*Result*: Multi-electrode catheter PFA: Computational modeling and in vivo validation of lesion dynamics under energy-dose variants.

Title:
Multi-electrode catheter PFA: Computational modeling and in vivo validation of lesion dynamics under energy-dose variants.
Authors:
Ji X; Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China., Gu K; Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China., Wang H; Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China., Zhou T; Cardiac Electrophysiology R&D Center, APT Medical Inc., Shenzhen 518057, China., Wu X; Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI) of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Assistive Devices, Shanghai 200433, China; Yiwu Research Institute, Fudan University, Chengbei Road, Yiwu City 322000, China. Electronic address: xiaomeiwu@fudan.edu.cn., Yan S; Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Source:
Computer methods and programs in biomedicine [Comput Methods Programs Biomed] 2025 Nov; Vol. 271, pp. 109025. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Aug 14.
Publication Type:
Comparative Study; Journal Article
Language:
English
Journal Info:
Publisher: Elsevier Scientific Publishers Country of Publication: Ireland NLM ID: 8506513 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1872-7565 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01692607 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Comput Methods Programs Biomed Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s):
Publication: Limerick : Elsevier Scientific Publishers
Original Publication: Amsterdam : Elsevier Science Publishers, c1984-
MeSH Terms:
Catheter Ablation*/instrumentation , Catheter Ablation*/methods , Computer Simulation*, Liver/surgery ; Electrodes ; Animals ; Muscle Contraction ; Catheters ; Rabbits ; Equipment Design
Contributed Indexing:
Keywords: Ablation efficacy; Discharge mode; Muscle contraction; Pulsed field ablation
Entry Date(s):
Date Created: 20250823 Date Completed: 20260206 Latest Revision: 20260206
Update Code:
20260207
DOI:
10.1016/j.cmpb.2025.109025
PMID:
40848559
Database:
MEDLINE

*Further Information*

*Background and Objective: As a non-thermal ablation modality, pulsed field ablation (PFA) has been widely applied in solid tumor treatment and cardiac ablation. Multiple factors are known to influence the effects of PFA, including pulse parameters, catheter configurations, and tissue properties. However, limited attention has been paid to the impact of discharge modes on PFA.
Methods: A sequential discharge mode (M2) was designed based on a multi-electrode ablation catheter and compared with the conventional simultaneous discharge mode (M1). To evaluate the ablation efficacy of different modes, three-dimensional ablation models incorporating two multi-electrode catheter configurations (circular and linear) were established. A comparative numerical simulation analysis was conducted to investigate the electric potential and field distribution characteristics of M1 and M2, followed by animal experiments to validate the simulation results. The comprehensive performance of the two discharge modes was assessed in terms of ablation efficacy and muscle contraction.
Results: M2 demonstrated superior ablation efficacy over M1 in both catheter configurations. For the circular catheter, the minimum lesion depth (M1: 2.08 ± 0.10 mm vs. M2: 2.64 ± 0.46 mm, p = 0.006) was significantly improved, and the uniformity of lesion depth (M1: 0.18 vs. M2: 0.16) was partially enhanced. Similarly, the linear catheter showed improved the minimum lesion depth (M1: 2.81 ± 0.21 mm vs. M2: 3.41 ± 0.44 mm, p = 0.001) and the uniformity of lesion depth (M1: 0.13 vs. M2: 0.11). This advantage may be attributed to M2's higher pulsed energy output and optimized ablation strategy. Notably, although M2 induced slightly higher muscle contraction amplitudes than M1, both modes maintained low contraction levels without significantly compromising ablation efficacy. Specifically, peak accelerations were recorded as M1: 0.030 ± 0.028 g vs. M2: 0.039 ± 0.016 g (p = 0.369) for the circular catheter and M1: 0.031 ± 0.017 g vs. M2: 0.040 ± 0.016 g (p = 0.242) for the linear catheter.
Conclusion: Compared to the conventional discharge mode, the sequential discharge mode is recognized as a superior ablation strategy, achieving enhancements in lesion dimensions and uniformity while maintaining a controlled safety profile.
(Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)*

*Declaration of competing interest Tuo Zhou of APT Medical Inc. provided scientific expertise and contributed PFA products to this research. It is emphasized that APT Medical Inc. did not offer financial support nor was it involved in the study's conception or implementation. The remaining authors declare no relevant competing interests.*