Integrated Mapping Ablation Catheter with Conductive Mesh
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical procedures for treating cardiac arrhythmias require multiple device exchanges and manipulations, increasing patient risk and procedure duration due to the need for separate mapping and ablation catheters, which can lead to inaccuracies and complications from catheter placement and movement.
Innovation Solution
A medical system with a catheter body, expandable element, and electrically conductive mesh that allows for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of aberrant electrical pathways, featuring a coolant source, fluid distribution, impedance assessment, and high-voltage pulsed signal generation to ablate tissue while verifying device position and contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate mapping and ablation catheters are used, then specialized diagnostic and treatment functions are achieved, but device complexity and procedure duration increase due to multiple device exchanges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines mapping and ablation functions into a single integrated catheter device. The catheter includes both mapping electrodes for diagnostic electrical mapping and ablation elements for tissue treatment, eliminating the need for separate devices and reducing procedural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter is designed as a multi-functional device that can perform both diagnostic mapping and therapeutic ablation. The device includes mapping electrodes for electrical activity detection and ablation elements (such as RF electrodes or cryogenic elements) for tissue modification, allowing a single device to fulfill multiple clinical needs
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple catheters are exchanged during procedure, then comprehensive diagnosis and treatment are achieved, but patient risk increases due to embolism and placement inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating mapping and ablation capabilities in one catheter, the device eliminates repeated insertions and removals from the vasculature. The single-device approach maintains comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic functionality while reducing patient exposure to procedural risks such as embolism and placement errors
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter allows mapping to be performed first, identifying target tissue, and then the same device is used to deliver ablation treatment to the identified location. This sequential functionality within a single device eliminates the need for device exchange between mapping and treatment phases, reducing patient risk
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate mapping and ablation devices are used, then specialized functions are achieved, but procedure time increases due to device manipulation and repositioning
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated catheter combines mapping electrodes and ablation elements in a single device structure. This allows the physician to perform electrical mapping, identify target tissue, and deliver ablation treatment without removing or exchanging devices, significantly reducing procedure time while maintaining both specialized functions
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter enables continuous procedural workflow where mapping and ablation are performed in sequence without interruption or device exchange. The mapping electrodes identify target tissue, and the same catheter's ablation elements immediately treat the identified area, maintaining continuous useful action and eliminating time-consuming device manipulation
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 system reduces patient risk and procedure time by enabling integrated diagnosis and treatment, improving accuracy and reducing the need for multiple device exchanges, with the ability to create precise lesions using cryogenic, radiofrequency, or electroporation ablation methods.
Implementation Method 1
One type of ablation is the cryotreatment or cryogenic ablation, which entails creating cold temperatures at specific regions of the body or contacting tissue with cold treatment devices to transfer heat from the targeted tissue to the cryogenic element, thus cooling and/or ablating the tissue
Implementation Method 2
Other treatments may include radiofrequency tissue ablation or electroporation procedures
Implementation Method 3
Other treatments may include radiofrequency tissue ablation or electroporation procedures
Data Source
AI summary
A medical system, including a catheter body, an elongate body disposed in the catheter body; an expandable element having a proximal portion coupled to the catheter body and a distal portion coupled to the elongate body, the distal portion of the expandable element defining the distal-most portion of the medical device; a mesh or array of longitudinal splines substantially surrounding the expandable element, at least a portion of the mesh or splines being electrically conductive; and a coolant source in fluid communication with the expandable element.