Conductive Mesh Balloon Catheter for 3D Cavity Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for visualizing and measuring internal body structures, such as balloon catheters, are costly and inefficient, particularly in small cavities like intravascular spaces, and often require external sensors or resection of material, which complicates the process of obtaining accurate 3D images of internal anatomy.
Innovation Solution
An electrically conductive mesh is affixed to a balloon catheter that stretches as it conforms to the cavity's inner surface, changing its electrical characteristics, allowing for the generation of a 3D image without the need for external sensors, using impedance measurements and processing techniques like Discrete Fourier Transform for accurate rendering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If MRI, NMRI, or CT scan methods are used to visualize internal structures, then imaging quality is improved, but cost and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical imaging systems (MRI, CT scanners) with an electrical measurement system. A conductive mesh is integrated into a balloon catheter, and electrical impedance measurements are taken as the balloon inflates against the tissue wall. The impedance variations as the mesh deforms provide electrical characteristics that map to the internal geometry, substituting expensive mechanical imaging equipment with a simple electrical measurement approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive mesh acts as a deformable copy of the internal cavity geometry. As the balloon inflates, the mesh conforms to the internal surface, and its electrical impedance pattern creates an electrical signature that replicates the geometric information. This electrical copy is then processed to reconstruct the 3D geometry, providing a simplified representation method that avoids complex imaging hardware.
2Measurement precision
If external sensors are used to map internal cavity geometry, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and procedural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sensing function directly into the balloon catheter structure by integrating a conductive mesh into the balloon wall. This eliminates the need for separate external sensors and their associated positioning systems. The mesh serves dual purposes: it provides structural integrity for balloon inflation and simultaneously acts as the sensing element for geometry mapping through impedance measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon catheter performs its own measurement function through the integrated conductive mesh. As the balloon inflates and the mesh deforms against the tissue wall, the mesh's electrical impedance changes automatically provide geometric information. The system is self-measuring, requiring no external sensors or additional measurement devices to be introduced into the cavity.
3Manufacturing precision
If pressure measurement with pulsing balloon catheter is used for resecting, then resection precision is improved, but device complexity and procedural time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the measurement function from the resection process. Instead of using pressure measurement and pulsing for both resection control and geometry mapping, the invention separates these functions. The conductive mesh provides geometry mapping independently, allowing the resection to proceed without the need for complex pressure control and pulsing sequences, thereby reducing procedural time while maintaining precision.
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 provides a cost-effective, reliable method for generating high-resolution 3D images of internal structures within small cavities without material resection, enhancing surgical precision and implant sizing in orthopedic procedures.
Implementation Method 1
an electrically conductive mesh affixed to a balloon catheter. The balloon catheter may be inserted into the cavity to measure and provide a three-dimensional image of the interior of the cavity. As the balloon catheter is inflated and conforms to the inner surface area of the cavity, the electrically conductive mesh is stretched based on the inner surface area of the cavity. This stretching of the electrically conductive mesh (both in a lateral and a longitudinal direction relative to the cavity) will thereby cause a change in an electrical characteristic of the mesh (e.g., impedance or resistance)
Data Source
AI summary
A balloon catheter for providing a 3-dimensional rendering of the interior of a cavity, the catheter system including a controller, a catheter connected to the controller and a balloon positioned on the catheter. The balloon includes a mesh having members extending longitudinally and circumferentially about the balloon where each member of the mesh has an electrical characteristic that changes as the member is deformed. The controller uses a measurement of the variable electrical characteristic to generate a three-dimensional rendering of an interior surface of the cavity, which can be rotating to different viewing angles.