Method and device for visually supporting an electrophysiology catheter application in the heart

• US 20070078325A1
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson), Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Hayam, Gal, Rahn, Norbert, Xu, Chenyang, Sauer, Frank, Killmann, Reinmar, Preiss, Assaf, Fuimaono, Kristine, Karmi, Yuval
• Granted Patent: US 9,078,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• 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 2018/00375 Ostium, e.g. ostium of pulmonary vein or artery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00839 Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• 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 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5247 combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5608 Data processing and visualization specially adapted for MR, e.g. for feature analysis and pattern recognition on the basis of measured MR data, segmentation of measured MR data, edge contour detection on the basis of measured MR data, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of signal-to-noise ratio by means of noise filtering or apodization, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of resolution by means for deblurring, windowing, zero filling, or generation of gray-scaled images, colour-coded images or images displaying vectors instead of pixels image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A method and a device are disclosed for visually supporting an electrophysiology catheter application in the heart, whereby electroanatomical 3D mapping data of an area of the heart to be treated which are provided during performance of the catheter application are visualized. Before the catheter application is carried out, 3D image data of the area to be treated are recorded by way of a tomographical 3D imaging method, a 3D surface profile of objects in the area to be treated is extracted from the 3D image data by segmentation and the electroanatomical 3D mapping data provided and the 3D images representing the 3D surface profile are associated with each other in the correct position and dimension relative each other and e.g. visualized in a superimposed manner during the catheter application. The disclosed method and the corresponding device allow for an improved orientation of the user who carries out an electrophysiology catheter application in the heart.

Claims

1. A method for visually supporting an electrophysiology catheter application in the heart, comprising:

visualizing electroanatomical 3D mapping data, provided during the performance of the catheter application, of an area of the heart to be treated;

recording 3D image data of the area to be treated with a method of tomographical 3D imaging before the catheter application is carried out;

extracting a 3D surface profile of objects in the area to be treated from the 3D image data by segmentation; and

visualizing the electroanatomical 3D mapping data and 3D image data representing at least the 3D surface profile by registration correctly correlated in position and dimension and superimposed upon one another, the correlation in the correct position and dimension being automatically effected by the surface matching, at least in one stage of the registration, the 3D surface profile from the 3D image data being at least approximately brought to match a 3D surface profile from the 3D mapping data.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 3D image data of the area to be treated are recorded with a method of at least one of X-ray computer tomography and magnetic resonance tomography.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 3D image data of the area to be treated are recorded by use of a 3D ultrasonic method.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the correlation with the correct position and dimension is effected automatically in a first stage during the performance of the catheter application by way of at least one of distinct anatomical points and artificial markers and is refined by the surface matching in a later second stage.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 3D image data are visualized via a volume rendering technique.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 3D surface profile from the 3D image data is visualized as polygonal grid.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the superimposition is effected with adjustable transparency and adjustable blending factor.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a registration is effected between a catheter used during the catheter application and the 3D image data and at least a part of the catheter is visualized in real time in the representation of the 3D image data representing at least the 3D surface profile.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one part of the catheter is visualized without superimposition of the 3D mapping data from time to time.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein, in each case, an instantaneous distance of a tip of the catheter from a predeterminable picture element of the 3D image data is calculated and the distance is represented coded in the visualization.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the distance is represented by color coding of the visualization of the catheter.

17. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein, in each case, an instantaneous distance of a tip of the catheter from a predeterminable picture element of the 3D image data is calculated and the distance is represented coded in the visualization.

12. A device comprising:

at least one input interface for electroanatomical 3D mapping data and 3D image data;

a segmentation module constructed for segmenting the 3D image data in order to extract a 3D surface profile of objects contained within a volume recorded by way of the 3D image data;

a registration module connected to the segmentation module, constructed for an automatic correlation with the correct position and dimension of the electroanatomical 3D mapping data and the 3D image data representing the 3D surface profile, by surface matching of the 3D surface profile from the 3D image data to a 3D surface profile from the 3D mapping data in at least one stage of the registration; and

a visualization module connected to the registration module, to superimposes the 3D mapping data and at least the 3D image data representing the 3D surface profile on one another in the correct position with the correct dimension and provides these for visualization via a display device.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the registration module is constructed for the automatic correlation in the correct position with the correct dimension in a multi-stage process, wherein the correlation in the correct position and the correct dimension is effected by way of at least one of distinct anatomatical points and artificial markers in a first stage and is refined by the surface matching of the 3D surfaced profile from the 3D image data to a 3D surface profile from the 3D mapping data in a later, second stage.

14. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the visualization module is constructed for visualizing a part of a catheter used within a representation of the 3D image data, forming at least the 3D surface profile, in real time.

15. The device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a calculation module to calculates an instantaneous distance of a catheter tip from a predeterminable picture element of the 3D image data, the visualization module being constructed for the coded representation of the calculated distance in real time.

16. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the visualization module is constructed for colored visualization of the part of the catheter, the color varying in dependence on the distance calculated.

18. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the visualization module is constructed for visualizing a part of a catheter used within a representation of the 3D image data, forming at least the 3D surface profile, in real time.

19. A method for visually supporting an electrophysiology catheter application in the heart, comprising:

recording 3D image data of an area of the heart to be treated with a method of tomographical 3D imaging, before electroanatomical 3D mapping data is provided during the performance of the catheter application;

extracting a 3D surface profile of objects in the area to be treated from the 3D image data by segmentation; and

displaying the electroanatomical 3D mapping data and 3D image data representing at least the 3D surface profile by registration correctly correlated in position and dimension and superimposed upon one another, the correlation in the correct position and dimension being automatically effected by the surface matching, at least in one stage of the registration, the 3D surface profile from the 3D image data being at least approximately brought to match a 3D surface profile from the 3D mapping data.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the 3D image data of the area to be treated are recorded with a method of at least one of X-ray computer tomography and magnetic resonance tomography.

21. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the 3D image data of the area to be treated are recorded by use of a 3D ultrasonic method.

22. A device for visually supporting an electrophysiology catheter application in the heart, comprising:

means for recording 3D image data of an area of the heart to be treated with a method of tomographical 3D imaging, before electroanatomical 3D mapping data is provided during the performance of the catheter application;

means for extracting a 3D surface profile of objects in the area to be treated from the 3D image data by segmentation; and

means for displaying the electroanatomical 3D mapping data and 3D image data representing at least the 3D surface profile by registration correctly correlated in position and dimension and superimposed upon one another, the correlation in the correct position and dimension being automatically effected by the surface matching, at least in one stage of the registration, the 3D surface profile from the 3D image data being at least approximately brought to match a 3D surface profile from the 3D mapping data.

23. The device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the 3D image data of the area to be treated are recorded with at least one of X-ray computer tomography and magnetic resonance tomography.

24. The device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the 3D image data of the area to be treated are recorded using 3D ultrasound.