Force Sensing Catheter With Deformable Body
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing catheter-based force sensing systems fail to accurately sense the load applied to the distal tip, leading to inaccurate positioning and potential damage to cardiac tissue during ablation therapies for cardiac arrhythmias.
Innovation Solution
A deformable body with a fiber-optic force sensor and processor circuitry is used to detect and measure the force applied to the distal tip of a medical catheter, allowing for precise force determination and feedback to the clinician.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing catheter-based force sensing systems are used, then the system structure is simple, but the measurement precision of force applied to the distal tip is inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into functional segments: a deformable body at the distal tip that experiences force, a sensor assembly that measures the deformation, and a processor that calculates the force. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function while maintaining overall system accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
A deformable body acts as an intermediary element between the applied force and the sensor. The deformable body translates the force applied to the distal tip into measurable deformation, enabling indirect but accurate force measurement without requiring the sensor to be directly at the tip.
2Measurement precision
If manual feedback and impedance measurements are used for mapping, then the system is easy to operate, but the mapping accuracy is reduced due to artifacts from excessive contact forces
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback to the clinician about the contact force being applied to the tissue. This feedback loop allows the operator to adjust their manipulation of the catheter to maintain optimal contact forces, eliminating the artifacts that plague manual mapping methods while keeping the system relatively easy to use.
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
This solution enables precise control of contact pressure during ablation therapies, reducing tissue damage and improving the uniformity and efficacy of lesion lines, thereby enhancing the accuracy and safety of cardiac arrhythmia treatments.
Implementation Method 1
The deformable body includes a structural member that deforms in response to a force exerted on the catheter tip
Implementation Method 2
A deformable body with a fiber-optic force sensor and processor circuitry is used to detect and measure the force applied to the distal tip
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward systems and methods for detecting force applied to a distal tip of a medical catheter. In some embodiments, a medical catheter with a deformable body near a distal tip of the catheter deforms in response to a force applied at the distal tip, and a force sensor detects various components of the deformation. Processor circuitry may then, based on the detected components of the deformation, determine a force applied to the distal tip of the catheter.