ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY CATHETER

• US 20110275951A1
• Filed: 01/07/2010
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Krueger, Sascha, Weiss, Steffen, David, Bernd, Lips, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 9,918,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/287 Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]

Abstract

The invention relates to electrophysiology catheter systems and their use, such as in an MRI environment, and in particular to analysis of electric signals from such. An electrophysiology (EP) catheter with a plurality of electrically isolated electrode segments arranged in longitudinally spaced bands around the catheter is used to detect electric signals. A workstation receives the electrical signals which are then processed by a processing unit. Electric signals from electrode segments can be used to determine roll angle information of the catheter in relation to patient anatomy by determining signals from electrode segments in contact with tissue. Also, electric signals can be used to extract a reference signal that can be used to correct for gradient induced artefacts.

Claims

1. An electrophysiology catheter system (20) comprising;

an electrophysio logy catheter (9) with an elongated distal end portion (1) having a centre axis (6) and being bendable in at least one direction transverse to the centre axis, comprising;

a plurality of electrically isolated electrode segments (3, 3′

, 3″

, 3′

″

) for detecting electrical signals and being arranged in two or more longitudinally spaced bands (2, 2′

) around said end portion;

a plurality of electrode wires (5) each coupled to an electrode segment and extending through the distal end portion to a proximal end portion (10) of the electrophysio logy catheter; and

a workstation (11) arranged to receive electrical signals detected by each electrode segment by means of the electrode wires coupled thereto and comprising a processing unit (13) configured to identify electrode segments that are in contact with tissue (8) from the received electrical signals by comparison of the electrical signal from each electrode segment with that from one or more other electrode segments or a predetermined threshold value and presenting the identified electrode segments to an operator with an indication of the identified electrode segments'"'"' position in relation to a bending direction or another marker of roll angle of the distal end portion.

2. The electrophysio logy catheter system according to claim 1, wherein the workstation further comprises a four wire impedance measuring setup (16) for measuring an impedance between first and second electrode segments, wherein the comparison of the processing unit comprises calculating an impedance between the first and second electrode segments from the detected electrical signals from the first and second electrode segments.

3. The electrophysiology catheter system according to claim 1, wherein the workstation comprises a graphical user interface for presenting the positions of electrode segments identified to be in contact with tissue in relation to a bending direction or another marker of roll angle of the distal end portion.

4. A computer program product for identifying electrode segments that are in contact with tissue (8), the product comprising software applications which provides the following when executed by a processor (12) in a processing unit (13) of an electrophysiology catheter system (20) comprising an electrophysiology catheter (9) with an elongated distal end portion (1) having a centre axis (6) and being bendable in at least one direction transverse to the centre axis and comprising a plurality of electrically isolated electrode segments (3, 3′

, 3″

, 3′

″

) for detecting electrical signals and being arranged in two or more longitudinally spaced bands (2, 2′

) around said end portion;

identifying electrode segments that are in contact with tissue from the received electrical signals by comparing electrical signal from each electrode segment with that from one or more other electrode segments or a predetermined threshold value; and

presenting the identified electrode segments to an operator with an indication of the identified electrode segments'"'"' position in relation to a bending direction or another marker of roll angle of the distal end portion.

5. A computer program product for updating a workstation (11) in an electrophysiology catheter system (20) to identify electrode segments that are in contact with tissue (8), the product comprising means (17) for installing software applications which provides the following when executed by a processor (13) in a processing unit (12) of an electrophysiology catheter system comprising an electrophysiology catheter (9) with an elongated distal end portion (1) having a centre axis (6) and being bendable in at least one direction transverse to the centre axis and comprising a plurality of electrically isolated electrode segments (3, 3′

, 3″

, 3′

″

) for detecting electrical signals and being arranged in two or more longitudinally spaced bands (2, 2′

) around said end portion;

identifying electrode segments that are in contact with tissue from the received electrical signals by comparing electrical signal from each electrode segment with that from one or more other electrode segments or a predetermined threshold value; and

presenting the identified electrode segments to an operator with an indication of the identified electrode segments'"'"' position in relation to a bending direction or another marker of roll angle of the distal end portion.

