Left Atrial Electrode Restraint for Low-Energy AFIB Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pacemaker wires are not used on the left side of the heart due to the risk of thrombus detachment causing strokes, and defibrillators require high energy leading to patient discomfort and battery wear, while existing AFIB detection and treatment methods are limited and invasive.
Innovation Solution
Low-profile electrodes and restraining devices are attached to the left atrium to prevent thrombus formation and allow for low-energy recording, sensing, and pacing, and can be implanted to the left atrium to sense and map electrical impulses, and can be used to identify and treat AFIB in real-time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If wires are placed in the left side of the heart for sensing and pacing, then sensing and pacing capabilities are improved, but the risk of thrombus detachment causing stroke increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into multiple components: a restraining device with anchors that secures the lead to the endocardium, preventing the wire from floating freely. This segmentation allows the lead to be firmly attached for sensing while minimizing thrombus formation risk by eliminating free-floating sections
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful floating section of the lead is extracted and replaced with a restrained configuration. The lead is taken out of the free-floating state and repositioned to be secured to the endocardial surface, removing the source of thrombus risk while preserving sensing functionality
2Reliability
If high energy is used for defibrillation, then defibrillation effectiveness is improved, but patient discomfort and battery wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The defibrillation energy is concentrated locally at the left atrium where the arrhythmia originates, rather than delivering high energy throughout the entire heart. This localized approach achieves effective defibrillation with lower overall energy consumption, reducing battery wear and patient discomfort
Solution Approach 2:
The device creates a localized electrical field copy of the defibrillation effect specifically at the left atrium, replicating the therapeutic effect of full-heart defibrillation but confined to the problematic region, thereby reducing total energy requirements
3Reliability
If traditional defibrillation is performed on the entire heart, then arrhythmia termination is achieved, but the procedure is invasive and requires EP lab setting
Solution Approach 1:
The complex EP lab procedure is extracted and replaced by a simplified system where the implantable device with left atrial leads can detect and treat arrhythmias autonomously or with minimal external intervention, removing the need for invasive catheter-based procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The implanted device provides self-service by continuously monitoring left atrial electrical activity and automatically delivering defibrillation shocks when arrhythmias are detected, eliminating the need for external EP lab procedures and making the system self-sufficient
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 solution enables low-energy defibrillation, reduces patient discomfort, extends battery life, and allows for real-time AFIB detection and treatment outside the EP lab, improving cardiac output and preventing future AF events.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of electrical conductors disposed on endocardium of a heart wall within respective at least one chamber of a heart, an electrical signal characteristic
Implementation Method 2
Low-profile electrodes and restraining devices are attached to the left atrium to prevent thrombus formation and allow for low-energy recording
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable intracardiac atrial retraining device and system may be configured to sense and identify locations of changes to cardiac tissue that impact electrical signals therein. The implantable intracardiac atrial retraining device may include a septum electrode that crosses through the septum and multiple extension electrodes may extend therefrom along endocardium of one or both of the atria. The extension electrodes may be used to sense electrical electrodes produced by the sinoatrial node and one or more electrical characteristics of the heart tissue. If any changes to the electrical signals and/or electrical characteristics of the heart tissue change, a notification may be generated to notify a physician and/or patient.