Systems for recording use of structures deployed in association with heart tissue

• US 6,490,468 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2001
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: EP Technology (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EP Technology (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: McGee, David, Panescu, Dorin, Swanson, David K., Whayne, James G., Nguyen, Tuan, Burnside, Robert R., Dueiri, David F., Dupree, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imam, Ali M.
• Application Number:
  US09/804,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20010009976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/372, 600/373, 600/393, 600/374, 600/382, 600/407, 600/471, 600/486, 606/15, 606/41, 606/31, 604/95
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/287 Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6858 with a distal basket, e.g. expandable basket
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface

Abstract

A system records use of a structure deployed in operative association with heart tissue in a patient. An image controller generates an image of the structure while in use in the patient. An input receives data including information identifying the patient. An output processes the image in association with the data as a patient-specific, data base record for storage, retrieval, or manipulation.

Claims

1. A system for determining proximity and orientation of a first set of electrodes to a second set of electrodes while both sets of electrodes are located in a body region, the first set of electrodes disposed on an electrode carrying structure, the system comprising:

an electrical energy generating element coupled to the first set of electrodes to establish an electric field with a subset of the first set of electrodes, and

a position-indicating element, coupled to the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes, to generate a position-indicating output based at least in part upon voltage amplitudes sensed by electrodes of the first and second sets of electrodes,

wherein the sensed voltage amplitudes vary according to the proximity of the second set of electrodes to the first set of electrodes and to the orientation of the second set of electrodes relative to the first set of electrodes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrode carrying structure comprises a three-dimensional basket having a plurality of splines, the first set of electrodes being disposed on the splines, and wherein the subset of the first set of electrodes used to establish the electric field comprises electrodes disposed on one spline.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the electrical energy generating element establishes an electric field sequentially about each spline of the three-dimensional basket.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the position-indicating element comprises a switch element coupled to the first set of electrodes to condition a subset of the first set of electrodes to alternately transmit electrical energy and sense a voltage amplitude.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the switch element is further coupled to the second set of electrodes to condition the second set of electrodes to sense a voltage amplitude at the same time the subset of the first set of electrodes is sensing a voltage amplitude.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the position-indicating element comprises:

a switch element coupled to the first set of electrodes to condition a subset of the first set to alternately transmit electrical energy and sense a voltage amplitude at each electrode of the subset, the switch element further coupled to the second set of electrodes to condition the second set of electrodes to sense a voltage amplitude at each electrode of the second set at the same time the subset of the first set of electrodes is sensing a voltage amplitude,

a data acquisition element coupled to the first set of electrodes to sample a voltage amplitude at each electrode of the first set, and coupled to the second set of electrodes to sample a voltage amplitude at each electrode of the second set,

a first processing member, coupled to the data acquisition element, to generate a plurality of derived values based at least in part upon a voltage amplitude sampled at each electrode of the subset of the first set of electrodes, and at least in part upon the voltage amplitude sampled at each electrode of the second set of electrodes, and

a second processing member to compare the derived values to a threshold value and generate the position-indicating output based upon variances between the derived values and the threshold value.

7. A system, comprising:

an electrode carrying structure deployable in a body region,

a plurality of electrodes disposed on the electrode carrying structure,

a roving structure deployable in a body region and having an operative element, a first electrode, and a second electrode,

an electrical energy generating element coupled to the first electrode of the roving structure to establish an electrical field, and

a position-indicating element coupled to the plurality of electrodes on the electrode carrying structure and operative to generate a proximity-indicating output which varies according to the proximity of the plurality of electrodes on the electrode carrying structure to the first electrode of the roving structure when the respective structures are deployed in a body region, based at least in part upon voltage amplitudes sensed by the plurality of electrodes on the electrode carrying structure.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the position-indicating element comprises:

a data acquisition element coupled to the plurality of electrodes on the electrode carrying structure and the second electrode of the roving structure to sample a voltage amplitude at each of the respective electrodes,

a first processing element coupled to the data acquisition element to generate a derived value, based at least in part upon the voltage amplitudes sampled at one of the plurality of electrodes on the electrode carrying structure and at the second electrode of the roving structure, and

a second processing element to compare the derived value to a threshold value and generate the proximity-indicating output based upon variance between the derived value and the threshold value.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second processing element generates the proximity-indicating output when the derived value is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second processing element generates no proximity-indicating output when the derived value is less than the threshold value.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first processing element generates a derived value by dividing a voltage amplitude sampled at one of the plurality of electrodes on the electrode carrying structure with a voltage amplitude sampled by the second electrode of the roving structure.

12. A system, comprising:

an electrode carrying structure deployable in a body region, the electrode carrying structure carrying a plurality of electrodes and a coded component,

an interpreting element operative to determine the geometry of the electrode carrying structure using the coded component,

a roving structure deployable in a body region, the roving structure carrying an operative element and an electrode,

an electrical energy generating element coupled to the plurality of electrodes of the electrode carrying structure to generate an electric field, and

a position-indicating element coupled to the electrode of the roving structure and operative to generate a proximity-indicating output which varies according to the proximity of the electrode on the roving structure to the plurality of electrodes on the electrode carrying structure when the respective structures are deployed in a body region based at least in part upon voltage amplitudes sensed by the electrode on the roving structure within the electric field.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the interpreting element comprises:

a table of master codes, each code associated with a different electrode carrying structure, and

an interpreter component to match the code component of the electrode carrying structure with a code from the table of master codes.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising

a control program coupled to the interpreting element, and

a display coupled to the control program, wherein the control program generates an identification output based upon the code from the table of master codes matching the code component of the electrode carrying structure for presentation on the display.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the identification output corresponds to the geometry of the electrode carrying structure.