Electrical Ablation Device with Concentric Electrodes for Tissue Treatment

Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional surgical techniques often require large incisions, leading to prolonged recovery times and scarring, while minimally invasive methods like endoscopy and laparoscopy reduce these issues but may not effectively treat undesirable tissue without causing thermal damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

Innovation Solution

The development of electrical ablation devices using irreversible electroporation, which apply controlled electric fields to ablate undesirable tissue without inducing thermal damage, utilizing electrodes configured for minimally invasive procedures and energy sources capable of delivering specific electric pulses to create irreversible electroporation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional surgical techniques are used to access and treat tissue, then effective treatment of undesirable tissue is achieved, but large incisions are required leading to prolonged recovery and scarring

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverecovery time and scarringVSAvoidthermal damage to healthy tissue

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces thermal-based surgical systems with electrical field-based irreversible electroporation technology. The electrical ablation device uses controlled electric pulses to create irreversible electroporation in cell membranes of undesirable tissue, achieving tissue ablation without thermal damage to surrounding healthy structures. This substitution of the physical mechanism (from thermal to electrical) resolves the contradiction by enabling minimally invasive treatment without thermal harm.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the fundamental parameter of tissue interaction from thermal energy to electrical energy. By using irreversible electroporation with specific electric field parameters (voltage, pulse duration, frequency), the system achieves selective tissue ablation based on electrical properties rather than thermal conductivity, allowing precise treatment with minimal impact on surrounding healthy tissue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If minimally invasive surgical techniques are used to reduce incisions, then recovery time is reduced and scarring is minimized, but effective treatment of undesirable tissue without thermal damage is difficult to achieve

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal damage to healthy tissueVSAvoidtreatment effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces thermal-based surgical systems with electrical field-based irreversible electroporation technology. The electrical ablation device uses controlled electric pulses to create irreversible electroporation in cell membranes of undesirable tissue, achieving tissue ablation without thermal damage to surrounding healthy structures. This substitution of the physical mechanism (from thermal to electrical) resolves the contradiction by enabling minimally invasive treatment without thermal harm.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the fundamental parameter of tissue interaction from thermal energy to electrical energy. By using irreversible electroporation with specific electric field parameters (voltage, pulse duration, frequency), the system achieves selective tissue ablation based on electrical properties rather than thermal conductivity, allowing precise treatment with minimal impact on surrounding healthy tissue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 precise and controlled ablation of undesirable tissue with minimal thermal impact on surrounding healthy tissue, facilitating faster recovery and reduced scarring through minimally invasive procedures across various anatomical locations.

Implementation Method 1

electrical ablation devices... configured to apply destabilizing electric fields to tissue in order to induce irreversible electroporation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectIrreversible electroporation: Electrical Impedance Tomography

Data Source

PatentUS9005198B2Surgical instrument comprising an electrode

Publication Date: 2015.04.14 ETHICON ENDO SURGERY INC

AI summary

A surgical instrument configured to deliver electrical energy to tissue of a patient includes a handle, a first conductor, and a second conductor. The surgical instrument further includes a first electrode with a first distal portion, a second electrode with a second distal portion, and a third electrode with a third distal portion, wherein each distal portion is configured to contact the tissue. The second distal portion surrounds the first distal portion and the third distal portion surrounds the second distal portion. A first gap is defined between the first distal portion and the second distal portion. A second gap is defined between the second distal portion and the third distal portion. The first electrode includes a sharp end configured to penetrate the tissue and the second distal portion includes a plurality of projections extending toward third distal portion.