Intrabody Catheter Tracking for Cardiac Radiotherapy Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ablative radiotherapy methods for cardiac arrhythmias face challenges in achieving accurate beam alignment due to heart movement and the need for invasive EA mapping, which can cause tissue damage and miss endocardial targets.

Innovation Solution

An intrabody catheter guided by a tracking system with electromagnetic and radiation sensors, registered to a beam-directing system, ensures precise alignment and verification of target tissue, avoiding sensitive areas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If non-invasive radiotherapy is used for cardiac ablation, then patient safety and comfort are improved, but beam alignment accuracy deteriorates due to heart movement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient safetyVSAvoidbeam alignment accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

An intrabody catheter is introduced as an intermediary tool that extends into the heart chamber to provide internal reference points for beam alignment. The catheter's position sensors serve as mediators between the external beam-directing system and the moving cardiac tissue, enabling accurate targeting despite heart movement and breathing motion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements real-time feedback by continuously tracking the catheter's position within the heart chamber using electromagnetic or radiation sensors. This positional information is fed back to the beam-directing system, which dynamically adjusts beam orientation and targeting to maintain accuracy despite cardiac motion and respiratory movement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If invasive EA mapping with catheter is performed, then target tissue identification accuracy is improved, but tissue damage and procedural complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetarget tissue identification accuracyVSAvoidtissue damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The intrabody catheter serves multiple functions: it acts as both a positioning reference for beam alignment and a verification tool for target tissue identification. By combining these functions in a single non-invasive procedure, the system achieves accurate target identification without the tissue damage associated with traditional invasive EA mapping.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces the mechanical invasive catheter-based EA mapping procedure with a non-invasive approach using electromagnetic or radiation sensors tracked via imaging systems. This substitution eliminates direct contact with cardiac tissue while maintaining the ability to identify and verify target locations through internal reference points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If beam orientation is adjusted to account for heart movement, then target accuracy is improved, but risk to surrounding sensitive tissues increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetarget accuracyVSAvoidrisk to surrounding tissues

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The intrabody catheter serves as a protective intermediary by physically occupying the target location within the heart chamber. Its presence allows the system to verify beam orientation and intensity settings before treatment, ensuring that beams are precisely directed at the intended target while avoiding surrounding sensitive structures such as the esophagus and phrenic nerve.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary verification by directing test beams or using imaging to confirm beam orientation and target localization before delivering full therapeutic dosage. The catheter's known position provides a reference for this preliminary action, allowing safe adjustment of beam parameters to maximize target accuracy while minimizing risk to surrounding tissues.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

Enhances accuracy and safety by real-time tracking and verification, allowing non-invasive treatment of cardiac arrhythmias with reduced risk to surrounding tissues.

Implementation Method 1

a tracking system, the coordinate system of which is registered to the coordinate system of the beam-directing system

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic detection: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS12551724B2Facilitating ablative radiotherapy using an intrabody catheter

Publication Date: 2026.02.17 BIOSENSE WEBSTER (ISRAEL) LTD

AI summary

A method for performing ablative radiotherapy includes registering a first coordinate system of a tracking system for tracking a distal end of an intra-body catheter with a second coordinate system of a beam-directing system, tracking the location of a distal end of the catheter, receiving instructions from a user to ablate target tissue within the body with the beam-directing system and based on the registration and the tracking, aiming the beam-directing system at the target tissue so as to facilitate directing the therapeutic beams of radiation at the target tissue.