Grooved catheter with recessed irrigation holes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ablation catheters face challenges in controlling tissue overheating during radiofrequency energy application, leading to collateral tissue damage such as charring and thrombus formation, while maintaining effective lesion creation.

Innovation Solution

A catheter design with grooved distal end featuring recessed irrigation holes and grooves to enhance fluid distribution, including angled and countersunk apertures for efficient irrigation fluid delivery, preventing hot spots and steam pops.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If radiofrequency energy is applied to create a large lesion for effective ablation, then the effectiveness of the medical procedure is improved, but tissue overheating and collateral damage such as charring and thrombus formation worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveablation effectivenessVSAvoidtissue overheating damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Irrigation holes are provided in advance in the catheter tip and side wall to deliver cooling fluid to the tissue surface before and during radiofrequency energy application. This preliminary cooling action prevents tissue overheating and collateral damage while enabling effective ablation lesion formation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A cooling fluid (intermediary substance) is introduced through the irrigation holes to act as a mediator between the radiofrequency energy source and the tissue. The fluid absorbs excess heat and protects the tissue from direct thermal damage while allowing controlled ablation to proceed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Temperature

If cooling fluid is delivered through conventional irrigation holes, then tissue cooling is achieved, but uneven fluid distribution and hot spots persist

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue coolingVSAvoidfluid distribution uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The irrigation system is segmented into multiple cooling fluid delivery paths: holes in the catheter tip and separate holes in the side wall. This segmentation allows cooling fluid to be delivered through multiple locations simultaneously, achieving more uniform temperature distribution across the treatment area and eliminating hot spots.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the catheter are equipped with irrigation holes at specific locations (tip and side wall) to provide localized cooling where needed. This local quality approach ensures that cooling is applied precisely where thermal damage is most likely to occur, improving overall temperature uniformity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If slower heating is used to control ablation and reduce overheating, then tissue damage is reduced, but the procedure time is unduly prolonged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue damageVSAvoidprocedure time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Cooling fluid is delivered in advance through the irrigation holes before radiofrequency energy is applied. This preliminary cooling establishes a protective effect that allows faster, more aggressive heating during ablation without causing collateral tissue damage, thus reducing overall procedure time while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 design effectively cools the ablation site, reducing tissue damage and improving procedural efficiency by evenly distributing irrigation fluid, thereby minimizing overheating risks.

Implementation Method 1

cooling the area of the ablation site reduces tissue charring and thrombus formation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

enhance fluid distribution, including angled and countersunk apertures for efficient irrigation fluid delivery

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid distribution: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4385439B1Grooved catheter with recessed irrigation holes

Publication Date: 2025.11.05 BIOSENSE WEBSTER (ISRAEL) LTD

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AI summary

Medical devices and methods of use thereof are disclosed. The medical device can include an elongated catheter body defining a longitudinal axis and a distal tip electrode coupled to a distal end of the elongated catheter body. The distal tip electrode can have an outer surface, a cavity, a proximal end, a distal end, and a wall having a plurality of apertures connecting the outer surface and the cavity, with apertures arranged in a grid. The wall of the distal tip electrode can have a plurality of longitudinal grooves and a plurality of circumferential grooves formed therein so that each longitudinal groove extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis and has at least two apertures positioned with a respective longitudinal groove and each circumferential groove intersects with at least one of the longitudinal grooves to define an aperture at such intersection.