Epicardial Mapping Device for Cardiac Arrhythmia Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cardiac arrhythmia treatment methods using intravenous catheters are limited in detecting and treating abnormalities in all layers of the heart, as they primarily address issues in the endocardium, and face challenges with accurate positioning due to the heart's movement and blood flow, leading to incomplete or ineffective ablation.
Innovation Solution
The development of medical devices and systems that allow for epicardial access, using expandable support members with mapping and ablating electrodes to accurately map and treat cardiac arrhythmias in any heart layer, combined with optical devices for precise positioning and minimally invasive procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If intravenous catheters are used for arrhythmia treatment, then the procedure can be performed through blood vessels, but the ability to detect and treat abnormalities in all layers of the heart is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from intravenous (one-dimensional) access to epicardial access, allowing the device to contact the external surface of the heart. This dimensional change enables mapping and ablation across multiple heart layers (endocardium, myocardium, epicardium) simultaneously, resolving the limitation of conventional catheter-based approaches that can only access the endocardium.
2Productivity
If conventional catheters are used for mapping and ablation, then the procedure can be performed, but accurate positioning is difficult due to heart movement and blood flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an epicardial space as an intermediary platform between the external body surface and the heart tissue. By accessing the heart through the pericardium and establishing contact on the epicardial surface, the device creates a stable reference frame that is less affected by heart movement and blood flow, thereby improving positioning accuracy for mapping and ablation procedures.
3Measurement precision
If epicardial access is achieved, then accurate mapping and ablation in all heart layers is enabled, but the procedure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines mapping electrodes and ablation electrodes into a single integrated device that can be delivered through a unified epicardial access approach. This merging of functions into one device reduces the complexity of performing multiple separate procedures and simplifies the overall workflow while maintaining the ability to accurately map and ablate across all heart layers.
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 effective, minimally invasive treatment of cardiac arrhythmias by accurately mapping and ablating abnormal tissue in all heart layers, reducing the risk of damaging healthy tissue and improving procedural accuracy and safety.
Implementation Method 1
an optical device configured to capture and transmit an epicardial view of the target site
Implementation Method 2
at least one ablating electrode configured to transmit energy to a target site proximate the ablating electrode
Data Source
AI summary
Medical devices are described for performing mapping, ablating, and/or pacing procedures on one or more layers of the cardiac wall via an epicardial approach in a minimally invasive (e.g., orthoscopic) surgical procedure. One of the medical devices described includes a main support member and one or more secondary support members extending outwardly from the main support member having electrodes configured to receive electrical impulses. The secondary support member may include a support pad configured to be removably attached to a corresponding area of the epicardium for holding the medical device in place during a procedure, such as through application of vacuum pressure via a containment dome provided on each secondary support member. Further, an ablating electrode may be slidably disposed along the main support member for transmitting energy to a target site proximate the electrode. Associated methods are also described.