Published Technical Disclosure Archive

Enhanced Flexible Circuit for Cardiac Ablation and Mapping

Publication ID: 24-11857251_0006_PTD
Published: November 07, 2025
Category:Direct Improvements & Enhancements

Legal Citation

pr1or.art Inc., “Enhanced Flexible Circuit for Cardiac Ablation and Mapping,” Published Technical Disclosure No. 24-11857251_0006_PTD, Published November 07, 2025, available at https://archive.pr1or.art/24-11857251_0006_PTD
This technical disclosure describes improvements that would be readily apparent to a Person Having Ordinary Skill In The Art (PHOSITA) when considered in combination with the foundational architecture disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 11,857,251.

Summary of the Inventive Concept

An improved flexible circuit for use with a catheter tip, featuring advanced thermal management and real-time sensing capabilities to enhance the safety and efficacy of cardiac ablation and mapping procedures.

Background and Problem Solved

The original patent disclosed a flexible circuit for a split-tip catheter, but it had limitations in terms of thermal management and real-time sensing during cardiac ablation and mapping procedures. The new inventive concept addresses these limitations by incorporating advanced thermal management and real-time sensing capabilities, enabling more precise and safe procedures.

Detailed Description of the Inventive Concept

The enhanced flexible circuit comprises a first segment with a base section, a second segment with a lateral wall section, and a transition section between the base section and lateral wall sections. The transition section incorporates a thermal diffuser or thermoelectric cooler to facilitate heat dissipation during ablative procedures. Additionally, the flexible circuit includes a sensor array to monitor tissue temperature and adjust ablative energy delivery in real-time. This enables the catheter to dynamically adjust the energy delivery based on real-time feedback, ensuring a more precise and safe procedure.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The new claims introduce the concept of advanced thermal management and real-time sensing capabilities in the flexible circuit, which is not present in the original patent. The incorporation of thermal diffusers, thermoelectric coolers, and sensor arrays provides a significant improvement over the original patent, enabling more precise and safe cardiac ablation and mapping procedures.

Alternative Embodiments and Variations

Alternative embodiments of the inventive concept could include different thermal management strategies, such as using heat pipes or phase-change materials. Additionally, the sensor array could be replaced with other types of sensors, such as impedance sensors or optical sensors, to provide real-time feedback during procedures.

Potential Commercial Applications and Market

The enhanced flexible circuit has significant commercial potential in the cardiac ablation and mapping market, which is projected to grow significantly in the coming years. The inventive concept could be used in a variety of applications, including electrophysiology catheters, cardiac ablation systems, and cardiac mapping systems, providing a competitive advantage to companies operating in this market.

CPC Classifications

SectionClassGroup
A A61 A61B18/1492
A A61 A61B5/287
A A61 A61B5/367
A A61 A61B8/4494
A A61 A61B2018/00351
A A61 A61B2018/00577

Field of Art

Medical device engineering, specifically electrophysiology catheter design with a focus on flexible circuit technologies for cardiac diagnostic and therapeutic interventions

Person of Ordinary Skill (PHOSITA) Profile

A biomedical engineer with expertise in medical device design, electrical circuit integration, thermal management, and catheter manufacturing, typically holding a master's or doctoral degree with 3-5 years of specialized experience in medical device development

Obviousness Rationale

A person having ordinary skill would recognize that enhancing the flexible circuit with thermal management and real-time sensing capabilities represents a predictable engineering solution to known challenges in cardiac ablation procedures. The source patent establishes the fundamental flexible circuit design, and the PTD's variations represent logical extensions using well-understood techniques in medical device engineering. The modifications address inherent limitations in existing catheter technologies by introducing dynamic temperature control and feedback mechanisms.

Obvious Combinations & Variations

Source Patent Element
Flexible circuit with base and lateral wall sections for catheter tip
PTD Variation
Incorporating thermal diffuser and thermoelectric cooler in transition section
Obviousness Reasoning
Thermal management is a known design challenge in medical devices, and adding cooling mechanisms to prevent tissue damage represents a predictable solution using standard engineering techniques
Source Patent Element
Electrode regions for ablation and mapping
PTD Variation
Integrating sensor array for real-time temperature monitoring and dynamic energy adjustment
Obviousness Reasoning
Closed-loop feedback systems are standard in medical device design, and adapting sensing technologies to improve procedural precision is an obvious engineering improvement
Source Patent Element
Planar flexible circuit configuration
PTD Variation
Advanced material selection to enable more sophisticated thermal and sensing capabilities
Obviousness Reasoning
Material science advances are routinely applied to medical device design, and selecting materials to enhance functional performance represents a standard design optimization approach
Source Patent Element
Catheter tip with electrode regions
PTD Variation
Alternative sensor technologies like impedance or optical sensors for monitoring
Obviousness Reasoning
Substituting equivalent sensing technologies is a well-established design practice when the fundamental measurement goal remains consistent
35 U.S.C. § 103 Summary: Based on the teachings of US Patent 11857251 and the published technical disclosure, a person having ordinary skill in the art would find the claimed variations of flexible circuit design with enhanced thermal management and real-time sensing capabilities to be obvious and anticipated by the existing prior art. The modifications represent predictable engineering solutions that would be readily conceived by a skilled practitioner without requiring inventive insight beyond the ordinary level of skill in the medical device design field.

Original Patent Information

Patent NumberUS 11,857,251
TitleFlexible circuit for use with a catheter and related manufacturing method
Assignee(s)Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd.