Flexible Electrode Mapping Catheter Tip for Stable Cardiac Contact

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional catheters with rigid electrodes face challenges in maintaining adequate contact with cardiac tissue, especially on contoured surfaces, due to erratic heartbeats and tissue undulations, leading to poor lesion formation and mapping accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A flexible catheter tip design with a continuous rectangular cross-section understructure and intermediate coverings to enhance conformability and reduce edge wear, ensuring sustained tissue contact and improved mapping accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If rigid metallic electrodes are used in conventional catheters, then structural strength is maintained, but contact with cardiac tissue deteriorates due to inability to conform to contoured surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidtissue contact reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies this principle by replacing rigid metallic electrodes with flexible electrode structures that can conform to cardiac tissue surfaces. The flexible catheter tip with continuous rectangular cross-section understructure enables the electrode array to adapt to contoured and trabeculated surfaces, maintaining reliable electrical contact during cardiac motion while preserving sufficient structural integrity for safe navigation and operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Ease of manufacture

If rigid electrodes are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but mapping precision deteriorates on undulating tissue surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidmapping precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies this principle by designing an electrode array that transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure. The continuous rectangular cross-section understructure with intermediate coverings creates a flexible yet stable platform that can dynamically adapt to tissue undulations during cardiac cycles, enabling precise mapping measurements on moving and contoured surfaces while maintaining manufacturability through standardized flexible component assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If flexible catheter tip is used, then conformability to tissue surfaces is improved, but structural stability may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveconformabilityVSAvoidstructural stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies this principle by creating a composite flexible catheter tip structure combining multiple materials with complementary properties. The continuous rectangular cross-section understructure provides structural stability and shape memory, while intermediate coverings add flexibility and tissue conformability. This composite construction enables the electrode array to simultaneously achieve adaptability to contoured surfaces and structural stability for reliable positioning and operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

4Device complexity

If rigid electrodes are used, then device complexity is minimized, but lesion formation quality deteriorates due to poor tissue contact

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidlesion formation quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies this principle by segmenting the catheter tip into distinct functional zones: a flexible understructure for conformability, intermediate coverings for protection and enhanced flexibility, and electrode arrays for tissue interaction. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall device simplicity. The modular flexible construction enables consistent tissue contact for quality lesion formation without significantly increasing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12551656B2Layered high density electrode mapping catheter

Publication Date: 2026.02.17 ST JUDE MEDICAL CARDILOGY DIV INC

AI summary

Various embodiments of the present disclosure can include flexible catheter tip. The flexible catheter tip can include an inboard understructure that defines a tip longitudinal axis, wherein the inboard understructure can be formed from a first continuous element that includes a first rectangular cross-section. An intermediate inboard covering can be disposed about the first continuous element that forms a distal portion of the inboard understructure. An outboard understructure can extend along the tip longitudinal axis, wherein the outboard understructure can be formed from a second continuous element that includes a second rectangular cross-section. An intermediate outboard covering can be disposed about the second continuous element that forms a distal portion of the outboard understructure.