Expandable Catheter with Flex-PCB Signal Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for cardiac mapping and ablation require separate systems and can be inaccurate due to tissue anisotropy and respiration, lacking a unified solution for precise electrical signal transmission and processing within the body.
Innovation Solution
A flexible printed circuit board (flex-PCB) substrate-based expandable catheter assembly with electronic elements and communication paths for signal transmission and processing, allowing for insertion into body lumens and expansion within heart chambers for dipole mapping and ablation procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If separate systems are used for cardiac mapping and ablation, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and treatment accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines cardiac mapping electrodes and ablation elements into a single integrated catheter assembly. The expandable basket structure incorporates both mapping electrodes on its arms and ablation elements at the distal end, allowing simultaneous or sequential performance of mapping and ablation procedures with one device, thereby improving measurement precision without proportionally increasing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter assembly is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a mapping device with electrodes for electrical signal detection and as an ablation device with RF or cryo elements for tissue modification. This universal design allows a single device to perform multiple cardiac intervention functions, resolving the contradiction between system simplicity and measurement accuracy
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid structures are used for catheter support, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to body lumens and heart chambers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs a dynamic structure that can transition between a compressed delivery state and an expanded operational state. The expandable basket arms are designed to be flexible during navigation through body lumens and then expand within the heart chamber to provide structural stability for electrode positioning and ablation element deployment, thus achieving both adaptability and stability
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter incorporates flexible materials and thin-walled structures in the shaft and basket arms that allow the device to conform to the contours of body lumens and heart chambers during insertion and positioning, while still maintaining sufficient structural integrity to support the electronic elements and enable stable mapping and ablation procedures
3Measurement precision
If multiple electronic elements are integrated on flex-PCB substrate, then measurement precision and signal processing capability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes a flexible printed circuit board (flex-PCB) substrate to mount multiple electronic elements including electrodes, RF ablation elements, and sensing components. The flex-PCB technology allows for compact integration of these elements with pre-fabricated electrical pathways, reducing the complexity of wiring and connections while enabling high-precision electrical signal detection and processing across multiple measurement points
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical wiring and connection systems with integrated flex-PCB electrical pathways. This substitution reduces the mechanical complexity of connecting multiple electronic elements while improving electrical signal integrity and measurement precision through consistent, rigidified electrical traces that are less susceptible to movement-induced signal variations
4Measurement precision
If expandable assembly is used within heart chambers, then measurement precision and treatment effectiveness are improved, but device complexity and procedural difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable basket is segmented into multiple arms that can independently position mapping electrodes and ablation elements against the cardiac wall. This segmentation allows the device to conform to the three-dimensional geometry of heart chambers, improving measurement precision by enabling simultaneous contact at multiple locations, while the modular segmented design simplifies the expansion and contraction mechanism for easier operation
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 precise electrical signal processing and transmission within the body, improving the accuracy of cardiac mapping and ablation procedures by integrating multiple electronic elements and ultrasound transducers on a flexible PCB substrate, addressing the limitations of existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of ultrasound transducers coupled to the flex-PCB substrate and configured to transmit an ultrasound signal
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of electrodes coupled to the flex-PCB substrate and configured to detect an electrical signal
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a flex-PCB catheter device that is configured to be inserted into a body lumen. The flex-PCB catheter comprises an elongate shaft, an expandable assembly, a flexible printed circuit board (flex-PCB) substrate, a plurality of electronic components and a plurality of communication paths. The elongate shaft comprises a proximal end and a distal end. The expandable assembly is configured to transition from a radially compact state to a radially expanded state. The plurality of electronic elements are coupled to the flex-PCB substrate and are configured to receive and/or transmit an electric signal. The plurality of communication paths are positioned on and/or within the flex-PCB substrate. The communication paths selectively couple the plurality of electronic elements to a plurality of electrical contacts configured to electrically connect to an electronic module configured to process the electrical signal. The flex-PCB substrate can have multiple layers, including one or more metallic layers. Acoustic matching elements and conductive traces can be includes in the flex-PCB substrate.