Combined Electrodes for Deep Tissue Penetration in Irreversible Electroporation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing invasive ablation techniques using irreversible electroporation (IRE) face challenges in achieving deep tissue penetration while minimizing thermal heating, which can cause unwanted damage to electrodes and tissue.
Innovation Solution
The use of a switching assembly to short-circuit multiple electrode groups, creating combined electrodes and selectively applying bipolar pulses to achieve deeper tissue penetration with reduced Joule heating, by increasing voltage and reducing the number of pulses, and varying electrode configurations to control ablation depth and uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If high voltage pulses are applied to achieve deep tissue penetration, then tissue penetration depth is improved, but thermal heating increases causing unwanted damage
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into multiple electrode pairs along its length, allowing selective activation of specific segments. This enables deep tissue penetration at targeted locations without heating entire electrode structures, as only actively used electrode pairs generate significant thermal load.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies bipolar pulses in alternating sequences between different electrode pairs rather than continuous application. This periodic activation pattern allows thermal dissipation between pulse sequences, reducing cumulative thermal heating while maintaining effective tissue penetration through repeated pulsed exposure.
2Reliability
If multiple pulses are applied to achieve sufficient ablation effect, then ablation efficacy is improved, but Joule heating increases causing electrode and tissue damage
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pulses are distributed across different electrode pairs rather than applying all pulses through a single pair. Each electrode pair delivers a subset of pulses, segmenting the total pulse load and reducing cumulative Joule heating at any single location while maintaining overall ablation efficacy through coordinated multi-site treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines the effects of multiple electrode pairs working simultaneously or in sequence, where each pair contributes to the overall ablation effect. This merging of multiple lower-intensity pulse applications across different sites achieves cumulative ablation efficacy equivalent to or greater than single high-intensity pulse applications, while distributing and reducing Joule heating effects.
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
This approach allows for deeper and more uniform IRE ablation with reduced thermal heating, enabling precise control over lesion depth and minimizing collateral damage, while maintaining effective tissue penetration.
Implementation Method 1
The switching assembly is configured to short-circuit a first group and a second group of electrodes of a catheter... so as to create respective combined electrodes
Implementation Method 2
The processor is configured to apply between two or more sets of the electrodes bipolar pulses having an amplitude sufficient to cause IRE in the tissue
Implementation Method 3
bipolar pulses having an amplitude sufficient to cause IRE in the tissue contacted by the sets of electrodes
Implementation Method 4
The disclosed technique increases the achievable depth of IRE, with little or no increase in thermal heating... by using a switching assembly configured to short-circuit two or more groups of the electrodes
Data Source
AI summary
An irreversible electroporation (IRE) system includes an IRE ablation power source configured to generate bipolar IRE pulses, a switching assembly, and a processor. The switching assembly is configured to short-circuit a first group and a second group of electrodes of a catheter, the groups of electrodes configured to be placed in contact with tissue of organ, so as to create respective combined electrodes of a first size and a second size smaller than the first size, and to connect the IRE ablation power source to the groups of electrodes. The processor is configured to receive target tissue depth of ablation, select the groups of the electrodes, to control the switching assembly to create the combined electrodes and to ablate the tissue by controlling the switching assembly to apply the bipolar IRE pulses to the groups of electrodes to ablate tissue location in contact with a combined electrode to target depth.