Deformable Ablation Catheter Tip for Consistent Tissue Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ablation catheters are limited by the size of their tips, which restrict lesion formation due to small surface area and inconsistent contact with tissue, leading to variable energy delivery and potential overheating.
Innovation Solution
The development of collapsible and expandable ablation catheter tips that conform to tissue, featuring shape-activated valves to direct energy and irrigation selectively, ensuring consistent lesion formation and minimizing energy loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If conventional ablation catheters use fixed-size tips, then the device structure is simple, but the surface area is limited and tissue contact is inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tip is designed to be dynamically changeable between compressed and expanded states. The collapsible tip allows the catheter to be inserted in a compact form and then expanded at the target site to provide a larger surface area for tissue contact, resolving the contradiction between limited surface area and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible tip design allows the tip to be nested within itself or within the catheter body during insertion, similar to a nested doll structure. This enables the tip to achieve a larger expanded surface area at the treatment site while maintaining a compact profile during delivery, addressing both the surface area requirement and structural constraints.
2Productivity
If conventional ablation catheters use small tips, then the device is easy to maneuver, but lesion formation is restricted due to small surface area
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible tip provides dynamic size adjustment, allowing the catheter to maintain maneuverability during insertion with a compressed profile, then expand to a larger size at the treatment site to improve lesion formation efficiency. This resolves the contradiction between ease of maneuvering and lesion formation capability.
3Loss of energy
If conventional ablation catheters deliver energy without selective direction, then the energy delivery system is simple, but energy loss occurs and overheating risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The energy delivery system is segmented into multiple independent energy delivery elements distributed across the tip surface. This segmentation allows selective activation of specific segments based on tissue contact, improving energy efficiency by directing energy only where needed while maintaining a relatively simple overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the tip are equipped with energy delivery capabilities, creating local quality variations. This allows energy to be delivered selectively at specific locations where tissue contact is detected, reducing overall energy loss and minimizing overheating risk while maintaining system simplicity.
4Reliability
If conventional ablation catheters use fixed tips, then the contact with tissue is straightforward, but temperature monitoring and contact consistency are variable
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter incorporates temperature sensors and contact detection elements that provide feedback on tissue contact status and temperature. This feedback mechanism enables real-time monitoring and adjustment of energy delivery to maintain consistent contact and appropriate temperature, improving reliability while adding targeted monitoring capabilities rather than comprehensive complexity.
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 larger and more consistent lesion formation with improved energy efficiency, reduced overheating risk, and enhanced temperature and contact monitoring, allowing for precise control over ablation procedures.
Implementation Method 1
Radio frequency ('RF') catheter ablation can be used to form lesions that interrupt the mechanism of abnormal conduction to terminate certain arrhythmias.
Data Source
AI summary
An ablation catheter having a deformable tip is disclosed herein. In some implementations, the ablation catheter includes a catheter body and a deformable tip secured to the catheter body. In these and other implementations, the catheter body can include a fluid delivery lumen. In these and other implementations, the deformable tip includes one or more valves that are configured to open in response to deformation of the deformable tip. In these and still other implementations, the ablation catheter is configured to permit liquid communication between an interior of the deformable tip and an exterior of the deformable tip. In some implementations, RF energy is transmitted from the interior of the deformable tip to the exterior of the deformable tip via liquid exiting the deformable tip.