Movable Electrodes for Controlled Irreversible Electroporation Ablation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ablation techniques, such as thermal ablation, often damage sensitive biological tissues and vital organs due to their non-selective nature, whereas Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) ablation methods like irreversible electroporation lack precision in creating controlled ablation lesions.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an inner and outer electrode assembly with expandable electrode arrays, allowing for axial movement and variable expansion to deliver a pulsed electric field, enabling precise control over ablation lesion size and shape by adjusting the distance between electrodes and the expanded position of electrode arrays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If thermal ablation techniques are used, then ablation efficiency is improved, but damage to sensitive biological tissues and vital organs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode assembly is divided into multiple expandable electrode arrays with multiple electrode elements that can be independently positioned and controlled, allowing selective ablation of target tissue while sparing adjacent sensitive structures
Solution Approach 2:
The pulsed electric field is applied locally to specific tissue regions through the expandable electrode arrays, creating spatially selective ablation zones that affect only the intended target while leaving surrounding sensitive tissues unaffected
2Manufacturing precision
If expandable electrode arrays with axial movement are used, then manufacturing precision of ablation lesions is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable electrode arrays are nested within the elongate shaft, allowing the complex multi-element electrode structure to be compactly stored during delivery and then expanded at the target site to achieve precise three-dimensional lesion geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode arrays transition from a compressed delivery configuration to an expanded treatment configuration through axial movement mechanisms, enabling dynamic adjustment of electrode spacing and orientation to precisely control ablation lesion size and shape
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
Enables precise and controlled ablation with minimal tissue damage, allowing for targeted treatment while maintaining the structural integrity of critical tissues like collagen, arteries, and vasculature.
Implementation Method 1
Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) ablation, including irreversible electroporation (IRE) is an ablation modality that applies either monophasic or biphasic high-voltage electrical pulses in approximately the microsecond range of 0.1 microseconds to 100 microseconds to deliver electrical field intensities that can affect the transmembrane potential of cells. The cells become permeabilized by the creation of surface aqueous nanopores
Implementation Method 2
The significant benefit of IRE therapy is that the majority of tissue architecture, including collagen, arteries veins, ducts, nerves, and vasculature are mostly unaffected and resistant to the IRE treatment—these tissues maintain their structure without significant denaturation or permanent damage. This result is important for sensitive biological tissues that may be near vital organs, such as the pancreas, or critical vasculature that would otherwise be damaged by conventional thermal ablation techniques.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for ablation is described herein including an inner electrode assembly with an inner elongate shaft and a distal electrode, an outer electrode assembly having an outer elongate shaft and a proximal electrode, wherein the outer electrode assembly defines a central passage configured to slidably receive the inner electrode assembly, wherein the distal electrode or the proximal electrode is axially moveable with respect to the other, and an energy source configured to be electrically connected to the distal electrode and the proximal electrode and configured to deliver a pulsed electric field (PEF). One of the distal electrode and proximal electrode is part of a first expandable electrode array comprising two or more electrode elements moveable between an unexpanded position and an expanded position.