Deformable Ablation Catheter Tip for Consistent Lesion Formation
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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 lesion formation is limited due to small surface area and inconsistent tissue contact
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tip is designed to be dynamically adjustable in size, transitioning from a collapsed state during insertion to an expanded state during ablation. This dynamic expansion increases the tip surface area to improve tissue contact and lesion formation consistency, while maintaining structural simplicity during insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible tip is nested within the catheter shaft during insertion, allowing the tip to be compacted to a small diameter for easy passage through blood vessels. After insertion, the tip expands to its full size, effectively nesting the functionality within the same structural envelope.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the catheter tip is made rigid to maintain shape, then structural stability is improved, but the ability to conform to tissue surfaces is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The tip material properties are changed based on operational requirements. During insertion, the tip maintains its collapsed configuration with adjusted flexibility parameters. During ablation, the tip expands and adopts a configuration optimized for tissue contact, changing its effective rigidity and conformability parameters to match the tissue surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The tip transitions from a rigid, shape-maintaining state during insertion to a dynamically adaptable state during ablation. The tip can flex and conform to irregular tissue surfaces while maintaining sufficient structural stability to deliver ablation energy consistently.
3Productivity
If the catheter delivers high energy for effective ablation, then lesion formation efficiency is improved, but the risk of overheating and tissue damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
Temperature sensors are integrated into the catheter tip to provide real-time feedback on tissue temperature during ablation. This feedback enables the control system to adjust energy delivery dynamically, maintaining effective ablation while preventing excessive overheating and tissue damage through closed-loop control.
Solution Approach 2:
The ablation energy is delivered in controlled pulses or cycles rather than continuously. This periodic delivery pattern allows heat to dissipate between pulses, preventing thermal accumulation and overheating while maintaining effective ablation efficiency over time.
4Reliability
If the catheter tip is enlarged to increase surface area, then energy delivery consistency is improved, but the ease of insertion through blood vessels is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tip employs dynamic size adjustment, remaining collapsed during insertion for ease of navigation through blood vessels, then expanding to a larger size during ablation to ensure consistent energy delivery. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between insertion ease and energy delivery consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The full-size ablation tip is nested within the catheter shaft during insertion, allowing the tip to be compacted to a small diameter for easy passage through blood vessels. After insertion, the tip expands to its full size, effectively nesting the functionality within the same structural envelope.
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 ablation procedures.
Implementation Method 1
RF catheter ablation can be used to form lesions that interrupt the mechanism of abnormal conduction to terminate certain arrhythmias
Implementation Method 2
Radio frequency ('RF') catheter ablation can be used to form lesions that interrupt the mechanism of abnormal conduction
Implementation Method 3
Shape-activated valves (SAVs) distributed throughout the tip can allow fluid flow to escape the tip in any of multiple different directions around the tip when the tip is deformed
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.