Staggered Basket Catheter Electrodes for Compact IRE Ablation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical probes face challenges in maximizing tissue contact area during irreversible electroporation (IRE) ablation procedures, particularly in ensuring adequate surface area contact of electrodes with cardiac tissue while maintaining a compact design for ease of insertion.
Innovation Solution
A medical probe with a basket assembly comprising resilient spines and staggered electrodes biased towards the outer sides, allowing for increased electrode surface area contact and reduced space requirements when collapsed, facilitating efficient IRE ablation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If electrodes are arranged in a compact configuration for easy insertion, then the device profile is reduced, but the electrode surface area contact with tissue is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies staggered electrode positioning where electrodes on adjacent spines are offset longitudinally, creating a three-dimensional distribution pattern. This dimensional arrangement allows electrodes to spread out in space when the basket is expanded, maximizing tissue contact area while maintaining a compact collapsed profile for insertion through the sheath.
2Productivity
If electrodes are spaced to maximize tissue contact, then ablation effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The basket assembly is segmented into multiple spines with electrodes distributed across them. Each spine carries electrodes at specific staggered positions, creating modular units that can be independently positioned. This segmentation allows systematic optimization of tissue contact without requiring complex overall device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric electrode spacing where electrodes on adjacent spines are positioned at different longitudinal locations rather than symmetrically aligned. This asymmetric staggered arrangement optimizes the three-dimensional contact pattern with tissue, improving ablation effectiveness while avoiding the complexity of symmetric multi-electrode configurations.
3Area of moving object
If the basket assembly is designed to expand for treatment, then electrode tissue contact is enhanced, but the insertion difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The basket assembly with its spines and staggered electrodes is designed to nest within the delivery sheath in a collapsed configuration during insertion. Once positioned at the target site, the basket expands from this nested state to achieve full electrode deployment and tissue contact. This nesting principle allows the device to transition from a compact insertable form to an expanded treatment form.
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 staggered electrode design enhances tissue contact area, enabling effective IRE ablation with increased electrode selection possibilities and minimal heat generation, while maintaining a compact profile for insertion.
Implementation Method 1
Some medical systems use irreversible electroporation (IRE) to ablate cardiac tissue. IRE is a nonthermal ablation method based on the unrecoverable permeabilization of cell membranes caused by short pulses of high voltage delivered to the tissue.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention include a medical probe having a flexible insertion tube, a basket assembly, and a plurality of electrodes. The basket assembly has a proximal end that is connected distally to the insertion tube and includes a plurality of resilient spines, which have respective outer sides and inner sides and are configured to bow radially outward from an axis of the basket assembly and are conjoined at the proximal end and at a distal end of the basket assembly. The plurality of electrodes are fixed to respective ones of the spines in respective longitudinal positions that are staggered on any given spine relative to the longitudinal positions of the electrodes on the spines adjacent to the given spine, and which include a conductive material that is biased towards the respective outer sides of the spines.