Treatment Probe Nerve Ablation Tumescent Fluid Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional nerve ablation procedures often cause undesirable damage to superficial tissues due to the shallow anatomical location of nerves, leading to scarring and disruption of neighboring nerves and blood vessels.
Innovation Solution
A treatment probe with an elongated body member and a needle portion, equipped with at least one electrode and one fluid port, is used to deliver electrical energy and a tumescent fluid, protecting superficial tissue planes from heat damage during nerve ablation by positioning the electrode away from the fluid ports to ensure targeted energy application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical energy is applied to a target nerve for nerve ablation, then nerve conduction is interrupted to treat neuromuscular defects, but superficial tissue planes overlying the target nerve suffer inadvertent heat damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by delivering tumescent fluid to the superficial tissue planes before applying electrical energy for nerve ablation. This pre-treatment creates a protective barrier that insulates the superficial tissues from subsequent thermal damage while allowing the electrical energy to effectively ablate the target nerve.
Solution Approach 2:
The tumescent fluid serves as an intermediary substance between the electrical energy source and the superficial tissue planes. It acts as a thermal insulator that mediates the interaction, allowing the electrical energy to reach the target nerve while preventing harmful heat transfer to the overlying superficial tissues.
2Reliability
If electrical energy is applied to a target nerve for nerve ablation, then nerve conduction is interrupted, but unwanted scarring and tissue disruption occur
Solution Approach 1:
The tumescent fluid is delivered in advance to the treatment site before electrical ablation occurs. This preliminary fluid delivery prepares the tissue environment by creating a protective barrier that reduces thermal spread, thereby minimizing collateral tissue disruption and scarring while maintaining effective nerve conduction interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful thermal energy that would cause scarring into a beneficial effect by using the tumescent fluid to contain and direct the heat. The fluid transforms the uncontrolled thermal damage into a controlled process that achieves nerve ablation while protecting surrounding tissues from scarring.
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
This approach effectively reduces unwanted scarring and tissue disruption, allowing for precise interruption of nerve conduction to treat neuromuscular defects while minimizing harm to surrounding tissues.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one electrode and the at least one fluid port can be configured to deliver electrical energy and a tumescent fluid, respectively
Implementation Method 2
superficial tissue planes overlying a target nerve are protected from inadvertent heat damage as a result of application of electrical energy to a target nerve
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a treatment probe comprising an elongated body member and a needle portion. The elongated body member can have a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. The needle portion can be connected to the distal end portion. The needle portion can include at least one electrode and at least one fluid port. The at least one electrode and the at least one fluid port can be configured to deliver electrical energy and a tumescent fluid, respectively, so that superficial tissue planes overlying a target nerve are protected from inadvertent heat damage as a result of application of electrical energy to a target nerve.