Cardiology mapping and navigation system

• US 20040152974A1
• Filed: 01/23/2004
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stephen Solomon
• Original Assignee: Stephen Solomon
• Inventors: Solomon, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US10/764,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20040152974A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/341 Vectorcardiography [VCG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/03 Computed tomography [CT] echo-tomography A61B8/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5217 extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0883 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for superimposing the position and orientation of a diagnostic and/or treatment device on a previously acquired three-dimensional anatomic image such as a CT or MRI image, so as to enable navigation of the diagnostic and/or treatment device to a desired location. A plurality of previously acquired three-dimensional images may be utilized to form a “movie” of the beating heart which can be synchronized with a patient'"'"'s EKG in the operating room, and the position of the diagnostic and/or treatment device can be superimposed on the synchronized “movie” of the beating heart. An electrophysiological map of the heart can also be superimposed on the previously acquired three-dimensional antaomic image and/or the “movie” of the beating heart.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining a position of an object in a beating heart, comprising:

a sensor adapted to be connected to the object;

an imaging device which acquires images of the beating heart;

an electrocardiograph which produces a real-time electrocardiogram of the beating heart; and

a control unit which processes the acquired images of the beating heart and produces a moving image of the beating heart and which synchronizes the moving image with the electrocardiogram;

wherein a position of the sensor is registered with respect to the synchronized moving image by touching the sensor to landmarks within the heart and indicating a position of the landmarks on the synchronized moving image;

and wherein the control unit tracks the position of the sensor and indicates the position of the sensor on the synchronized moving image.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the landmarks comprise electrical landmarks corresponding to known anatomic positions.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the landmarks comprise positions at which pressure changes and which correspond to known anatomic positions.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquired images comprise three dimensional images and the moving image comprises a three dimensional moving image.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquired images comprise two dimensional images and the moving image comprises a two dimensional moving image.

6. A method for registering a position of a sensor inserted in a beating heart with respect to a moving image of the beating heart, comprising:

touching the sensor to a wall of the beating heart so as to cause the sensor to move with the wall of the beating heart throughout a beating cycle of the beating heart;

collecting positional coordinates of the sensor with each beat to define a beating structure; and

matching the defined beating structure with the moving image of the beating heart;

wherein the moving image of the beating heart is produced based on previously acquired images,

wherein the sensor is touched to the wall of the beating heart at points at electrical landmarks within the heart which correspond to known anatomic positions and the beating cycle is defined by indicating the anatomic positions on the three dimensional moving image of the beating heart.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the moving image comprises a three dimensional moving image.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the moving image comprises a two dimensional moving image.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the moving image comprises a three dimensional moving image.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the moving image comprises a two dimensional moving image.

9. A method for registering a position of a sensor inserted in a beating heart with respect to a moving image of the beating heart, comprising:

touching the sensor to a wall of the beating heart so as to cause the sensor to move with the wall of the beating heart throughout a beating cycle of the beating heart;

collecting positional coordinates of the sensor with each beat to define a beating structure; and

matching the defined beating structure with the moving image of the beating heart;

wherein the moving image of the beating heart is produced based on previously acquired images,

wherein the sensor is touched to the wall of the beating heart at points at which pressure changes and which correspond to known anatomic positions and the beating cycle is defined by indicating the anatomic positions on the three dimensional moving image of the beating heart.