Recirculating Cooling Assembly for Saline-Cooled Ablation Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for medical energy delivery devices, such as those used in tissue ablation, are inefficient and wasteful as they require constant saline supply and do not effectively recirculate cooling fluid, leading to potential tissue damage and device overheating.
Innovation Solution
A medical device cooling system featuring a reservoir connector assembly with a tubing system that recirculates cooling fluid, utilizing a peristaltic pump and thermal diffusion devices to manage heat, and includes a fluid flow indicator to ensure continuous and efficient cooling, allowing the system to operate with standard saline bags and prevent overheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a peristaltic pump forces saline through a tubing system to cool the energy delivery device, then the device can be cooled during operation, but the system requires constant supply of saline bags and is wasteful
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a recirculating cooling system where the cooling fluid continuously circulates through the tubing system, energy delivery device, and back to the reservoir. This closed-loop configuration allows the same fluid to be reused repeatedly, eliminating the need for constant saline bag replacement and reducing waste while maintaining continuous cooling of the device.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the cooling fluid after a single pass through the device, the system recovers and recirculates it back to the reservoir. The fluid is recovered from the outflow, returned to the reservoir through the recirculating pump, and reused for subsequent cooling cycles, thereby preventing substance loss and reducing waste.
2Loss of energy
If cooling fluid is pumped through the tubing system, then heat can be drawn from the device, but the system can be inefficient without proper recirculation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cooling function with recirculation capability in a single integrated system. The tubing system includes both cooling lumens and recirculation pathways merged into one configuration, allowing the same fluid to perform both cooling and heat dissipation functions repeatedly without requiring separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The recirculating cooling system is designed to automatically circulate the cooling fluid through the device and back to the reservoir without requiring external intervention. The peristaltic pump provides self-contained recirculation capability, making the system self-sufficient and improving cooling efficiency without adding complex external control mechanisms.
3Reliability
If multiple lumens are included in the elongate member for recirculation, then cooling fluid can be recirculated effectively, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elongate member is segmented into multiple lumens, each serving specific functions in the recirculating cooling system. The first and second lumens handle primary cooling fluid flow, while the third and fourth lumens provide additional recirculation pathways. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each lumen's function while maintaining overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple lumens are nested within the elongate member structure, with each lumen contained within the same protective sheath or housing. This nested configuration consolidates multiple cooling pathways into a single integrated component, reducing the overall space required and simplifying the external appearance while maintaining internal complexity for reliable recirculation.
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 effectively recirculates cooling fluid, conserves resources, and maintains the medical device within safe temperature ranges, preventing tissue damage and reducing waste, while ensuring efficient heat dissipation through thermal diffusion.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling fluid flows through the tubing system from the fluid reservoir and through the medical device before returning to the fluid reservoir. As the cooling fluid flows through the medical ablation device, the cooling fluid draws heat from the medical device.
Implementation Method 2
The system may also include a thermal diffusion device configured to draw heat from the fluid and diffuse the heat to an ambient environment.
Implementation Method 3
The pump may be a peristaltic pump.
Data Source
AI summary
An energy delivery device cooling system includes a reservoir connector assembly and an elongate member. The elongate member has first and second lumens in fluid communication with the reservoir. The first lumen includes an outflow port and the second lumen includes a return port each in fluid communication with the reservoir. The device further includes a tubing system having a first end and a second end. The first end connected in fluid communication with the outflow port and the second end in fluid communication with the return port. The second end configured to return a fluid to the reservoir. The tubing system connects to an energy delivery device to cool the fluid.