Electrical Ablation Device Using Pulsed Fields for Tissue Necrosis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical ablation therapies face limitations such as permanent damage to healthy tissue due to thermal effects, inefficiency in treating large tissue masses, and the need for multiple procedures, as they often require repositioning the ablation device and induce significant pain.
Innovation Solution
The development of electrical ablation devices and methods utilizing electrodes coupled to an energy source that deliver specific sequences of electrical pulses to induce thermal heating and irreversible electroporation, minimizing thermal damage and allowing for controlled, focused ablation of undesirable tissue with reduced harm to surrounding healthy tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high temperature thermal therapies are used to expose undesirable tissue to electric potentials sufficient to cause cell necrosis, then cell necrosis is achieved, but permanent damage to surrounding healthy tissue occurs due to detrimental thermal effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of energy delivery from continuous thermal energy to pulsed electrical fields. By using pulsed field ablation with specific pulse durations (microseconds to milliseconds) and field strengths, the invention achieves cell membrane permeabilization and necrosis without the continuous thermal heating that causes damage to surrounding healthy tissue. This parameter change transforms the ablation mechanism from thermal to electrochemical.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs periodic pulsed electrical fields rather than continuous energy delivery. The pulsed nature allows for controlled delivery of high energy doses in discrete bursts, creating focal zones of cell death while permitting thermal dissipation between pulses. This periodic action enables precise spatial control of the ablation zone and protects surrounding healthy tissue from thermal accumulation.
2Quantity of substance
If conventional electrical ablation therapies are used to treat large masses of undesirable tissue, then some tissue is treated, but the procedure requires repositioning the ablation device and multiple procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple electrodes arranged in arrays or configurations that can be positioned within or around the target tissue mass. By segmenting the treatment into multiple electrode sites that can be activated sequentially or simultaneously, the system can treat large volumes of tissue in a single procedure. The segmented electrode arrangement allows for creation of overlapping ablation zones that collectively cover the entire target volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from one-dimensional linear ablation (single electrode tract) to three-dimensional volumetric ablation by using multiple electrodes positioned in spatial arrays. This dimensional expansion allows treatment of large tissue masses by creating multiple focal zones that can be stacked or overlapped to form comprehensive treatment volumes, eliminating the need for repeated repositioning procedures.
3Reliability
If conventional electrical ablation therapies are used, then tissue ablation is achieved, but extraordinary pain is inflicted on the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical/thermal ablation mechanisms with electrical field-based mechanisms. By using pulsed electrical fields to directly permeabilize cell membranes and induce necrosis, the invention eliminates the need for high-temperature thermal heating that causes severe pain through tissue burning and nerve damage. The electrochemical mechanism is less painful while achieving equivalent or superior ablation results.
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
These methods enable effective ablation of large tissue volumes with minimal thermal damage, reducing the need for multiple procedures and improving patient comfort by using irreversible electroporation to induce cell necrosis without significant heat generation.
Implementation Method 1
a first sequence of electrical pulses is applied to the first electrode less than the necrotic threshold to induce thermal heating
Implementation Method 2
a second sequence of electrical pulses is applied to the first electrode to induce cell necrosis by irreversible electroporation
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented system for delivering energy to tissue having a necrotic threshold may generally comprise an electrode array comprising a plurality of electrodes, a central electrode positioned intermediate the plurality of electrodes, and a controller configured to not only apply a first sequence of electrical pulses to the electrode array to induce thermal heating in the tissue and reduce the necrotic threshold of the tissue but also apply a second sequence of electrical pulses to the central electrode to induce cell necrosis in the tissue by irreversible electroporation. Electrical ablation devices and methods of using the same are also described herein.