Pulsed Aiming Light for Cardiac Ablation Catheter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cardiac ablation instruments face challenges in creating effective pulmonary vein encircling lesions due to irregularly shaped or variable sized target tissue regions, limited site selectability, and the risk of complications such as stenosis and necrosis, especially when dealing with irregular heart geometries and the need for multiple balloon catheter replacements.
Innovation Solution
The development of percutaneous ablation instruments featuring an elastic balloon and an independently positionable energy emitter that projects ablative energy through a transmissive region of the balloon, allowing for the formation of spot lesions that can be combined to create a circumferential block, with visual guidance using an endoscope for precise targeting and monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If contact-based ablation devices are used to quickly perform ablation, then ablation speed is improved, but tissue destruction and complications increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fluid intermediary medium between the ablation source and target tissue. This fluid medium allows for non-contact energy transfer while providing thermal management, preventing direct contact between the ablation device and tissue, thereby avoiding tissue destruction while maintaining ablation effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based ablation with non-contact energy delivery through fluid-mediated energy transfer. This substitution eliminates the need for direct mechanical contact between the ablation device and tissue, reducing tissue damage while maintaining ablation speed
2Reliability
If multiple balloon catheters are used to accommodate irregular heart geometries, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and procedure time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal ablation system that can adapt to various heart geometries and pulmonary vein configurations through software control and adjustable energy delivery patterns. This single multi-functional device replaces the need for multiple specialized catheters, maintaining treatment effectiveness while reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic energy delivery and balloon positioning capabilities that allow the system to adapt to irregular heart geometries in real-time. The ability to dynamically adjust treatment parameters and catheter positioning eliminates the need for multiple fixed-geometry catheters
3Measurement precision
If continuous aiming light is used during ablation, then targeting precision is improved, but visualization of tissue changes is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic or pulsed illumination instead of continuous light. This allows intervals where the aiming light is off, enabling clear visualization of tissue changes and ablation effects while maintaining targeting precision during illumination phases. The periodic action balances the need for precise targeting with the need for visual feedback
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 solution enables the creation of effective, circumferential lesions that block fibrillation-inducing electric conduction while minimizing complications by allowing for precise energy delivery and visualization, accommodating irregular heart geometries without the need for multiple balloon catheter replacements.
Implementation Method 1
an energy emitter that is independently positionable within an inner lumen of the catheter and adapted to project a series of spots of ablative energy through a transmissive region of the balloon to a target tissue site
Implementation Method 2
The reflected light from the tissue can be observed with the endoscope between pulses of visible light from the aiming light unit
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for treating a cardiac condition with visual inspection of a tissue treatment site includes the step of delivering an expanding member formed on a distal end of a catheter to a position adjacent a tissue treatment area within a patient's heart. The expandable member has an elastic portion configured to conform to the tissue treatment area. The method further includes the steps of expanding the expandable member thereby allowing the elastic portion of the expandable member to conform to the tissue treatment area and positioning an energy emitter at a first location within an inner lumen of the catheter. A visible aiming beam is projected during positioning of the energy emitter and ablative energy is delivered from the energy emitter to the tissue treatment area thereby resulting in a first spot lesion. The ablative energy is coincident with the aiming beam and the aiming beam is in the form of pulsed visible light to allow intermittent visual inspection of the first spot lesion at times when the aiming beam is not projected onto the tissue treatment area, thereby allowing visual inspection of the ablative characteristics and sufficiency of the first spot lesion.