Delivering ablation therapy in a heart chamber

• US 20060084972A1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1992
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Endocardial Solutions Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Kagan, Jonathan, Beatty, Graydon Ernest, Budd, Jeffrey Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/265,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20060084972A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• 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 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00267 having a basket shaped structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00839 Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/283 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/287 Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/308 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6853 with a balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6858 with a distal basket, e.g. expandable basket
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3625 External stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 : Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A method of delivering ablation therapy in a heart chamber includes inserting a catheter in the heart chamber. Electrophysiological data in the heart chamber is acquired with the catheter. The position of the catheter is determined using an electromagnetic field source external to the heart chamber, and the location of the acquired electrophysiological data is determined using the position of the catheter. The acquired electrophysiological data is integrated with the location of the acquired electrophysiological data. Information related to the three-dimensional geometry of at least a portion of the heart chamber is received. A continuous three-dimensional color-coded map of the electrophysiological data is created and superimposed on a geometrical representation of the three-dimensional geometry information. The map is then utilized to deliver ablation therapy.

Claims

1. A method of delivering ablation therapy in a heart chamber, comprising:

a) inserting a catheter in the heart chamber;

b) acquiring electrophysiological data in the heart chamber with the catheter;

c) determining the position of the catheter by using an electromagnetic field source external to the heart chamber;

d) determining the location of the acquired electrophysiological data in step (b) using the position determined in step (c);

e) integrating the information of steps (b) and (d);

f) receiving information related to the three-dimensional geometry of at least a portion of the heart chamber from the position determined in step (c);

g) creating a continuous three-dimensional, color-coded map of the electrophysiological data superimposed on a geometrical representation of the three-dimensional geometry information received in step (f); and

h) utilizing the map to deliver ablation therapy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

i) acquiring additional data related to the electrophysiological data of at least a portion of the heart chamber;

j) updating the map to display the additional data; and

k) repeating steps (i) and (j) to display a visual representation of the changing state of the heart chamber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is displayed on the map using contour lines.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating potentials at locations on the heart chamber geometry utilizing the acquired data and the determined position of the catheter; and

displaying data related to the calculated potentials as a portion of the map.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the heart chamber is a human heart chamber.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the map is an isopotential map.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the map is an isochronal map.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the map is a local activation time map.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the electrophysiological data in the heart chamber comprises acquiring voltages, and the map displays data related to the acquired voltages.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the map displays electrical propagation in the heart.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the map is displayed in real-time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the position of the catheter superimposed on the map.

13. Apparatus for acquiring and mapping electrophysiological data in a heart chamber, comprising:

a catheter having an electrode positionable in the heart chamber to acquire electrophysiological data;

an antenna coupled to the catheter to detect an electromagnetic field produced by an electromagnetic field source external to the heart chamber in order to determine the position of the catheter;

an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the catheter to process the catheter position information and the electrophysiological data;

a computer coupled to the analog-to-digital converter to integrate the electrophysiological data and the position information,

the computer being adapted to receive information related to the three-dimensional geometry of at least a portion of the heart chamber from the catheter position information and to create a continuous three-dimensional, color-coded map of the electrophysiological data superimposed on a geometrical representation of the received three-dimensional geometry information; and

a catheter adapted to deliver ablation therapy.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the computer is further adapted to calculate potentials at locations on the heart chamber geometry utilizing the acquired electrophysiological data and the catheter position information; and

the apparatus further comprises a display adapted to display data related to the calculated potentials as a portion of the map.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the map is an isopotential map.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the map is an isochronal map.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the map is a local activation time map.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the map displays data related to voltages processed by the analog-to-digital converter.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the map displays electrical propagation in the heart.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the map is displayed in real-time.

21. A system for acquiring and mapping electrophysiological data in a heart chamber, comprising:

a catheter having an electrode positionable in the heart chamber to acquire electrophysiological data;

an antenna coupled to the catheter to detect an electromagnetic field produced by an electromagnetic field source external to the heart chamber in order to determine information related to the position of the catheter;

an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the catheter to process the catheter position information and the electrophysiological data; and

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code to cause an application program to execute on a computer to acquire and map the electrophysiological data, comprising;

code to integrate the acquired electrophysiological data and the catheter position information,

code to process information related to the three-dimensional geometry of at least a portion of the heart chamber from the catheter position information,

code to create a continuous three-dimensional, color-coded map of the electrophysiological data superimposed on a geometrical representation of the processed three-dimensional geometry information, and

code to utilize the map to deliver ablation therapy.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

code to calculate potentials at locations on the heart chamber geometry utilizing the electrophysiological data and the catheter position information; and

display adapted to display data related to the calculated potentials as a portion of the map.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the map is an isopotential map.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the map is an isochronal map.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the map is a local activation time map.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the map displays data related to voltages processed by the analog-to-digital converter.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the map displays electrical propagation in the heart.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the map is displayed in real-time.

29. For use with a system that acquires and maps electrophysiological data in a heart chamber, wherein the system includes a catheter having an electrode positionable in the heart chamber to acquire electrophysiological data, an electromagnetic field source external to the chamber to produce an electromagnetic field, an antenna coupled to the catheter to detect the electromagnetic field in order to determine information related to the position of the catheter, and an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the catheter to process the catheter position information and the electrophysiological data, a computer usable medium having computer readable program code to cause an application program to execute on a computer to acquire and map the electrophysiological data, comprising:

code to integrate the electrophysiological data and the catheter position information,

code to process information related to the three-dimensional geometry of at least a portion of the heart chamber from the catheter position information,

code to create a continuous three-dimensional, color-coded map of the electrophysiological data superimposed on a geometrical representation of the processed three-dimensional geometry information, and

code to utilize the displayed map to deliver ablation therapy.

30. The computer usable medium of claim 29, further comprising code to calculate potentials at locations on the heart chamber geometry utilizing the electrophysiological data and the catheter position information;

wherein the system further comprises a display adapted to display data related to the calculated potentials as a portion of the map.

31. The computer usable medium of claim 29, wherein the map is an isopotential map.

32. The computer usable medium of claim 29, wherein the map is an isochronal map.

33. The computer usable medium of claim 29, wherein the map is a local activation time map.

34. The computer usable medium of claim 29, wherein the map displays data related to voltages processed by the analog-to-digital converter.

35. The computer usable medium of claim 29, wherein the map displays electrical propagation in the heart.

36. The computer usable medium of claim 29, wherein the map is displayed in real-time.