System and method for magnetic-resonance-guided electrophysiologic and ablation procedures
First Claim
1. A method for performing an electrophysiological procedure on a mammalian patient having a heart comprising:
- placing the patient such that the heart is in a main magnetic field of an MRI scanner;
introducing an MR-compatible catheter into the heart;
acquiring a magnetic resonance image of the heart;
using the magnetic resonance image to determine a location of said MR-compatible electrode catheter in the heart, and at substantially the same time that the image is acquired, using said MR-compatible catheter to acquire electrical signals of the heart.
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Abstract
A system and method for using magnetic resonance imaging to increase the accuracy of electrophysiologic procedures includes an invasive combined electrophysiology and imaging antenna catheter which includes an RF antenna for receiving magnetic resonance signals and diagnostic electrodes for receiving electrical potentials. The combined electrophysiology and imaging antenna catheter is used in combination with a magnetic resonance imaging scanner to guide and provide visualization during electrophysiologic diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, such as ablation of cardiac arrhythmias. The combined electrophysiology and imaging antenna catheter may further include an ablation tip, and be used as an intracardiac device to deliver energy to selected areas of tissue and visualize the resulting ablation lesions. The antenna utilized in the combined electrophysiology and imaging catheter for receiving MR signals is preferably of the coaxial or “loopless” type. High-resolution images from the antenna may be combined with low-resolution images from surface coils of the MR scanner to produce a composite image. A system for eliminating the pickup of RF energy in which intracardiac wires are detuned by filtering so that they become very inefficient antennas. An RF filtering system is provided for suppressing the MR imaging signal while not attenuating the RF ablative current. Steering means may be provided for steering the invasive catheter under MR guidance. Other ablative methods can be used such as laser, ultrasound, and low temperatures.
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Citations
61 Claims
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1. A method for performing an electrophysiological procedure on a mammalian patient having a heart comprising:
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placing the patient such that the heart is in a main magnetic field of an MRI scanner;
introducing an MR-compatible catheter into the heart;
acquiring a magnetic resonance image of the heart;
using the magnetic resonance image to determine a location of said MR-compatible electrode catheter in the heart, and at substantially the same time that the image is acquired, using said MR-compatible catheter to acquire electrical signals of the heart. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for treating cardiac arrhythmias in a mammalian patient having a heart, comprising:
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positioning the patient such that the heart is in a main magnetic field of an MRI magnetic scanner;
acquiring a magnetic resonance image of the heart;
introducing an ablation catheter into the patient and the heart and applying the catheter to create ablation lesions in the heart, and using the magnetic resonance image to visualize the ablation lesions while the said ablation catheter is proximate said lesions. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for performing an electrophysiological procedure on a mammalian patient having a heart, comprising:
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positioning the patient such that the heart is in a main magnetic field of an MRI scanner;
introducing an MR-compatible catheter into the heart;
acquiring a magnetic resonance image of the heart by applying static and gradient magnetic fields to the patient and sensing radio frequency (RF) emissions from precession of protons in the heart excited by the magnetic fields;
using the magnetic resonance image to position said MR-compatible catheter in the heart while continuing to acquire additional magnetic resonance images of the heart, and establishing a conductive connection between the catheter and the heart, and monitoring electrical signals in the heart. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for performing an electrophysiological procedure on a mammalian patient having a heart comprising:
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positioning an MR-compatible catheter into the heart;
placing the patient such that the heart is in a main magnetic field of an MRI scanner;
acquiring a magnetic resonance image of the heart;
using the magnetic resonance image to determine a location of said MR-compatible catheter in the heart, and using said MR-compatible catheter to acquire electrical signals of the heart. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for performing an electrophysiological procedure on a mammalian patient having a heart, comprising:
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positioning the patient such that the heart is in a main magnetic field of an MRI scanner;
acquiring a magnetic resonance image of the heart by applying static and gradient magnetic fields to the patient and sensing radio frequency (RF) emissions from precession of protons in the heart excited by the magnetic fields, and establishing a conductive connection between the catheter and the heart and monitoring electrical signals in the heart. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A magnetic resonance probe comprising:
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a plurality of center conductors, at least some center conductors including a conductive core and an insulator disposed at least partially about the core along at least a portion of the core and forming a first pole of a magnetic resonance dipole antenna;
a first dielectric layer disposed at least partially about the plurality of center conductors in a proximal portion of the probe;
a second pole of the magnetic resonance dipole antenna, and a plurality of electrodes, at least one electrode being coupled to one of the center conductors and disposed at least partly on a probe surface. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for performing an electrophysiological procedure on a mammalian patient having a heart comprising:
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placing the patient such that the heart is in a main magnetic field of an MRI scanner;
introducing an MR-compatible electrode catheter into the heart, and using said MR-compatible electrode catheter to acquire electrical signals of the heart while the heart is in the main magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method for performing an electrophysiological procedure on a mammalian patient having a heart comprising:
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placing the patient such that the heart is in a main magnetic field of an MRI scanner;
introducing an MR-compatible catheter into the heart, and using said MR-compatible catheter to ablate the heart while the heart is in the main magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method for performing an electrophysiological procedure on a mammalian patient having a heart comprising:
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introducing an MR-compatible catheter into the heart;
placing the patient with the catheter such that the heart is in a main magnetic field of an MRI scanner, and attenuating radio frequency fields induced in the MR-compatible catheter by the MRI scanner. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A method of performing a magnetic resonance-guided procedure comprising:
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placing a patient in a magnetic resonance scanner;
identifying a target site in the patient using data about the subject obtained from the scanner;
introducing into the patient a magnetic resonance probe;
advancing the probe to the target site using an image generated by the scanner of the probe in the patient; and
performing the procedure on the patient using the magnetic resonance probe.
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Specification