Thermochromic polyacrylamide tissue phantom and its use for evaluation of ablation therapies
AssigneeMedtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC
InventorsAaron R. Strunk, Alex Novichenok
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A polyacrylamide tissue phantom embedded with multi-formulated thermochromic liquid crystals for use in the evaluation of RF ablation therapies is provided. The tissue phantom approximates the properties of biological tissue, and therefore provides a suitable substitute for use in testing the effects of RF and other energy-emitting devices on biological tissue. Also provided is a system for using the tissue phantom in the evaluation of RF therapies.
Claims18
A device for testing ablation devices comprising:
- a layered substance mimicking mammalian tissue and changing color in response to contact with an activated ablation device, the substance including:
- a thermochromic first layer having a first surface;
- a substantially transparent second layer having a first surface;
- a substantially opaque third layer having a first surface, the thermochromic first layer being between the second and third layers;
- and
- an energy application surface comprising the first surface of the thermochromic first layer, the first surface of the substantially transparent second layer, and the first surface of the substantially opaque third layer.
A device for testing radiofrequency ablation therapies comprising:
- a layered polyacrylamide gel mimicking body tissue, including
- a substantially transparent first layer having a first surface and a second surface;
- a thermochromic second layer having a first surface and including thermochromic microencapsulated cholesteric crystals that change color in response to radiofrequency energy over a temperature range of approximately 50° C. to approximately 110° C.;
- a substantially opaque third layer having a first surface and providing contrast to the second layer, the second layer being between the first and third layers;
- and
- an energy application surface comprising the first surface of each of the first, second, and third layers, the width of the thermochromic second layer being between approximately 0.5 mm to approximately 1.5 mm as measured on the energy application surface, the width being substantially constant throughout the thermochromic second layer.
A method of testing radiofrequency ablation devices comprising:
- providing a substance mimicking mammalian tissue, the substance having:
- a substantially transparent first layer having a first surface and a second surface;
- a thermochromic second layer having a first surface and including thermochromic material that changes color in response to contact with an activated ablation device;
- a substantially opaque third layer having a first surface and being suitable for providing contrast to the second layer, the second layer being between the first and third layers,
- the first surface of the substantially transparent first layer, the first surface of the thermochromic second layer, and the first surface of the substantially opaque third layer together comprising an energy application surface;
- providing an ablation device;
- activating the ablation device and placing the device in contact with energy application surface;
- observing through the second surface of the substantially transparent first layer the color changes in the second thermochromic layer;
- and
- determining whether to adjust parameters of the ablation device based on the color changes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.