Dual Coil Ablation System with Phase-Offset and Stiffening Rods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dual coil ablation systems face challenges in accurately placing electrodes due to tissue deflection and variability, leading to uneven energy density distribution and potential short circuits, which affects the effectiveness and uniformity of tissue ablation.
Innovation Solution
The use of a guided dual coil ablation system with a phase-offset configuration between the coils, secured by multiple guide needles and a multi-pattern guide template, improves electrode placement accuracy and energy density distribution, ensuring uniform and effective tissue ablation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible coil electrode is advanced into tissue, then the coil can conform to tissue contours, but the coil deflects laterally and veers off course, missing the intended target
Solution Approach 1:
A stiffening rod is inserted through the lumen of the flexible coil electrode to provide mechanical support and prevent lateral deflection during advancement. The rod acts as an intermediary that temporarily reinforces the coil structure, allowing precise positioning while maintaining the coil's flexibility for conforming to tissue contours. Once positioned, the rod can be removed to restore the coil's flexibility for ablation.
2Ease of operation
If a straight needle electrode is used to target tissue, then positioning is simpler, but the electrode has high current density that heats tissue too fast and adversely affects ablation uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is segmented into a flexible coil structure with multiple turns rather than a single straight needle. This segmentation distributes the current density across multiple surface areas, preventing excessive localized heating while maintaining the ability to target tissue effectively. The coil structure provides natural current distribution pathways that improve ablation uniformity.
3Volume of stationary object
If two coil electrodes are used in a dual coil system, then ablation coverage is improved, but each coil can separately deflect and contact each other causing short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
Stiffening rods are inserted through the lumens of both coil electrodes to provide mechanical support and maintain spatial separation between the two coils during advancement. The rods prevent the flexible coils from contacting each other, eliminating the risk of short circuits while allowing the dual coil system to achieve comprehensive ablation coverage. The rods can be removed after positioning to restore coil flexibility for optimal ablation.
4Area of stationary object
If the outer coil has a much longer current path than the inner coil, then outer coil surface area is larger, but current density becomes uneven with outer coil heating too slowly
Solution Approach 1:
The coil pitch is varied along the length of the coil to compensate for the longer current path. By adjusting the spacing between turns (pitch parameter), the electrical resistance is optimized to achieve more uniform current density distribution across the entire coil surface, ensuring even heating and effective ablation throughout the treatment volume.
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 enhances the accuracy and uniformity of tissue ablation, reduces the risk of short circuits, and allows for customizable ablation patterns, making the procedure more efficient and safer.
Implementation Method 1
Bipolar RF energy is an effective way to locally and accurately destroy diseased tissue such as tumors and polyps, as an electrical current density for heating tissue to destruction is focally concentrated between the electrodes of opposite polarity.
Implementation Method 2
The teachings are directed, generally, to dual coil ablation systems, and methods of using the systems to ablate tissue.
Data Source
AI summary
Dual coil ablation systems are provided. Methods of using the systems to ablate tissue are also provided. The dual coil ablation systems can include a first guide needle and a second guide needle, and the methods can include securing the tissue and guiding the dual coil ablation system into the tissue for the ablation, the securing and the guiding facilitated by the first guide needle and the second guide needle. The dual coil ablation systems can also include a phase-offset between the coils to achieve a significant and surprising enhancement to the energy density provided by the systems, and the uniformity of ablation provided by the methods.