Shorted Basket-Probe Electrodes for IRE Current Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing a basket probe for irreversible electroporation (IRE) that balances electrode size to avoid tissue damage from high current density while ensuring safe deployment within the body is challenging.
Innovation Solution
A basket probe with smaller electrodes that are shorted in groups to reduce current density, combined with a collapsible design using superelastic elements and polymeric sleeves for a compact profile, and a switching mechanism to vary current distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If larger electrodes are used, then current distribution is improved, but tissue damage risk increases due to high current density
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode array is divided into multiple discrete electrodes along the spine, with each electrode independently controllable. This segmentation allows the current to be distributed across multiple smaller electrode surfaces, reducing the current density at each individual electrode while maintaining overall effective current distribution through the tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The basket probe incorporates collapsible spines that can dynamically change their configuration. The spines can be collapsed for safe delivery through the catheter and then expanded at the target site to provide a larger effective electrode area. This dynamic structure allows the system to optimize current distribution by increasing the total electrode surface area when needed, thereby reducing current density.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If smaller electrodes are used, then tissue damage is reduced, but current density becomes too high causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple smaller electrodes are electrically combined or grouped together to function as a single larger effective electrode. By merging the electrical output of multiple electrodes, the system achieves a larger total current-carrying surface area, which reduces the current density at each individual electrode while maintaining sufficient total current for effective treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible spine structure allows the electrode array to dynamically expand at the target site, increasing the total effective electrode area. This dynamic expansion provides a larger surface area for current distribution, thereby reducing current density and minimizing tissue damage risk while maintaining treatment effectiveness.
3Ease of operation
If a collapsible design is used, then safe deployment is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The probe structure is segmented into multiple independent spines that can be collapsed and expanded individually. Each spine is a separate structural element with its own electrodes, allowing the entire array to be collapsed for safe delivery and then expanded at the target site. This segmentation enables safe deployment through the catheter while maintaining the ability to provide a large effective electrode area at the treatment location.
Solution Approach 2:
The probe incorporates dynamic collapsible spines that can change their configuration between a collapsed state for delivery and an expanded state for treatment. This dynamic structure allows the system to optimize both safe deployment and treatment effectiveness, though it does increase structural complexity compared to a fixed design.
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 tissue damage and facilitates safe deployment by optimizing current distribution and probe collapse, enhancing the effectiveness of IRE procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The spines include respective expandable superelastic elements
Implementation Method 2
using multiple electrodes coupled to the spines, performing a procedure on the subject
Data Source
AI summary
A system for use with multiple electrodes coupled to respective spines of a probe includes multiple switches connected to the electrodes and configured to short different respective first subsets of the electrodes to each other and different respective second subsets of the electrodes to each other per different respective settings of the switches. The system further includes a processor configured to control the switches so as to alternate through the settings and, for each of the settings, cause a power generator to apply a voltage between the shorted first subset and the shorted second subset while the probe is deployed within a body of a subject. Other examples are also described.