High-Density Mapping Catheter With Flexible Tip for Cardiac Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mapping and ablation catheters with rigid electrodes face challenges in maintaining adequate electrical contact with cardiac tissue, especially on contoured or trabeculated surfaces, due to erratic heartbeats and tissue undulations, leading to poor lesion quality and inaccurate mapping.
Innovation Solution
A high density electrode mapping catheter with a flexible tip portion featuring a flexible framework and microelectrodes that conform to tissue, along with patterned conductive traces for improved electrical coupling, allowing for enhanced contact and stability during cardiac motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If rigid ring electrodes are used in conventional mapping catheters, then the electrode structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the electrical contact with cardiac tissue is poor especially on contoured or trabeculated surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by replacing rigid ring electrodes with flexible microelectrodes that can deform to match the contours of cardiac tissue. The flexible framework allows the electrode array to conform to trabeculated surfaces while maintaining electrical contact through the flexible conductive traces and microelectrode-tissue interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the electrode structure adaptable to tissue motion and deformation. The flexible tip portion with its framework and microelectrodes can dynamically adjust its shape in response to cardiac beating and tissue undulations, maintaining reliable contact throughout the cardiac cycle.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid tip electrodes are used in conventional ablation catheters, then the electrode structure is stable, but the contact with cardiac tissue is insufficient especially during erratic heartbeats and on contoured surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible tip portion uses a flexible framework with microelectrodes that can adapt to tissue contours and motion. This flexibility allows the electrode to maintain contact during erratic heartbeats while the conductive traces provide stable electrical pathways back to the control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction combining flexible framework materials with conductive trace materials and microelectrode materials. This composite structure integrates mechanical flexibility for tissue conformability with electrical conductivity for stable signal transmission, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and contact reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional metallic ring electrodes are used, then the manufacturing process is straightforward, but the ability to conform to tissue contours is limited leading to poor mapping accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible microelectrode array can conform to complex tissue contours including trabeculated surfaces, enabling accurate mapping of electrical activity across the entire endocardial surface. The flexibility allows the electrode to adapt to varying tissue geometries while maintaining consistent contact for precise measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode array is segmented into multiple discrete microelectrodes distributed across the flexible tip portion. This segmentation allows each microelectrode to independently contact different tissue contours, improving mapping accuracy while the flexible framework integrates them into a cohesive structure that can be manufactured as a single component.
4Device complexity
If rigid electrodes are used on contoured or trabeculated surfaces, then the electrode structure remains simple, but adequate electrical contact cannot be maintained during cardiac motion
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible tip portion is designed to dynamically adapt to tissue motion and deformation during the cardiac cycle. The flexible framework allows the microelectrodes to maintain contact with contoured surfaces even during erratic heartbeats, while the conductive traces dynamically adjust to accommodate tissue movement without compromising electrical signal transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible electrode structure replaces rigid metallic rings with flexible microelectrode elements that can conform to and maintain contact with trabeculated surfaces. This flexibility enables reliable electrical contact during cardiac motion while the integrated conductive traces provide stable electrical pathways, achieving both low complexity and high reliability.
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 flexible design ensures sustained tissue-electrode contact, providing accurate mapping and ablation by conforming to cardiac tissue contours, enhancing mapping precision and lesion quality.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of conductive traces can be disposed on the flexible framework, each of the plurality of conductive traces being electrically coupled with a respective one of the plurality of microelectrodes
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated electrode structure 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 microelectrodes can be disposed on the flexible framework and can form a flexible array of microelectrodes adapted to conform to tissue. A plurality of conductive traces can be disposed on the flexible framework, each of the plurality of conductive traces can be electrically coupled with a respective one of the plurality of microelectrodes.