Impedance-Modifying Fluid for Pulsed Field Ablation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current pulsed field ablation technologies face challenges in efficiently ablating tissue while minimizing collateral injury to non-targeted tissue and reducing the total energy delivered.
Innovation Solution
The system includes an energy delivery device and a control unit with a source of impedance-modifying fluid, an energy generator, and processing circuitry. The impedance-modifying fluid is delivered to the treatment site before or simultaneously with the pulsed field ablation energy, optimizing energy delivery and reducing collateral damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If high energy levels are applied to create deep lesions in cardiac muscle, then ablation effectiveness is improved, but the risk of thromboembolic events and collateral injury increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by delivering the impedance-modifying fluid to the treatment site before delivering the pulsed field ablation energy. This pre-conditioning of the tissue with the fluid (which modifies electrical impedance) occurs in advance to optimize energy delivery and confine it to the target tissue, thereby preventing collateral injury while achieving effective ablation lesions.
Solution Approach 2:
The impedance-modifying fluid acts as an intermediary substance between the energy delivery device and the tissue. This fluid modifies the electrical impedance at the treatment site, serving as a mediator that controls the distribution and confinement of the pulsed field ablation energy to the target tissue, preventing energy from affecting non-targeted tissue while enabling effective energy delivery.
2Power
If high current is driven into blood and targeted tissue to create deep lesions, then ablation effectiveness is improved, but gas bubbles and hemolysis are generated causing embolic injury
Solution Approach 1:
The impedance-modifying fluid serves as an intermediary that alters the electrical properties at the electrode-tissue interface. By modifying the impedance characteristics, this fluid enables more controlled current distribution that reduces localized heating and electrochemical reactions at the blood-electrode interface, thereby minimizing gas bubble formation and hemolysis while maintaining effective current delivery to the target tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by delivering a fluid that modifies the electrical impedance parameter at the treatment site. This change in impedance parameter alters the current distribution characteristics, enabling effective energy delivery to the tissue while reducing harmful effects such as gas bubble generation and hemolysis that occur with conventional high-current delivery methods.
3Productivity
If pulsed field ablation energy is delivered to target tissue, then tissue ablation is achieved, but energy is also directed toward non-target tissue causing collateral damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by delivering an impedance-modifying fluid specifically to the treatment site to create localized changes in electrical impedance. This creates a spatially differentiated environment where the impedance characteristics are modified only in the immediate vicinity of the target tissue, enabling the pulsed field ablation energy to be confined to the local treatment zone while preventing energy from affecting surrounding non-targeted tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The impedance-modifying fluid acts as a localized intermediary that creates a distinct electrical environment at the treatment site. This fluid-mediated zone modifies energy distribution patterns, confining the pulsed field ablation energy to the target tissue while preventing collateral energy delivery to non-targeted tissue, thereby improving ablation efficiency and reducing energy waste.
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 approach enhances the efficiency of tissue ablation by minimizing energy delivery to non-targeted tissue, reducing collateral injury, and achieving deeper and more effective lesions.
Implementation Method 1
Pulsed field ablation involves the application of short pulsed electric fields (PEF), which may reversibly or irreversibly destabilize cell membranes through electropermeabilization
Implementation Method 2
delivery of an impedance-modifying fluid to a treatment site... modifies the electrical impedance of the blood-tissue environment
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for more efficiently ablating tissue with pulsed field ablation energy while minimizing collateral injury to non-target tissue. In one embodiment, a system for ablating tissue at a treatment site comprises: an energy delivery device; and a control unit including: a source of impedance-modifying fluid in fluid communication with the energy delivery device; an energy generator in electrical communication with the energy delivery device, the energy generator being configured to transmit energy to the energy delivery device and the energy delivery device being configured to deliver energy to the treatment site; and processing circuitry configured to control delivery of the impedance-modifying fluid from the energy delivery device to the treatment site. In one embodiment, a method for ablating tissue comprises delivering an impedance-modifying fluid to a treatment site and delivering pulsed field ablation energy to the treatment site.