Flexible-Circuit Catheter Tip With Segmented Ablation Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cardiac ablation procedures face challenges in accurately delivering ablative energy while minimizing negative side effects such as thrombus formation and ensuring precise tissue ablation without damaging surrounding tissues.

Innovation Solution

A flexible-circuit tip for a split-tip catheter is designed with multiple segments, each equipped with temperature sensors and electrodes, allowing for independent control of ablation energy delivery and ECG signal monitoring, ensuring precise tissue contact and minimizing energy application to non-tissue areas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If ablative energy is delivered to cardiac tissue, then tissue ablation is achieved, but thrombus formation occurs in blood

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveablation accuracyVSAvoidthrombus formation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter tip is divided into multiple independent segments, each capable of selective energy delivery. This segmentation allows the system to target specific tissue areas while avoiding adjacent blood pools, thereby achieving effective ablation while minimizing thrombus formation risk.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each segment of the catheter tip is equipped with independent temperature sensors and electrodes, enabling localized control of energy delivery. The system can apply ablative energy precisely where tissue contact is detected while keeping other segments inactive, ensuring local precision and avoiding harmful energy application to blood.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If temperature sensors and electrodes are integrated into each segment, then precise tissue contact control is achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue contact detection accuracyVSAvoidcatheter structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Temperature sensors and electrodes are integrated into each catheter tip segment, combining multiple functions (sensing and energy delivery) within a unified modular structure. This integration enables precise tissue contact detection and controlled energy delivery while maintaining manageable system architecture through repetitive modular units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Manufacturing precision

If multiple segments are used for independent energy delivery, then treatment accuracy is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesegment fabrication accuracyVSAvoidcatheter assembly difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter tip is constructed as multiple separate segments that can be manufactured independently using consistent processes. Each segment contains identical or similar components (electrodes, temperature sensors, insulators), allowing for standardized manufacturing and simplified quality control while enabling precise final assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The segments are designed to nest or connect to each other in a systematic arrangement, with each segment containing similar internal structures (electrodes, sensors, insulating layers). This nested modular design simplifies manufacturing by using repeated patterns and facilitates assembly through standardized interfaces between segments.

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 solution enables precise and controlled ablation therapy by segregating energy delivery to tissue-contacting segments, reducing thrombus formation and enhancing the accuracy of cardiac arrhythmia treatment.

Implementation Method 1

a first layer including a substrate, a second layer including at least a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and a conductor element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermocouple: Thermocouple

Implementation Method 2

The conductor element may include a trace connected to an ablation electrode. By selectively ablating cardiac tissue by application of energy via a catheter

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 3

A first insulation material may be disposed within the first space, and alternatively or additionally within the second space. The first insulation material may be a suitable insulation material such as, for example, bio-compatible ceramics or a high-temperature epoxy

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Data Source

PatentUS12458436B2Flexible-circuit tip for a split-tip catheter

Publication Date: 2025.11.04 BIOSENSE WEBSTER (ISRAEL) LTD

AI summary

A catheter tip may be a fabricated as a planar flexible circuit, e.g., via lithography, as having a first planar segment and a second planar segment that includes various electrodes on different sectors that are insulated from each other. The tip may be deformed to have a non-planar configuration, e.g., cylindrical, and then assembled onto a catheter. The catheter may be used to monitor ECG signals and temperature and to precisely deliver ablative energy to tissues via the various electrodes. ECG signals and temperature may be monitored for one sector while ablation energy is being delivered to another sector.