Electromechanical Switching for Cardiac Pacing Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cardiac pacing systems using catheters with multiple electrodes face challenges in ensuring precise and safe delivery of pacing signals, as semiconductor devices may lack sufficient electrical isolation and be prone to electrical breakdown.
Innovation Solution
The development of an electromechanical switch with a substrate patterned with multiple contacts in an array, a moving switch that establishes contact with one contact at a time, and a motor to move the switch, ensuring that only one electrode is used at a time to prevent interelectrode leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If semiconductor devices are used for switching in cardiac pacing systems, then device complexity is reduced, but electrical isolation between channels is insufficient and electrical breakdown may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces semiconductor switching devices with a mechanical electromechanical switch system. This mechanical system uses physical contacts and actuators to establish electrical connections between pacing electrodes, providing robust electrical isolation between channels while maintaining manageable device complexity through mechanical rather than electronic switching mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple electrodes are used in a catheter, then pacing versatility is improved, but risk of incorrect signal delivery increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrical isolation function by assigning dedicated mechanical switch contacts to each electrode channel. Each electrode has its own isolated mechanical switching path, physically separating the signal paths and preventing interelectrode leakage while maintaining the ability to select from multiple electrodes for versatile pacing applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical electromechanical switch acts as an intermediary between the pacing signal generator and the multiple electrodes. This intermediary device provides controlled electrical connections, ensuring that signals are delivered only to the selected electrode(s) through mechanically enforced isolation, thereby preventing incorrect signal delivery while preserving pacing versatility.
3Reliability
If a mechanical electromechanical switch is used, then electrical isolation between electrodes is ensured, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical electromechanical switch is designed to handle multiple functions: it provides electrical isolation between channels, enables selective electrode activation, and maintains mechanical robustness. By consolidating these functions into a single mechanical switching architecture rather than using separate semiconductor switches for each channel, the overall device complexity is managed while ensuring reliable electrical isolation.
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 solution provides a patient-safe and flexible system for delivering unipolar or bipolar pacing signals, ensuring that the heart is paced using only a single selected electrode, thus preventing incorrect delivery and maintaining electrical isolation.
Implementation Method 1
the moving switch is coupled to a screw and is configured to move in a linear trajectory over a linear array of the contacts when the screw is rotated by the motor
Implementation Method 2
the moving switch includes a wheel that is configured to roll over the array of contacts
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C
AI summary
A pacing system includes a signal generator and an electromechanical switch. The signal generator is configured to generate a pacing signal. The electromechanical switch has a plurality of outputs that are configured to be coupled to a plurality of electrodes inserted into a heart of a patient, each output configured to deliver the pacing signal to a respective electrode. The electromechanical switch is configured to route the pacing signal to no more than a single selected one of the outputs at any given time, so as to pace the heart using no more than a single selected one of the electrodes.