6. A method for analysing electric signals from an electrophysiological catheter (9) with an elongated distal end portion (1) having a centre axis (6) and being bendable in at least one direction transverse to the centre axis and comprising a plurality of electrically isolated electrode segments (3, 3′

, 3″

, 3′

″

) for detecting electrical signals and being arranged in two or more longitudinally spaced bands (2, 2′

) around said end portion to obtain information of which, if any, electrode segments in contact with tissue (8), the method comprising;

comparing electrical signal from each electrode segment with that from one or more other electrode segments or a predetermined threshold value; and

as an outcome of the comparison, identifying electrode segments that are in contact with tissue;

presenting the identified electrode segments to an operator with an indication of the identified electrode segments'"'"' position in relation to a bending direction or another marker of roll angle of the distal end portion.

7. An electrophysiology catheter system (20) for use in combination with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, the electrophysio logy catheter system comprising:

a magnetic resonance electrophysiology (MR-EP) catheter (9) with an elongated distal end portion (1), comprising;

a plurality of electrically isolated electrode segments (3, 3′

, 3″

, 3′

″

) for detecting electrical signals and being arranged in two or more longitudinally spaced bands (2, 2′

) around said end portion;

a plurality of electrode wires (5) each coupled to an electrode segment and extending through the distal end portion to a proximal end portion (10) of the electrophysio logy catheter; and

a workstation (11) arranged to receive electrical signals detected by each electrode segment by means of the electrode wires coupled thereto and comprising a processing unit (13) configured to determine a reference signal for gradient induced artefacts on an electrophysiological signal of an electrode segment from electrical potential differences between electrode segments.

8. The electrophysio logy catheter system according to claim 7, wherein the processing unit is further configured to correct the electrophysiological signal from an electrode by adaptive filtering using said reference signal.

9. A computer program product for determining a reference signal for gradient induced artefacts, the product comprising software applications which provides the following when executed by a processor (12) in a processing unit (13) of an electrophysiology catheter system (20) comprising a magnetic resonance electrophysiology (MR-EP) catheter (9) with an elongated distal end portion (1) and comprising a plurality of electrically isolated electrode segments (3, 3′

, 3″

, 3′

″

) for detecting electrical signals and being arranged in two or more longitudinally spaced bands (2, 2′

) around said end portion;

determine a reference signal for gradient induced artefacts on an electrophysiological signal of an electrode segment from electrical potential differences between electrode segments.

10. A computer program product for updating a workstation (11) in an electrophysiology catheter system (20) to determine a reference signal for gradient induced artefacts, the product comprising means (17) for installing software applications which provides the following when executed by a processor (12) in a processing unit (13) of an electrophysiology catheter system comprising a magnetic resonance electrophysiology (MR-EP) catheter (9) with an elongated distal end portion (1) and comprising a plurality of electrically isolated electrode segments (3, 3′

, 3″

, 3′

″

) for detecting electrical signals and being arranged in two or more longitudinally spaced bands (2, 2′

) around said end portion;

determine a reference signal for gradient induced artefacts on an electrophysiological signal of an electrode segment from electrical potential differences between electrode segments.

11. A method for analysing electric signals from a magnetic resonance electrophysiology (MR-EP) catheter (9) with an elongated distal end portion (1) and comprising a plurality of electrically isolated electrode segments (3, 3′

, 3″

, 3′

″

) for detecting electrical signals and being arranged in two or more longitudinally spaced bands (2, 2′

) around said end portion to determine a reference signal for gradient induced artefacts, the method comprising determining a reference signal for gradient induced artefacts on an electrophysiological signal of an electrode segment from electrical potential differences between electrode segments.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising correcting the electrophysiological signal from an electrode by adaptive filtering using said reference signal.