-plane, ensuring maximum electrode-to-tissue contact and maintaining consistent spatial relationships between electrodes, allowing for high-density mapping and ablation on diverse tissue surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a multitude of electrodes are used for high-density mapping, then mapping resolution is improved, but electrode interference and signal noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar electrode arrangements to three-dimensional tetrahedral configurations. Electrodes are positioned at vertices of tetrahedra with specific spatial relationships, creating a volumetric mapping array that reduces electrode interference while maintaining high mapping resolution through optimized spatial distribution in three dimensions rather than two dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode array is segmented into multiple tetrahedral units, each forming an independent sensing element. This segmentation allows each electrode to function within a defined geometric context, reducing cross-interference between adjacent electrodes while collectively providing high-density mapping coverage through the assembly of multiple tetrahedra.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electrodes are arranged to adapt to different tissue surfaces, then versatility is improved, but maintaining predetermined electrode configuration becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter incorporates flexible, dynamically adjustable components that allow the electrode array to adapt its configuration to different tissue surfaces. The tetrahedral electrode structures can flex and reposition while maintaining their relative spatial relationships, enabling the array to conform to curved, irregular, or flat tissue geometries without losing the predetermined geometric configuration essential for accurate mapping.
3Measurement precision
If electrode density is increased within a small area, then mapping resolution is improved, but electrode-to-tissue contact consistency becomes difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
By distributing electrodes in three-dimensional tetrahedral configurations rather than planar arrangements, the patent achieves high electrode density within a compact volumetric space while maintaining consistent electrode-to-tissue contact. The tetrahedral geometry provides stable spatial relationships that ensure reliable contact even as electrode density increases, as each electrode maintains its defined position relative to neighboring electrodes and the tissue surface.
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter adapted or high density mapping and/or ablation of tissue surface has a distal electrode array with offset spine loops, each spine loop having at least a pair of linear portions and a distal portion connecting the pair of linear portions, and one or more electrodes on each linear portion. The linear portions of the plurality of offset spine loops are arranged in-plane a single common plane, and the distal portions of the plurality of offset spine loops are arranged off-plane from the single common plane.