Dual-action irrigation pump with variable speed control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical irrigation pumps lack effective control over irrigation parameters during ablation procedures, particularly in cardiac ablation, which can introduce electrical noise and interfere with magnetic position tracking systems, and fail to maintain consistent fluid flow rates.
Innovation Solution
A dual-action pump with a cylinder, piston, and controller that alternately reverses the piston's direction to control fluid flow through inlet-outlet ports, allowing for different operational modes to manage flow rates and adapt to tissue ablation sites, using a piston position sensing assembly to adjust speeds and intervals for precise fluid delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional irrigation pump is used during ablation procedures, then the pump can deliver fluid, but it introduces electrical noise that interferes with magnetic position tracking systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the motor from the pump assembly and places it in a separate, isolated housing. This physical separation removes the electrical noise source from the proximity of the magnetic position tracking sensors, eliminating the interference while preserving the pump's fluid delivery function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a separate motor housing as an intermediary structure that isolates the motor's electromagnetic interference from the sensing system. This intermediary component acts as a barrier, allowing the motor to operate without compromising the magnetic position tracking accuracy.
2Productivity
If a conventional irrigation pump is used, then it can pump fluid, but it fails to maintain consistent fluid flow rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system using a magnetic position sensor to monitor the piston's location within the cylinder. The controller adjusts the motor's rotational position based on this feedback, ensuring the piston reaches precise positions to maintain consistent fluid flow rates throughout the ablation procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic control of the motor speed and piston movement rather than fixed mechanical linkages. The controller adjusts motor parameters in real-time to compensate for variations and maintain optimal fluid flow rates, adapting the system's behavior dynamically during operation.
3Device complexity
If the piston moves at constant speed, then the pump structure is simple, but the fluid flow rate varies during the pumping cycle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from static, constant-speed piston movement to dynamic, variable-speed control. The motor speed is adjusted throughout the pumping cycle based on real-time piston position feedback, optimizing fluid flow rates while the controller manages the added complexity through programmed control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
A dual-action pump includes a cylinder, a piston and a controller. The cylinder includes first and second inlet-outlet ports, each of the first and second inlet-outlet ports is configured to alternately intake a fluid to the cylinder and output the fluid from the cylinder. The piston is configured to be moved within the cylinder in a periodic cycle that alternately reverses a direction of movement of the piston, so as to pump the fluid through the first and second inlet-outlet ports. The controller is configured to control the movement of the piston within the cylinder, including setting to the piston: (a) a first speed, during a first predefined interval that precedes reversing the direction of movement, (b) a second speed, larger than the first speed, during a second predefined interval that follows reversing the direction, and (c) a baseline speed, smaller than the first speed, outside the first and second intervals.