Expandable Ablation Device for Non-Ellipsoidal Tissue Sites

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional endoscopic medical tools often fail to accurately target and treat non-ellipsoidal tissue sites without damaging surrounding tissue, due to their fixed shape and the need for manual maneuvering, which can lead to incomplete treatment and trauma.

Innovation Solution

A medical tool with expandable elements, actuated by a waveform generator, that can expand within a tissue site to conform to its shape, allowing for independent cutting and ablation using radiofrequency or irreversible electroporation, while also enabling fluid delivery to enhance treatment efficacy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional fixed-shape probes are used to treat non-ellipsoidal tissue sites, then the tool structure is simple, but the treatment precision deteriorates and surrounding tissue trauma increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment precisionVSAvoidsurrounding tissue trauma

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The probe incorporates expandable elements that can dynamically change shape from a compressed delivery configuration to an expanded treatment configuration. This dynamic transformation allows the probe to adapt its shape to match non-ellipsoidal tissue sites, improving treatment precision while the controlled expansion minimizes trauma to surrounding tissue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The probe changes its physical parameters (shape, volume, surface area) by expanding or contracting the expandable elements. This parameter change enables the probe to conform to various tissue site geometries, achieving precise treatment of non-ellipsoidal targets without damaging surrounding healthy tissue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the probe is moved to different locations to completely destroy target tissue, then the treatment coverage is improved, but the procedure time increases and surrounding tissue trauma worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment coverageVSAvoidprocedure time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The expandable elements allow the probe to expand to match the full extent of the target tissue site in a single position, eliminating the need to maneuver the probe to different locations. This dynamic expansion provides complete treatment coverage while significantly reducing procedure time and minimizing trauma from repeated maneuvers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If conventional probes are used that do not conform to target tissue shape, then the device complexity is low, but the treatment effectiveness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice structureVSAvoidtreatment effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The probe is segmented into multiple expandable elements that can independently or collectively expand to match the target tissue shape. This segmentation allows the device to achieve complex conformations while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure when collapsed for delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The expandable elements are nested within a delivery catheter or sheath in a compact configuration. Upon deployment, these nested elements expand outward to conform to the target tissue site, achieving high treatment effectiveness without requiring a complex structure during the delivery phase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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

The tool effectively treats target tissue by expanding to match the site's shape, reducing trauma to surrounding tissue and improving treatment efficiency through precise energy application and fluid assistance.

Implementation Method 1

the second waveform is configured to ablate the tissue site using radiofrequency ablation or irreversible electroporation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadiofrequency ablation: Dielectric Heating

Implementation Method 2

supplying a first waveform to the one or more expandable elements as the one or more expandable elements expand from an unexpanded state to an expanded state within a tissue site

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical heating: Joule Heating

Data Source

PatentUS20220273363A1Expandable ablation devices and methods of use

Publication Date: 2022.09.01 BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED INC

AI summary

A medical system having a medical tool, including a handle, a shaft extending from the handle and defining a lumen, a wire attached to and extending from the handle through the lumen, expandable elements at a distal end of the wire. An electrical generator is coupled to a proximal end of the wire and supplies a first waveform to the wire and the expandable elements as the expandable elements expand from an unexpanded state to an expanded state within a tissue. The electrical generator supplies a second waveform to the wire and the expandable elements when the expandable elements are in the expanded state within the tissue. The first waveform cuts tissue, the second waveform ablates tissue using radiofrequency ablation or irreversible electroporation.