Segmented Ablation Catheter Lesion Wire for Precise Tissue Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical ablation instruments often cause excessive damage to healthy tissue due to the large size of the ablation end or edge of catheters, which is not precise enough for small target areas, leading to unneeded trauma during procedures.
Innovation Solution
An ablation instrument with a body and an ablating member featuring a lesion wire extending along its side surface, electrically coupled to an energy source, allowing for partial isolation of the target area and precise energy delivery using RF, microwave, or thermal conduction, while incorporating thermal sensors for temperature and impedance monitoring to control the procedure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional catheter-based ablation instruments are used, then ablation can be performed to control hemorrhaging and induce thrombosis, but excessive damage is caused to healthy tissue due to the large size of the ablation end relative to the small target area
Solution Approach 1:
The ablation catheter is divided into multiple independent ablation elements (first ablation element and second ablation element) positioned at different locations. Each element can be independently controlled to ablate specific portions of the tissue, allowing precise targeting of the abnormal tissue while avoiding damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The ablation elements are designed with different characteristics - the first ablation element has a larger surface area for broader ablation, while the second ablation element has a smaller surface area for more focused ablation. This allows the operator to select the appropriate element based on the specific ablation requirements, achieving local optimization of the ablation process.
2Reliability
If the ablation end of the catheter is made larger to ensure complete coverage of the target area, then ablation effectiveness is improved, but the trauma to surrounding healthy tissue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ablation function is segmented into multiple independent elements that can be selectively activated. This allows the operator to achieve complete coverage of the target area by using multiple smaller ablation elements rather than one large ablation element, thereby maintaining ablation effectiveness while reducing trauma to surrounding healthy tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The ablation elements can be independently controlled and activated based on the specific ablation requirements. The operator can dynamically select which elements to use and adjust their activation sequence, allowing flexible adaptation to different ablation scenarios while minimizing unnecessary tissue damage.
3Device complexity
If conventional single-element ablation catheters are used, then the device structure is simple, but the ability to precisely isolate and ablate small target areas is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter incorporates multiple independent ablation elements positioned at different locations along the catheter body. Each element can be independently controlled, allowing precise isolation and ablation of small target areas. The segmented design provides flexibility in targeting specific tissue portions while maintaining a relatively simple overall catheter structure.
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 enables more precise and controlled ablation with reduced collateral damage by isolating the target area, allowing for effective ablation procedures such as rhizotomy, pulmonary ablation, and nerve end ablation with minimized impact on surrounding tissues.
Implementation Method 1
precise energy delivery using RF, microwave, or thermal conduction
Implementation Method 2
electrically coupled to an energy source, allowing for partial isolation of the target area and precise energy delivery using RF
Implementation Method 3
incorporating thermal sensors for temperature and impedance monitoring to control the procedure
Data Source
AI summary
An ablation instrument including a body and an ablating member is provided. The body includes a distal end and a surface with the ablating member coupled toward the distal end of the body. The ablating member includes a lesion wire extending through and along a portion of the surface of the body for creating lesions in a target tissue while the body serves to isolate surrounding tissue from the target tissue. A method of ablating a target area is also provided.