Controlling appearance of displayed markers for improving catheter and tissue visibility

• US 10,639,106 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Sheiner, Amiram, Cohen, Assaf, Ilan, Ido, Seker Gafni, Noam
• Primary Examiner(s): Mushambo, Martin
• Application Number:
  US16/415,159
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00351 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/05 Surgical care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/066 Superposing sensor position on an image of the patient, e.g. obtained by ultrasound or x-ray imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0166 Sensors, electrodes or the like for guiding the catheter to a target zone, e.g. image guided or magnetically guided
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0108 using radio-opaque or ultrasound markers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

A method for improving visualization of at least a catheter in an organ of a patient, the method includes displaying a map of the organ, and at least a first visual marker overlaid on the map. A position, falling within the map, of a distal end of the catheter is received. Displayed on the map are (i) the distal end of the catheter in accordance with the received position, and (ii) instead of the first visual marker, at least a second visual marker, which increases visibility of at least one of the map and the distal end, relative to the first visual marker.

Claims

1. A method for improving visualization of at least a catheter in an organ of a patient, the method comprising:

displaying a map of the organ, and at least a first visual marker overlaid on the map;

receiving a position, falling within the map, of a distal end of the catheter; and

displaying on the map (i) the distal end of the catheter in accordance with the received position, and (ii) instead of the first visual marker, at least a second visual marker, which increases visibility of at least one of the map and the distal end, relative to the first visual marker.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the second visual marker, instead of the first visual marker, is performed in response to identifying that the position of the distal end is within a predefined vicinity of the first visual marker.

3. The method according to claim 2, and comprising, upon identifying that the position of the distal end is no longer within the predefined vicinity, re-displaying the first visual marker instead of the second visual marker.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the second visual marker, instead of the first visual marker, comprises modifying at least an attribute of the first visual marker to produce the second visual marker.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the attribute is selected from a list consisting of:

dimension, shape, opacity and color.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organ comprises a heart, and wherein the first and second visual markers are indicative of one or more parameters of radiofrequency (RF) ablation applied to tissue of the heart.

7. A system for improving visualization of at least a catheter in an organ of a patient, the system comprising:

an output device; and

a processor, which is configured to;

display, on the output device, a map of the organ and at least a first visual marker overlaid on the map;

receive a position, falling within the map, of a distal end of the catheter; and

display on the map (i) the distal end of the catheter in accordance with the received position, and (ii) instead of the first visual marker, at least a second visual marker, which increases visibility of at least one of the map and the distal end, relative to the first visual marker.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to display the second visual marker instead of the first visual marker, in response to identifying that the position of the distal end is within a predefined vicinity of the first visual marker.

9. The system according to claim 8, and comprising, upon identifying that the position of the distal end is no longer within the predefined vicinity, the processor is configured to re-display the first visual marker instead of the second visual marker.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to produce the second visual marker by modifying at least an attribute of the first visual marker.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to select the attribute from a list consisting of:

dimension, shape, opacity and color.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the organ comprises a heart, and wherein the first and second visual markers are indicative of one or more parameters of radiofrequency (RF) ablation applied to tissue of the heart.