Electroporation Catheter Electrode Sizing to Prevent Return Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electroporation systems face challenges with undesirable heating and shadow lesion formation at the return electrode due to imbalanced electrode geometry, leading to potential tissue damage and inefficiencies in lesion formation.
Innovation Solution
The use of a return electrode with a surface area greater than or equal to that of the active electrode to suppress electric fields and prevent temperature rise, ensuring that the active electrode is the current limiting element, thereby reducing electric field gradients and temperature at the return electrode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the return electrode is sized smaller than the active electrode to limit current, then current limiting is achieved, but undesirable heating and shadow lesion formation occur at the return electrode
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional electrode sizing approach by making the return electrode larger than or equal to the active electrode. This inversion shifts the current limiting function from the return electrode to the active electrode, eliminating the harmful heating and shadow lesion effects at the return electrode while maintaining proper current control for electroporation therapy
2Stress or pressure
If the return electrode has smaller surface area to control electric fields, then electric field control is improved, but temperature rise and tissue damage risk increase at the return electrode
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by reversing the conventional wisdom that the return electrode should be smaller for field control. Instead, the return electrode is made larger to distribute current and reduce current density, while the active electrode is made current-limiting through its smaller size or specific impedance characteristics, thereby controlling electric fields without causing temperature rise at the return electrode
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 configuration minimizes the risk of shadow lesions, char, blood coagulation, and hemolysis while enhancing lesion formation and procedure efficiency by maintaining lower electric fields and temperatures at the return electrode.
Implementation Method 1
the return electrode is current limiting (as opposed to the active electrode)... the return electrode having a second surface area that is greater than or equal to the first surface area to facilitate suppressing electric fields and/or preventing temperature rise at the return electrode
Implementation Method 2
Electroporation is an ablation technique that involves applying strong electric fields that induce pore formation in the cellular membrane. The electric field may be induced by applying a relatively short duration pulse which may last, for instance, from a nanosecond to several milliseconds
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for electroporation are provided. An electroporation catheter includes an active electrode having a first surface area, and a return electrode having a second surface area, wherein the second surface area is greater than or equal to the first surface area to facilitate suppressing electric fields and/or preventing temperature rise at the return electrode when applying electrical energy between the active electrode and the return electrode to form a lesion proximate the active electrode.