Insulated High-Voltage Catheter Layout to Prevent Pulse Arcing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high-voltage devices for delivering short electrical pulses to treat biological tissues face risks such as electrical shock, arcing, burns, and internal-organ damage, particularly when inserted into the body, necessitating the development of safe and reliable applicators.
Innovation Solution
Catheters and scopes with retractable electrodes and insulating regions are designed to deliver microsecond or sub-microsecond electrical pulses, using a concentric configuration of conductive layers enclosed by flexible insulating material, capable of withstanding high voltages and minimizing tissue damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-voltage electrical pulses are delivered to treat biological tissues, then therapeutic effect is improved, but risk of tissue damage and electrical shock increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an insulating coating as an intermediary layer between the high-voltage electrical pulse source and the biological tissue. This dielectric barrier allows controlled delivery of therapeutic pulses while preventing harmful continuous exposure and electrical shock, thus resolving the contradiction between therapeutic effectiveness and tissue safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic pulsed electrical delivery rather than continuous exposure. By applying high-voltage pulses at specific intervals through the insulating coating, the system achieves therapeutic effects while allowing tissue recovery between pulses, preventing cumulative damage and reducing harmful effects
2Reliability
If high-voltage pulses are applied to treat cancer cells, then cell death is achieved, but surrounding healthy tissue may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating coating is applied selectively to specific regions of the catheter where electrical pulses are delivered. This localized insulation allows high-voltage pulses to be concentrated at the treatment site for effective cancer cell destruction while protecting surrounding healthy tissue from exposure, resolving the contradiction between treatment efficacy and collateral damage
3Reliability
If short pulse duration is used to affect cell interior, then selective cell manipulation is improved, but device precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating coating acts as a temporal mediator that extends the effective pulse duration at the tissue interface. This allows the use of longer pulse widths that are easier to generate and control precisely, while still achieving the desired sub-microsecond effect at the cell level through the insulation's charge-discharge characteristics, thereby reducing manufacturing precision requirements
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 apparatuses effectively apply high-voltage, fast electrical pulses to treat diseases like cancer without harming surrounding tissues, suitable for robotic systems and ensuring safety through insulation and controlled energy delivery.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible insulating material having a dielectric strength sufficient to withstand 1 kV or more
Data Source
AI summary
Flexible catheters adapted to be inserted into a body to deliver high-voltage, fast (e.g., microsecond, sub-microsecond, nanosecond, picosecond, etc.) electrical energy to target tissue may include a plurality of conductive layers, that may be coaxial. These catheters and method of using them to treat tissue are configured to reduce or avoid arcing.