Mapping Ablation Catheter for Impedance-Guided Tissue Contact
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ablation techniques like RF ablation and cryoablation indiscriminately damage healthy tissue during cardiac procedures, while irreversible electroporation lacks effective devices for precise tissue ablation.
Innovation Solution
A catheter system with an electrode assembly for irreversible electroporation, featuring a shaft and electrodes that determine impedance through a four-terminal configuration, generating graphical representations for precise cardiac tissue ablation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thermal ablation techniques (RF ablation, cryoablation) are used to ablate cardiac tissue, then tissue ablation is achieved, but healthy tissue is indiscriminately damaged or killed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of energy delivery from thermal (RF, cryo) to non-thermal electrical fields. By using controlled electric field strength and duration, the system achieves selective ablation through irreversible electroporation, which kills targeted myocardial tissue while preserving non-targeted cells, thus resolving the contradiction between achieving ablation and avoiding damage to healthy tissue
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces thermal ablation mechanisms with electrical field-based irreversible electroporation. Instead of using heat or cold to destroy tissue, the system applies electrical pulses that increase cell membrane permeability and trigger apoptosis in targeted cells, providing a more selective and less harmful ablation method
2Reliability
If irreversible electroporation is used to selectively kill targeted tissue, then selectivity is improved, but existing devices lack effective capability for precise ablation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrode assembly into multiple independently controllable electrodes arranged in a circular array. This segmentation allows selective application of electric fields to specific regions of the heart, enabling precise ablation of targeted tissue while maintaining the ability to treat multiple areas, thus improving both selectivity and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional electrode assembly that can perform both mapping and ablation functions. The electrodes are configured to deliver controlled electric fields for irreversible electroporation while also enabling tissue contact assessment through impedance measurements, providing both selective ablation capability and precise localization in a single device
3Manufacturing precision
If a catheter system with multiple electrodes is used for irreversible electroporation, then precise tissue targeting is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested electrode assembly design where multiple electrodes are arranged concentrically in a circular array, with each electrode nested within the structure defined by the others. This nested configuration allows precise control of electric fields to specific target regions while maintaining a compact, manageable device structure that reduces overall complexity
4Measurement precision
If impedance measurement is performed to assess tissue contact, then precision of ablation is improved, but measurement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the impedance measurement function with the existing electrode assembly structure. By using the same electrodes that will deliver ablation energy to perform impedance measurements for tissue contact assessment, the system eliminates the need for separate measurement devices, thereby improving measurement precision while minimizing the increase in device complexity
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 system enables safe and effective cardiac tissue ablation by selectively targeting and killing myocardial tissue without damaging non-targeted cells, using pulsed electric fields for precise lesion creation.
Implementation Method 1
In electroporation, or electro-permeabilization, an electrical field is applied to cells to increase the permeability of the cell membrane
Implementation Method 2
determine an impedance from a four-terminal configuration, wherein a current is injected to a current carrying pair of the plurality of electrodes and a voltage is measured across a sensing pair of electrodes
Data Source
AI summary
A system for ablating cardiac tissue through irreversible electroporation is disclosed. The system includes an electroporation and mapping catheter, a graphical display, and a controller coupled to the graphical display and the catheter. The catheter includes an electrode assembly defining a distally located central hub portion and splines, each spline including a distal end portion extending from the central hub portion, and a proximal end portion attached to and constrained by an outer shaft. The electrode assembly includes electrodes having sensing electrodes located on each spline. The controller determines an impedance from a four-terminal configuration wherein a current is injected to a current carrying pair of electrodes and a voltage is measured across a sensing pair of electrodes comprising sensing electrodes. The controller generates a graphical representation of a model of the impedance of the spline on the graphical display.