Catheter Tip With Isolated Optical Paths For Real-Time Lesion Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ablation catheters lack real-time monitoring capabilities for lesion formation during minimally invasive procedures, relying on post-procedure evaluations that require additional procedures for correction, and existing methods like electrical impedance measurement do not provide qualitative data on lesion effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A catheter design with an omnidirectional tip electrode that uses fiber optic cables for isolated light illumination and collection, allowing for real-time optical measurements of tissue parameters such as lesion formation, char recognition, and tissue health, using diffuse reflectance and fluorescence spectroscopy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If post-ablation evaluation is performed using mapping catheter, then lesion effectiveness can be determined, but additional medical procedures are required and real-time correction is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates optical sensors and illumination sources directly into the ablation catheter tip, enabling real-time monitoring of lesion formation during the ablation procedure itself. This preliminary action allows the system to detect lesion depth and characteristics as they occur, eliminating the need for separate post-procedure mapping catheter evaluations and enabling immediate correction if needed.
2Loss of time
If electrical impedance measurement is used to monitor lesion formation, then real-time data is obtained, but qualitative data on lesion effectiveness is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical impedance measurement with optical spectroscopy methods. Optical sensors detect light absorption and scattering properties of tissue, providing qualitative information about lesion depth, char formation, and tissue viability. This substitution maintains real-time monitoring capability while adding rich qualitative data about lesion effectiveness that electrical methods cannot provide.
3Reliability
If separate illumination and collection paths are used in the catheter tip, then optical isolation is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines illumination and collection fibers within a single catheter tip assembly, using a shared optical interface with tissue. The tip includes multiple fiber optic cables bundled together, with illumination fibers positioned to deliver light to tissue and collection fibers positioned to receive reflected light. This merged design achieves optical path isolation through physical separation of fiber functions while maintaining a relatively simple integrated tip structure.
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 real-time assessment of lesion formation and tissue health, preventing steam pops and ensuring effective ablation by providing qualitative data on lesion formation and tissue status, reducing the need for additional procedures and improving procedural accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a first fiber optic cable in communication with the illumination opening... light emitted from the first fiber optic cable exits the tip electrode to reach tissue
Implementation Method 2
real time light measurements, for example, without limitation, diffuse reflectance, fluorescence, etc., from biological materials, such as tissue
Implementation Method 3
real time light measurements, for example, without limitation, diffuse reflectance, fluorescence, etc., from biological materials, such as tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter enables real-time light measurements, for example, without limitation, diffuse reflectance, fluorescence, etc., from biological materials, such as tissue (including blood), while performing RF ablation. The catheter tip design isolates illumination and collection paths within the tip electrode such that light for illuminating the tissue of interest (e.g., cardiac tissue or blood) is isolated within the tip electrode from light that returns from the tissue to the catheter tip, and vice versa. Such a design advantageously avoids saturation of the optical detector, and ensures diffusion of the illumination light within the medium of interest. The catheter has a catheter body and a tip electrode with a shell wall and a hollow cavity. The shell wall has at least an illumination opening and a collection opening. The catheter further includes a first fiber optic cable in communication with the illumination opening, and a second fiber optic cable in communication with the hollow cavity, wherein light emitted from the first fiber optic cable exits the tip electrode to reach tissue through the illumination opening in defining a first path and returns to the tip electrode from the tissue into the hollow cavity through the collection opening in defining a second path, the first and second paths being optically isolated from each other within the tip electrode. The invention also includes a method of making an ablation electrode tip defining isolated optical paths with in the tip electrode for light exiting the tip electrode and light returning to the tip electrode.