Company: MedTech Start-Up
Industry: Medical Devices
Use Case: Catheter Prototype to Measure Heart Muscle
Services Used: Analog Circuit Design, Power Management, Signal Processing, Data Acquisition
Results:
- Developed a prototype circuit for a catheter capable of distinguishing blood, healthy heart tissue, and infarcted heart tissue
- Enhanced the diagnostic accuracy of cardiac catheterization
- Demonstrated innovative medical device design under stringent constraints
Customer Introduction
This medical device start-up company wanted to implement an innovative method to reliably detect the minute differences between healthy and infarcted heart tissue.
Problem/Goal
- Measuring impedance in the heart chamber is complicated by the probe being immersed in blood which has its own impedance.
The design needed to incorporate an appropriate range to differentiate between the impedance of blood, healthy tissue, and infarcted tissue, while adjusting for the impedance of the probe itself.
- Budget and space constraints
There will be a stable quality source of AC signal that fits within the budget and within a small space. The detector and its multiple output wires will fit into a very thin catheter.
- Operating on battery power limits the voltage available for impedance measurement.
The device needs to work from battery power.
Solution
Voler Systems was selected for this project based on their expertise in analog design and medical device development and design. Engineers implemented the following solutions for the project:
- Designed a system involving an oscillator, a rectification performing detector, multiple amplifiers, and filters.
- Operated the system successfully with only two to three volts from a single battery.
- Utilized off-the-shelf software on a standard PC for data acquisition and display during animal trials.
- Planned for future embedding of the system into an onboard microprocessor for real-time and efficient data analysis.
Results & Benefits
- Developed a prototype catheter capable of distinguishing between blood, healthy heart tissue, and infarcted (dead) heart tissue.
- Overcame significant design challenges including limited power source, confined space, and complex impedance measurements.
- Laid the foundation for improved strategies in identifying damage from heart attacks and optimizing interventions.
- Built a system that can operate on standard PC software for initial stages and can be embedded into an onboard microprocessor for future development.
- Pioneered a significant advancement in diagnostic accuracy of cardiac catheterization.
Inspiration
Voler Systems excels in navigating complex design challenges to deliver cutting-edge medical, wearable, and IoT devices.
“Voler Systems has proven that innovation thrives in the face of challenges. Their work has shown that even the most complex problems can lead to groundbreaking solutions, especially when the goal is to improve lives.”
Contact Voler Systems today to explore how we can navigate the complexities of your project and deliver innovative, life-changing outcomes together.