Reusable Cryoablation Probe with Segmented Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cryoablation devices are inefficient, costly, and prone to contamination, requiring extended procedure times due to single-use needles and difficulty in positioning, leading to potential damage to adjacent tissues and incomplete tissue destruction.
Innovation Solution
A cryoablation device with multiple probes and sleeves that allow for quick repositioning and reuse, utilizing pressurized materials like argon to form ice balls for targeted tissue ablation, with antimicrobial coatings and heat conductive tips to minimize necrosis and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If single-use needles are used for cryoablation, then tissue ablation is achieved, but procedure time is extended and contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the cryoablation system into reusable outer housings and disposable inner components (needles/probes). This allows the majority of the device to be reused across multiple procedures, reducing overall procedure time and cost, while maintaining sterility through selective disposal of only the portions that contact tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a partial disposal strategy where only the inner needle or probe components are discarded after use, while the outer housing, cooling system, and control mechanisms are recovered and sterilized for reuse. This balances infection control requirements with efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
2Reliability
If single-use needles are used for cryoablation, then tissue ablation is achieved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the cryoablation system into reusable outer housings and disposable inner components (needles/probes). This allows the majority of the device to be reused across multiple procedures, reducing overall procedure time and cost, while maintaining sterility through selective disposal of only the portions that contact tissue.
3Reliability
If ice ball growth is monitored in all directions, then complete tissue destruction is achieved, but risk of damage to adjacent healthy tissues increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs selective insulation strategies where insulation is applied to specific portions of the probe rather than uniformly throughout. This allows controlled thermal distribution, concentrating freezing effects on target tissue while protecting adjacent healthy structures from excessive cold exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates real-time monitoring of ice ball formation and temperature distribution, allowing dynamic adjustment of cooling parameters. When ice ball growth approaches boundaries of target tissue, the system can modulate cooling intensity to prevent damage to adjacent healthy tissues while maintaining complete destruction of the intended target.
4Temperature
If pressurized material is released into probe interior, then probe cooling is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device utilizes pressurized inert gas (such as nitrogen or argon) stored in a reservoir and delivered through regulated valves to the probe interior. This pneumatic system provides efficient cooling through controlled gas expansion and phase change, achieving rapid probe temperature reduction while using well-established, relatively simple mechanical components.
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
The device reduces procedure time, minimizes tissue damage, and prevents contamination by enabling efficient, targeted ablation of nerve and soft tissue, while being reusable and antimicrobial, thus improving clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
release a pressurized material into the interior surface of the probe so as to cool the exterior surface of the probe to a selected temperature
Implementation Method 2
cool the exterior surface of the probe to a selected temperature
Implementation Method 3
Each introducer includes an exterior surface comprising a heat conductive tip and the probe tip is placed in direct contact with the introducer tip in a configuration for ablating nerve and/or soft tissue
Implementation Method 4
During freezing, ice formation within the extracellular space creates an osmotic gradient, resulting in cellular dehydration. Ice crystals then form within the cells causing cell membranes to rupture resulting in cell death
Data Source
AI summary
Ablation devices useful for removing nerve and soft tissue via a minimally invasive procedure to alleviate pain are provided. The device comprises a plurality of probes each comprising an interior surface defining an internal passage and an exterior surface comprising a tip. The internal passage has a filament comprising an opening configured to release a pressurized material into the interior surface of the probe so as to cool the exterior surface of the probe to a selected temperature. A plurality of introducers are provided each comprising an interior surface configured for engagement with the probe where at least one air gap is produced by the introducer and probe engagement and an exterior surface comprising a heat conductive tip where the probe tip is snap fixed with the introducer tip in a configuration for ablating nerve and/or soft tissue. Methods for ablating nerve and/or soft tissue utilizing the ablation devices are also provided.