Neuromodulation Electrode Impedance Deployment Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional neuromodulation systems face limitations in verifying adequate deployment of neuromodulation elements within body lumens before energy delivery, leading to suboptimal treatment outcomes due to inadequate contact detection after energy initiation.
Innovation Solution
The system employs impedance measurement to detect and verify the deployment of a neuromodulation element by analyzing transitions in electrical properties during deployment phases, ensuring stable contact with the lumen wall before initiating energy delivery, and customizes energy delivery based on the determined lumen diameter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional neuromodulation systems are used without impedance measurement, then the system is simpler and easier to operate, but deployment verification is inadequate leading to suboptimal treatment outcomes
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by measuring impedance during deployment to detect contact between the neuromodulation element and the lumen wall. The impedance measurement provides real-time feedback on deployment status, allowing the system to verify adequate contact before initiating energy delivery, thereby improving treatment reliability without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical verification methods with electrical impedance measurement to detect deployment status. Instead of relying on mechanical sensors or visual confirmation, the system uses impedance changes to infer contact status, simplifying the detection mechanism while improving reliability
2Productivity
If energy delivery is initiated without verifying adequate contact, then treatment can begin immediately improving productivity, but treatment efficacy decreases due to partial treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary impedance measurement and contact verification before initiating energy delivery. This preliminary action ensures adequate contact is established prior to treatment, preventing partial treatment while allowing rapid initiation once verification is complete, thus maintaining both productivity and efficacy
3Measurement precision
If impedance measurement is used to detect deployment, then deployment verification accuracy improves, but the measurement and control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The neuromodulation element serves dual purposes: delivering therapy and measuring impedance for contact detection. The same electrode structure used for treatment also functions as the impedance sensing element, eliminating the need for separate measurement components and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining measurement precision
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 approach enhances the verification of adequate deployment, preventing partial treatment and allowing for customized energy delivery, thereby improving the efficacy and consistency of neuromodulation treatments.
Implementation Method 1
While deploying the neuromodulation element, the electrode can measure an electrical property of a sum of material adjacent to the electrode
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to devices, systems and methods providing evaluation and feedback to an operator of a device providing neuromodulation treatment, such as modulation of renal nerves of a human patient. In one embodiment, for example, a system monitors parameters or values generated before treatment. Feedback provided to an operator is based on the monitored values and relates to an assessment of various electrical properties associated with an electrode carried by a catheter. The electrode measures an electrical property of biological material making contact with the electrode while deploying the electrode, the electrical property being dependent on a ratio of a wall-interface area to a fluid-interface area.