Automating the Ablation Procedure to Minimize the Need for Manual Intervention
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented ablation method, comprising:
- selecting a plurality of points that reside along a predetermined ablation path in tissue of a body, and saving the selected points (S210);
determining, automatically and without user intervention, when ablation, by an ablation device, is completed at a current point of the plural points (S420); and
upon said determining of completion, steering, automatically and without user intervention, said device from said current point to a next of the plural points (S410).
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Abstract
Cardiac ablation is automated to require minimal user intervention, to thereby reduce X-ray exposure to staff and patients, increase patient throughput, simplify ablation and make ablation more precise. Steering between ablation points on the heart is automatic by use of a localizer system (132) and a magnetic navigator (160). Ablation is performed, interrupted and detected as complete automatically by monitoring system parameters (S630, S670). Ablation path planning automatically takes into account particular heart morphology of the patient and specifications of the catheter system (S310, S330), and automatically saves to storage an optimal ablation path from which ablation points are then selected (S340, S350).
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented ablation method, comprising:
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selecting a plurality of points that reside along a predetermined ablation path in tissue of a body, and saving the selected points (S210); determining, automatically and without user intervention, when ablation, by an ablation device, is completed at a current point of the plural points (S420); and upon said determining of completion, steering, automatically and without user intervention, said device from said current point to a next of the plural points (S410). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of preparing for cardiac ablation, said method comprising:
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making an electrophysiological map of heart that is to undergo ablation (S320); at least one of analyzing morphology of said heart to form a heart model and providing specifications of a catheter system to be used in said ablation (S310, S330); creating, automatically and without user intervention, an ablation path, based on the made map and subject, correspondingly, to at least one of the formed model and the provided specifications (S340); and recording, automatically and without user intervention, the formed path (S350).
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10. A computer implemented method of ablation comprising:
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monitoring parameters during said ablation at a point (S670); and determining, automatically and without user intervention, when said ablation at said point is completed, subject to, automatically and without user intervention, terminating, before completion, said ablation at said point based on the monitored parameters (S410). - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A computer implemented ablation method comprising:
executing, automatically and without user intervention, for a set of predefined ablation points, each of the following steps a) through d); a) steering an ablation device to approach a current one of the points for commencement of ablation at the current point when said current point is reached (S410); b) determining whether said approach is unsuccessful, and, if so, storing a location of said current point (S630); c) if it is determined that said approach is successful, determining whether said ablation at said current point is unsuccessful, and, if so, storing said location (S630); and d) repeating steps a) through c) for a next point, until a last point is processed (S430). - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An ablation method comprising:
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planning, to derive a path (S210); automatically steering to ablation points on the derived path to arrive at said points (S220); automatically controlling ablation at the arrived-at points based on parameters that vary during the ablation (S230); automatically determining ones of the arrived-at points at which the ablation has failed (S240); automatically recording locations of the arrived-at points where it is determined that ablation has failed (S250); and performing functional outcome control that automatically approaches, in succession, new ablation points arising from said outcome control (S260). - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. An ablation apparatus comprising:
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means for automatically steering to ablation points on a pre-planned path to arrive at said points (160); means for automatically controlling ablation at the arrived-at points based on parameters that vary during the ablation (104); means for automatically determining ones of the arrived-at points at which the ablation has failed (S240); means for automatically recording locations of the arrived-at points where it is determined that ablation has failed (S250); and means for automatically approaching, in succession, new ablation points arising from functional outcome control (S260). - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification