Shaped Microwave Antenna for Uniform Endometrial Ablation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endometrial ablation devices are rigid and thick, causing patient discomfort during cervical dilation and failing to conform to irregularly shaped uterine cavities, leading to incomplete ablation zones.
Innovation Solution
The development of microwave antennas with a radiating element, a shaping element, and a dielectric piece, which generate uniquely shaped microwave fields to improve outcomes in endometrial ablation by avoiding device shaft heating and achieving uniform lesion profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If current endometrial ablation devices are used with thick and rigid shafts, then the device can be inserted into the uterine cavity, but it causes extreme patient discomfort during cervical dilation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible shaft design with a thin profile that can bend and conform to the natural anatomy of the cervical canal. The shaft incorporates flexible materials and structural elements that allow it to navigate the curved path to the uterine cavity without requiring extreme cervical dilation, thereby eliminating the need for anesthesia while maintaining sufficient structural integrity to deliver the ablation energy.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-shaped active end is used in current devices, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot conform to irregularly shaped uterine cavities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a shape-memory alloy or superelastic material for the active end of the device that can dynamically change its configuration. The device is inserted in a constrained, low-profile state, then deployed to assume a predetermined three-dimensional shape that conforms to the irregular geometry of the uterine cavity and endometrial layer, enabling complete ablation coverage without requiring complex adjustable mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The active end of the device is designed with a predetermined three-dimensional shape that replicates or approximates the complex geometry of the endometrial layer. This pre-formed shape allows the device to match the irregular contours of the uterine cavity, ensuring uniform ablation across the entire endometrial surface including difficult-to-reach areas.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional microwave devices are used, then the device can deliver microwave energy, but it causes device shaft heating and non-uniform lesion profile
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the microwave energy delivery function from the shaft structure by using a dedicated radiating element or antenna that is electrically isolated from the shaft. The shaft is designed with non-conductive, low-dielectric materials and appropriate geometry to minimize microwave absorption, while the energy is delivered through a specialized radiating structure positioned at the active end, thereby eliminating shaft heating and enabling uniform energy distribution across the treatment zone.
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 provides a more comfortable and effective treatment by reducing patient discomfort, minimizing the need for anesthesia, and ensuring complete ablation of the endometrial layer, even in irregularly shaped uterine cavities.
Implementation Method 1
application of microwave energy to the antenna generates a microwave field having a volumetric shape
Implementation Method 2
the dielectric piece extending along an axis of the antenna
Data Source
AI summary
Microwave antennas and devices incorporating such antennas usable for performing procedures on or within a patient's body using a shaped microwave field.