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Design challenges to overcome when developing cardiac ablation devices

Acutus Medical’s AcQBlate Force sensing ablation catheter. Image courtesy of Acutus Medical

It’s about figuring out how and where to go with the cardiac ablation and then engineering the best catheter-based delivery device, according to a top Acutus Medical scientist.

Cardiac ablation is when a physician intentionally destroys a small amount of tissue in the heart to treat and prevent heart rhythm problems. The procedure creates therapeutic scars in the heart to block the irregular electrical signals that cause an uneven heartbeat.

To perform cardiac ablation, a physician inserts a thin, flexible catheter through veins or arteries into the heart. Sensors on the tip of the catheter detect the electrical signals inside the heart, which allows a cardiologist to pinpoint which area of the heart requires ablation.

Ablation devices mostly use heat (radiofrequency energy), extreme cold (cryoablation)…

What is coextrusion?

Coextruded tubing [Image from Putnam Plastics]Coextrusion is the process of pressing two or more materials into a single piece of tubing.

Coextruded tubing is commonly used in the packaging and medical device industries. For example, multi-layered extruded tubing can be used for drug delivery applications, including insulin delivery, angiography and pain therapy.

Coextruded tubing can also be made into a catheter or to form dual layer tubing. Each tube can be covered with different coatings, such as lubricious or hydrophilic, depending on the application.

The properties of coextruded tubing help produce a laminar structure that allows each layer to contribute a key property to the performance of the tubing, according to a 2017 study in the Fluoropolymers Applications in the Chemical Processing Industries journal. Separate extruders are typically required for the distinct material in coextrusion tubing.

Materials typically associated with coextrusi…

What is coextrusion?

Coextruded tubing [Image from Putnam Plastics]

Coextrusion is the process of pressing two or more materials into a single piece of tubing.

Coextruded tubing is commonly used in the packaging and medical device industries. For example, multi-layered extruded tubing can be used for drug delivery applications, including insulin delivery, angiography and pain therapy.

Coextruded tubing can also be made into a catheter or to form dual layer tubing. Each tube can be covered with different coatings, such as lubricious or hydrophilic, depending on the application.

Get the full story on our sister site, Medical Tubing + Extrusion.

What is an echogenic catheter?

[Image from the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine]Echogenic catheters are used for improving visibility in a number of ultrasound-guided catheterizations.

The catheters have been used in many applications. For example, echogenic catheter-over-needle systems can be used for continuous nerve block. Echogenic catheters have also been used for ultrasound-guided embryo transfer in in vitro fertilization programs.

In one study, echogenic catheters facilitated catheter identification under ultrasound in the duration of the embryo transfer procedure, according to a 2006 study. In another 2015 study, an echogenic catheter was used as a nerve block for a paravertebral anesthesia block. The results demonstrated superior ultrasound visibility of the entire length of the test catheter compared to a control.

Echogenic catheters are designed to maximize visibility. Some catheters feature a touhy needle that includes etched imprints on the needle tip that reflects ultra…

What is a pulse oximeter — and how does it work?

If you’re recovering from a respiratory problem — including COVID-19 — chances are you may have had your oxygen levels checked with a pulse oximeter.

Pulse oximetry is the non-invasive measurement of oxygen saturation (SpO2). Oxygen saturation is defined as the amount of oxygen dissolved in the blood, based on the detection of Hemoglobin, Hb, and Deoxyhemoglobin, HbO2.

The typical pulse oximeter is a device that clamps on one of your fingers. Home-use oximeters are often battery-powered and self-contained with the oxygen level displayed on a built-in LCD along with heart rate.

Go to our WTWH Media sister site Microcontroller Tips and check out a teardown of a home-use pulse oximeter made by Veridian Healthcare in Illinois.

What is a microcatheter?

Boston Scientific’s Mamba Microcatheter (t0p), Teleflex’s SuperCross Microcatheter (left) and Terumo Europe’s Progreat Microcatheter (right) [Images from Boston Scientific, Teleflex and Terumo Europe]A microcatheter is a small diameter catheter that is used in minimally invasive procedures for delivering devices. Its small build makes it ideal for navigating complex vasculature within the human body.

Microcatheters are small 0.70-1.30mm diameter catheters that are used for guidewire support, exchanges, to access distal anatomy, cross lesions, deliver therapeutic embolic, inject contrast media and perform other procedures in complex endovascular procedures.

Steerable microcatheters have been used in cardiac applications such as balloon delivery to improve vessel flow in elderly patients, according to a study published in January 2019 in the Journal of Geriatric Cardiology. They can be used to place and exchange guidewires and other intervention…