Unitary Tripodic Basket Assembly for Precise Cardiac IRE Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ablation methods for cardiac arrhythmias, such as RF and cryoablation, face challenges with thermal risks and anatomical limitations, while multi-electrode catheters for irreversible electroporation (IRE) face manufacturing difficulties due to complex assembly of tripodic structures with electrodes.
Innovation Solution
A medical probe with a tubular shaft and expandable basket assembly, featuring unitary tripodic structures with electrodes, is constructed by cutting and overlapping planar sheets to form spines that converge at a central intersection, allowing for easier assembly and deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrodes are attached to spines and tripodic structures are assembled to form a spherical basket, then the catheter can deliver IRE energy to cardiac tissue, but the manufacturing time and cost increase and the chance of electrode failure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode and spine are merged into a single unitary structure where the electrode is formed as an integral part of the spine rather than being a separate component. This eliminates the need for separate attachment processes (soldering, welding, or adhesive bonding) and removes the associated risks of bond failure while reducing manufacturing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The spine serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the catheter basket and simultaneously acts as the electrode for IRE energy delivery. This multi-functionality reduces the number of components needed and simplifies the overall manufacturing process while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple tripodic structures are assembled to form a spherical basket, then the catheter can achieve comprehensive tissue contact, but the assembly complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter basket is divided into multiple tripodic structures, each comprising three spines radiating from a central hub. This segmentation allows the basket to expand into a spherical configuration that comprehensively contacts cardiac tissue while maintaining modular simplicity in each individual tripodic unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The tripodic structures are nested within a delivery catheter during storage and transport, allowing compact packaging. Upon deployment, the nested structures expand outward to form the spherical basket configuration, transitioning from a compact stored state to an expanded functional state.
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 reduces manufacturing time and cost, enhances assembly precision, and facilitates effective IRE ablation by ensuring proper electrode alignment and contact with cardiac tissue.
Implementation Method 1
IRE delivers short pulses of high voltage to tissues and generates an unrecoverable permeabilization of cell membranes
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed technology includes a medical probe comprising a tubular shaft extending along a longitudinal axis and including a proximal end and a distal end. The medical probe further comprises an expandable basket assembly proximate the distal end of the tubular shaft. The basket assembly comprises a first unitary tripodic structure and a second unitary tripodic structure, each tripodic structure formed from a respective planar sheet of material that includes three linear spines converging at a respective central spine intersection and one or more electrodes coupled to each of the spines, each electrode defining a lumen through the electrode so that the spine extends through the lumen of each of the one or more electrodes. Each tripodic structure formed from a respective planar sheet of material that includes three linear spines converging at a respective central spine intersection.