Flexible Microelectrode Catheter Tip for Stable Cardiac Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

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

Innovation Solution

A flexible tip portion with a framework of arms and curved microelectrodes that conform to tissue, allowing sustained contact and accurate mapping, even during cardiac motion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If rigid electrodes are used in conventional mapping and ablation catheters, then structural stability is maintained, but adequate contact with cardiac tissue on contoured surfaces and during erratic heartbeats deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidcontact reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter tip is divided into multiple flexible arms (typically four arms) that can independently conform to the cardiac tissue surface. Each arm carries electrodes along its length, allowing the segmented structure to adapt to contoured surfaces while maintaining structural integrity through the framework design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The catheter employs flexible arms made of elastomeric materials or shape memory alloys that can bend and conform to the irregular surfaces of cardiac tissue. This flexibility enables reliable electrode-tissue contact on contoured surfaces and during cardiac motion, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and contact reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Ease of manufacture

If rigid electrodes are used in conventional catheters, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but mapping accuracy and lesion formation quality deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidmapping accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter is manufactured as a segmented structure with multiple flexible arms that can be formed using established processes for elastomeric materials or shape memory alloys. This segmentation approach maintains manufacturing feasibility while enabling the arms to conform to cardiac tissue surfaces for accurate mapping.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The catheter design changes the physical parameters of the electrode support structure from rigid to flexible, allowing the arms to adapt their shape to match cardiac tissue contours. This parameter change enables high-density electrode arrays to maintain consistent contact with tissue surfaces, improving mapping accuracy without excessive manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If rigid electrodes are used in conventional catheters, then structural integrity is maintained, but contact stability during cardiac motion deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidcontact stability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter tip is segmented into multiple flexible arms that can independently move and conform to cardiac tissue during heartbeats. This segmentation allows each arm to maintain contact stability through flexible adaptation while the overall catheter structure retains structural integrity through its framework design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The catheter employs dynamic flexible arms made of elastomeric materials or shape memory alloys that can actively adapt to cardiac motion. These arms flex and move with the cardiac cycle, maintaining stable electrode-tissue contact during erratic heartbeats and contoured surfaces while preserving catheter structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Measurement precision

If high-density electrode arrays are implemented, then mapping resolution is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemapping resolutionVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The high-density electrode array is distributed across multiple flexible arms, with electrodes spaced along each arm's length. This segmentation approach achieves high mapping resolution through dense electrode placement while managing device complexity by organizing electrodes in a modular multi-arm configuration that leverages flexible material properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12575877B2High density electrode mapping catheter

Publication Date: 2026.03.17 ST JUDE MEDICAL CARDILOGY DIV INC

AI summary

A medical device can comprise a catheter shaft comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the catheter shaft defining a catheter shaft longitudinal axis. A flexible tip portion can be located adjacent to the distal end of the catheter shaft, the flexible tip portion comprising a flexible framework. A plurality of curved microelectrodes can be disposed on the flexible framework and can form a flexible array of curved microelectrodes adapted to conform to tissue.