Expandable Square-Spaced Electrode Catheter for Cardiac Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cardiac mapping catheters are not suitable for use in both the pulmonary vein and the chambers of the heart due to differences in geometry, limiting their effectiveness in identifying and ablating aberrant electrical signals.
Innovation Solution
A cardiac mapping catheter with an end effector featuring equidistantly spaced electrode assemblies that can transition between compressed and expanded states, allowing for high-density EP mapping and ablation in both pulmonary veins and heart chambers, equipped with position sensors and irrigation capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing cardiac mapping catheters are designed for specific geometries (pulmonary vein or heart chamber), then they can provide adequate mapping capability for that specific region, but they cannot effectively map both pulmonary veins and heart chambers due to geometric differences
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs a dynamic end effector that can transition between compressed and expanded states. When expanded, the electrode assemblies are spaced equidistantly to conform to pulmonary vein geometry. When compressed, the same electrode assemblies adapt to heart chamber geometry. This dynamic transformation allows a single catheter to reliably map both anatomical regions despite their geometric differences.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter changes its physical parameters (configuration, electrode spacing, and shape) to match different anatomical targets. The end effector can be transformed from a compressed state suitable for heart chambers to an expanded state with equidistant electrode spacing optimized for pulmonary veins. This parameter transformation enables the catheter to maintain mapping reliability across different cardiac geometries.
2Measurement precision
If electrode assemblies are spaced equidistantly to enable high-density mapping, then mapping precision improves, but the catheter becomes more complex and difficult to navigate
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter divides its end effector into multiple independent electrode assemblies that can be individually positioned and controlled. Each assembly contains electrodes spaced equidistantly for high-density mapping. This segmentation allows the complex multi-electrode structure to be managed as discrete units, facilitating navigation while maintaining mapping precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode assemblies are designed to be dynamically reconfigurable, transitioning between compressed and expanded states. This dynamic capability allows the complex structure to simplify during navigation (compressed state) and expand only when needed for mapping (expanded state with equidistant spacing), thereby reducing navigation difficulty while preserving mapping precision.
3Quantity of substance
If the catheter is designed with expandable end effector for high-density mapping, then mapping density increases, but the catheter requires more complex delivery and deployment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs a nested delivery system where the expandable end effector with multiple electrode assemblies is contained within a delivery catheter. The electrode assemblies are nested within the delivery system in a compressed state, allowing for simplified delivery through blood vessels. Upon deployment, the end effector expands to provide high-density mapping capability, thus reducing delivery complexity while increasing electrode quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter transitions from a compressed delivery configuration to an expanded working configuration. During delivery, the end effector remains compressed within the delivery catheter, simplifying navigation. At the target site, the end effector expands to deploy multiple electrode assemblies in equidistant spacing, increasing the number of electrodes in contact with tissue while the delivery mechanism remains relatively simple.
Data Source
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Figure 2B
AI summary
An apparatus includes a catheter shaft assembly and an end effector. The end effector includes a plurality of strips and a plurality of electrodes. The strips are configured to fit within an outer sheath of the catheter shaft assembly in a first configuration. The strips are configured to expand outwardly away from a longitudinal axis defined by the catheter shaft assembly in a second configuration when exposed distally relative to the distal end of the outer sheath. The electrodes are positioned on at least some of the strips. The electrodes are positioned relative to each other such that groups of four of the electrodes define a substantially square configuration.