Irrigated Finned Ablation Head Non-Uniform Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing irrigated ablation heads face issues with blood coagulation and clot formation due to recirculation zones, which current designs fail to adequately address, leading to inefficiencies in temperature control and purging.
Innovation Solution
A finned ablation head design with a non-uniform velocity/flow profile, featuring axially extending radial fins and slots that enhance convective cooling and purging, allowing for reduced irrigation flow rates while maintaining or increasing power levels, and preventing blood coagulation by maintaining lower temperatures at the base portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If uniform flow distribution is provided through purged apertures, then cooling is evenly distributed, but blood recirculation and coagulation still occur in certain zones
Solution Approach 1:
The ablation head employs non-uniform flow distribution with higher flow rates at specific locations (e.g., distal end) rather than uniform distribution. This local quality variation ensures adequate purging velocity at critical zones where blood recirculation occurs, preventing coagulation while maintaining overall temperature control. The aperture sizing and positioning are optimized locally to address specific hemorrhage risks at different segments of the ablation head.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If higher irrigation flow rates are used to prevent blood coagulation, then purging effectiveness increases, but procedure time is reduced due to faster fluid consumption
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing flow rates across the entire ablation head, the invention applies higher flow rates only at specific locations where blood recirculation and coagulation risks are highest. This localized approach maintains adequate purging velocity to prevent coagulation while minimizing overall irrigation fluid consumption, thereby extending procedure time without compromising safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes the velocity parameter of irrigation fluid by adjusting aperture sizes and positions to achieve critical purging velocities only where needed. This parameter change ensures that blood is effectively cleared from recirculation zones without requiring excessive overall flow rates, thus conserving irrigation fluid and extending the duration of the ablation procedure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If more apertures are added to increase purging capability, then blood coagulation is better prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention strategically positions apertures at specific locations where blood recirculation occurs, rather than distributing them uniformly. By concentrating apertures at critical zones (e.g., distal end or regions with poor flow patterns), the design effectively prevents coagulation with a minimal number of openings, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining purging effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The ablation head is segmented into zones with different purging requirements. Apertures are concentrated in segments where blood recirculation is most problematic, while other segments use fewer or no apertures. This segmentation approach reduces the total number of apertures needed while maintaining effective purging where it is most critical.
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 finned ablation head achieves effective cooling and purging, preventing blood coagulation by conducting heat away from the distal portion to the cooler proximal portion, thereby extending procedure time and allowing higher power operations with standard irrigation flow rates.
Implementation Method 1
preventing blood coagulation by conducting heat away from the distal portion to the cooler proximal portion
Implementation Method 2
the flow and the attendant convective cooling is actually greater near the proximal portion of the irrigated ablation head than at the distal extremity
Data Source
AI summary
An irrigated finned ablation head that provides enhanced cooling. The irrigated finned ablation head comprises a plurality of radial fins that are distributed about a central axis and that extend axially from a common base. The plurality of fins are arranged to define a central passageway along the central axis, as well as a plurality of slots therebetween, the slots extending in an axial direction along the irrigated finned ablation head. In one embodiment, the central passageway extends through the irrigated finned ablation head, defining an opening at the distal extremity, with the slots extending from the base to the opening. In another embodiment, the irrigated finned ablation head includes a cap portion at a distal portion that is common to all the radial fins, so that the slots are terminated at the distal portion of the irrigated finned ablation head. The radial flow distribution along the central axis can be tailored by the configuration of the central passageway.