RF Thermal Balloon Catheter Vibration Mixing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Radio-frequency thermal balloon catheters face challenges in uniformly heating tissues due to non-uniform temperature distribution caused by convection, leading to irregular heating of liquids and tissues in contact with the balloon.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a swirling current producing mechanism using a vibratory driving means and vibration propagating direction deflecting means to create vertical swirling currents within the balloon, reducing the upper-lower temperature difference and ensuring uniform heating by controlling fluid ejection and suction periods and rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If simple stirring of liquid in the balloon is performed, then some mixing effect is achieved, but horizontal and vertical swirling currents are produced causing non-uniform temperature distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration through a vibratory driving means that generates vertical oscillations in the liquid within the balloon. This vibration-induced mixing effectively reduces temperature stratification without producing harmful horizontal swirling currents, achieving uniform temperature distribution while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibratory driving means operates with periodic oscillations that continuously mix the liquid in vertical directions. This periodic vertical mixing prevents thermal stratification and ensures uniform temperature distribution throughout the balloon, resolving the contradiction between achieving temperature uniformity and maintaining simple operation.
2Reliability
If three-dimensional radio-frequency electrode is used, then treatment coverage is improved, but perfect alignment with balloon cannot be achieved causing irregular heating
Solution Approach 1:
The vibratory driving means generates vertical oscillations that continuously mix the liquid medium, ensuring uniform heat distribution throughout the balloon. This eliminates the need for perfect alignment between the three-dimensional electrode and balloon, as the vibration-induced convection achieves homogeneous heating regardless of electrode positioning variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the liquid from static to dynamically oscillating through vibratory driving. This parameter change enables effective heat transfer and uniform temperature distribution even with imperfect electrode alignment, maintaining treatment effectiveness while reducing alignment precision requirements.
3Speed
If convection is allowed to occur in the balloon, then fluid circulation is achieved, but upper-lower temperature difference increases due to gravitational convection
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of allowing gravitational convection to drive fluid circulation (which causes upper-lower temperature differences), the patent inverts the approach by using vibratory driving to create vertical oscillations. This inverted mechanism achieves fluid circulation while actively preventing thermal stratification, as the vibration-induced mixing counteracts gravitational convection effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibratory driving means generates mechanical oscillations that create vertical fluid motion independent of gravity-driven convection. This vibration-induced circulation achieves fluid flow while maintaining uniform temperature distribution, directly counteracting the harmful effect of gravitational convection that would otherwise create upper-lower temperature differences.
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 solution effectively reduces temperature differences within the balloon, allowing for uniform heating of tissues at optimal temperatures for safe thermal treatment, preventing thrombi formation and effectively treating cardiovascular diseases and cancer by maintaining temperatures between 60° C and 75° C.
Implementation Method 1
a vibratory driving means for propagating a vibration through a fluid filling up a vibration propagating passage defined by an inside surface of the outer tube and an outside surface of the inner tube to a fluid filling up the balloon
Implementation Method 2
a vibration propagating direction deflecting means (baffle) disposed near the inlet of the balloon at an end of the vibration propagating passage to deflect the direction of propagation of the vibration upward or downward in the balloon
Implementation Method 3
a radio-frequency electrode placed in the wall of the balloon or inside the balloon to transmit radio-frequency current
Implementation Method 4
the temperature of the liquid in an upper part of the balloon is higher than that of the liquid in a lower part of the balloon owing to a vertical temperature distribution in the liquid along the direction of the gravitational force due to convection
Data Source
AI summary
A radio-frequency thermal balloon catheter includes a catheter tube including an outer tube and an inner tube, a balloon connected to an end part of the outer tube and an end part of the inner tube, and capable of coming into contact with a target diseased part when inflated, a radio-frequency electrode placed in the wall of the balloon or inside the balloon to transmit radio-frequency current, a lead wire electrically connected to the radio-frequency electrode, a temperature sensor capable of measuring temperature inside the balloon, and a swirling current producing means for making a fluid contained in the balloon swirl in a vertical plane in the balloon so as to reduce an upper-lower temperature difference between an upper part and a lower part of the interior of the balloon due to convection of the fluid to naught.