CATHETER CONFIGURATION INTERFACE AND RELATED SYSTEM

• US 20120173217A1
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Heimbecher, Reed R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,708,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/7
• 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 2018/00357 Endocardium
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/063 using impedance measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/287 Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7425 Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image geometric transforms for image registration G06T3/14; enhancement using image fusion G06T5/50; algorithms for registration of images G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

A system for implementing a procedure for the diagnosis or treatment of tissue in a body is provided. The system includes an electronic control unit configured to generate a graphical user interface on a display. The interface depicts an image of the tissue. The unit is further configured to receive one or more inputs regarding target locations on the tissue for diagnosis or treatment. The electronic control unit identifies a catheter for use in the procedure and determines configurations for a distal end of the catheter at each target location. The unit superimposes representations of the distal end of the catheter having the determined configurations on the image of the tissue at the target locations. The unit may also generate control signals to guide the distal end of the catheter to the target locations and to assume the determined configurations at each location.

Claims

1. A system for implementing a procedure for the diagnosis or treatment of tissue in a body, comprising:

an electronic control unit configured to;

generate a graphical user interface on a display, said graphical user interface depicting an image of said tissue;

receive a first input regarding a first target location on said tissue;

identify a catheter for use in said procedure;

determine a first configuration for a distal end of said catheter at said first target location; and

superimpose a first representation of said distal end of said catheter on said image of said tissue at said first target location, wherein said first representation depicts said distal end of said catheter in said first configuration.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic control unit is further configured to generate control signals to guide said distal end of said catheter to said first location and to assume said first configuration at said first location.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic control unit is further configured to:

receive a second input regarding a second target location of said tissue;

determine a second configuration for said distal end of said catheter at said second target location; and

superimpose a second representation of said distal end of said catheter on said image of said tissue at said second target location, wherein said second representation depicts said distal end of said catheter in said second configuration.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said electronic control unit is further configured to:

select one location of said first and second target locations; and

generate control signals to guide said distal end of said catheter to said one location of said first and second target locations and to assume a corresponding one of said first and second configurations at said one location.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said electronic control unit is further configured to generate control signals to guide said distal end of said catheter to another location of said first and second target locations and to assume a corresponding one of said first and second configurations at said another location.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein said electronic control unit is further configured to suggest an order of said first and second target locations for diagnosis or treatment.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic control unit is further configured, in identifying said catheter, to receive identifying information from said catheter upon connection of said catheter to said electronic control unit.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic control unit is further configured, in identifying said catheter, to receive a second input through an input device connected to said electronic control unit.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic control unit is further configured, in determining said first configuration, to:

generate a plurality of potential configurations for said distal end of said catheter;

display a plurality of icons on said graphical user interface, each icon of said plurality of icons corresponding to a potential configuration in at least a subset of said plurality of potential configurations; and

recognize a selected configuration from among said plurality of potential configurations as said first configuration responsive to a second input.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein a value for a visual characteristic associated with each of said plurality of icons varies responsive to a characteristics associated with one of said catheter and said tissue.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic control unit is further configured, in determining said first configuration, to select said first configuration from among a plurality of potential configurations for said distal end of said catheter.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said electronic control unit selects said first configuration responsive to a characteristic associated with said tissue.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic control unit is further configured to:

determine whether said first configuration for said distal end of said catheter matches one of a plurality of potential configurations for said distal end of said catheter based on a characteristic of at least one of said catheter and said tissue; and

generate an alert if said first configuration does not match one of said plurality of potential configurations for said distal end of said catheter.

14. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer storage medium having a computer program encoded thereon for implementing a procedure for the diagnosis or treatment of tissue in a body, said computer program including code for;

generating a graphical user interface on a display, said graphical user interface depicting an image of said tissue;

receiving a first input regarding a first target location on said tissue;

identifying a catheter for use in said procedure;

determining a first configuration for a distal end of said catheter at said first target location; and

superimposing a first representation of said distal end of said catheter on said image of said tissue at said first target location wherein said first representation depicts said distal end of said catheter in said first configuration.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein said computer program includes code for generating control signals to guide said distal end of said catheter to said first location and to assume said first configuration at said first location.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein said computer program includes code for:

receiving a second input regarding a second target location of said tissue;

determining a second configuration for said distal end of said catheter at said second target location;

superimposing a second representation of said distal end of said catheter on said image of said tissue at said second target location, wherein said second representation depicts said distal end of said catheter in said second configuration;

selecting one location of said first and second target locations; and

generating control signals to guide said distal end of said catheter to said one location of said first and second target locations and to assume a corresponding one of said first and second configurations at said one location.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16 wherein said computer program includes code for generating control signals to guide said distal end of said catheter to another location of said first and second target locations and to assume a corresponding one of said first and second configurations at said another location.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein said code for determining said first configuration includes code for:

generating a plurality of potential configurations for said distal end of said catheter;

displaying a plurality of icons on said graphical user interface, each icon of said plurality of icons corresponding to a potential configuration in at least a subset of said plurality of potential configurations; and

recognizing a selected configuration from among said plurality of potential configurations as said first configuration responsive to a second input.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein a value for a visual characteristic associated with each of said plurality of icons varies responsive to a characteristics associated with one of said catheter and said tissue.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein said computer program includes code for:

determining whether said first configuration for said distal end of said catheter matches one of a plurality of potential configurations for said distal end of said catheter based on a characteristic of at least one of said catheter and said tissue; and

generating an alert if said first configuration does not match one of said plurality of potential configurations for said distal end of said catheter.

21. A system for implementing a procedure for the diagnosis or treatment of tissue in a body, comprising:

means for generating a graphical user interface on a display, said graphical user interface depicting an image of said tissue;

means for receiving a first input regarding a first target location on said tissue;

means for identifying a catheter for use in said procedure;

means for determining a first configuration for a distal end of said catheter at said first target location; and

means for superimposing a first representation of said distal end of said catheter on said image of said tissue at said first target location, wherein said first representation depicts said distal end of said catheter in said first configuration.