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System and method for assessing the proximity of an electrode to tissue in a body

  • US 10,362,959 B2
  • Filed: 05/13/2009
  • Issued: 07/30/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for assessing the proximity of an electrode to a tissue in a body, comprising:

  • a tissue sensing circuit configured to resolve a detected impedance into first and second components of a complex impedance between said electrode and said tissue, said tissue sensing circuit including a tissue sensing signal source configured to generate an excitation signal to be applied to said tissue and a complex impedance sensor coupled to said tissue sensing signal source and configured to measure a response signal and output said first and second components of said complex impedance; and

    an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to execute a computer program for assessing said proximity that is configured to;

    (i) acquire a plurality of values for said first and second components of said complex impedance from said tissue sensing circuit between said electrode and said tissue as said electrode moves in the body and to calculate a respective electrical coupling index (ECI) for each of said plurality of values of said first and second components of said complex impedance;

    (ii) process plural values of said electrical coupling index to determine a respective proximity of said electrode to said tissue as said electrode moves in the body, wherein said ECU, based on said ECI, is configured to determine whether said electrode is deemed not to be in contact with said tissue with said electrode being no more than a predetermined distance from said tissue wherein said predetermined distance is a positive, non-zero distance, said ECU, based on said ECI, being further configured to determine whether said electrode is deemed not to be in contact with said tissue with said electrode being beyond said predetermined distance from said tissuesaid ECU being further configured to generate a signal representative of an indicator of proximity between said electrode and said tissue and to transmit said generated signal to at least one of (i) an application and (ii) a device other than said tissue sensing circuit and said proximity assessing program, for control of said at least one of said application and said device.

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