Area of interest reconstruction for surface of an organ using location data

• US 6,633,773 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosense, Inc. (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biosene Incorporated
• Inventors: Reisfeld, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Philip H.
• Application Number:
  US09/675,783
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/410, 600/481, 600/508, 382/128, 382/130, 382/131, 382/132
• US Class Current: 600/407
• 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 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1077 Measuring of profiles

Abstract

A method is provided for generating a three-dimensional reconstruction of a portion of a surface of an organ, and, in particular, a portion of the surface of a chamber of the heart. The reconstruction is generated from location data of a plurality of acquisition points on the organ surface. The method comprises computing a two-dimensional reference plane based on the location data. A function that describes the surface is computed, wherein each point on the surface may be described as a function of the reference plane. The function is then bounded to a constrained region. Tessellation of the function facilitates computer display of the reconstruction. If the location data is accompanied by physiologic property data characteristic of the tissue, the method may be used to generate a reconstruction of the tissue property as a function of the tissue geometry.

Claims

1. A method of generating a three-dimensional reconstruction of a portion of a surface of an organ, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing an apparatus having a position sensor for generating signals used to determine location data;

b) acquiring location data at a plurality of acquisition points on said organ surface using said position sensor, wherein each of said acquisition points has a three-dimensional location on said organ surface;

c) computing a two-dimensional reference plane based on said location data;

d) computing a function that describes said surface, wherein each point on said surface is described as a function of said reference plane; and

e) bounding said function to a constrained region.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said plane exhibits errors with respect to said three-dimensional locations of said acquisition points, and wherein said plane is computed by minimizing said errors from said acquisition points to said plane.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said plane is computed by minimizing the mean square error between said acquisition points and said plane.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said errors are weighted.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said errors are weighted by according higher weights to isolated location data points.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said plane passes through the center of a bounding ellipsoid surrounding said acquisition points.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said plane passes through the center of mass of a convex hull of the acquisition points.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said plane passes through the center of mass of the acquisition points.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the function passes through the location of said acquisition points.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said function is selected from splines and radial basis functions.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of said function corresponding to each point on said plane is a weighted average of the locations of said acquisition points.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said locations of said acquisition points are weighted by their respective distances from said point on said plane.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said function is a piecewise linear function.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said piecewise linear function is formed by triangulation of said location data points.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said function is bounded by a convex hull of the projection of said location data points onto said plane.

16. The method of claim 1 which comprises tessellating said function.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein vertices of said tessellation are made to coincide with at least some of said location data points.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said tessellation is performed by Delaunay triangulation of said reference plane.

19. The method of claim 16 which further comprises refining said tessellation by adding virtual points to said surface.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the value of said virtual points is determined from said function.

21. The method of claim 1 which further comprises displaying said reconstruction.

22. The method according to claim 1 wherein said location data of each of said points is associated with data characteristic of a property of tissue at said points.

23. The method according to claim 22 which further comprises displaying said reconstruction, wherein said reconstruction further comprises information as to the property of tissue at said data acquisition points.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein said reconstruction further comprises property information intermediate said acquisition points.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said reconstruction is colored so as to indicate the value of said property information.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein said organ is a heart.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein said location data is acquired with a catheter comprising a position sensor.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said position sensor is an electromagnetic position sensor.

29. A method of generating a three-dimensional reconstruction of a portion of a surface of an organ, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing an apparatus having a position sensor for generating signals used to determine location data;

b) acquiring location data at a plurality of acquisition points on said organ surface using said position sensor, wherein each of said acquisition points has a three-dimensional location on said organ surface;

c) computing a two-dimensional reference plane based on said location data;

d) computing a function that describes said surface, wherein each point on said surface is described as a function of said reference plane; and

e) tessellating said functions.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said tessellation serves to bound said function to a constrained region.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said tessellation is performed by Delaunay triangulation of said reference plane.

32. The method of claim 31 which further comprises displaying said reconstruction.

33. The method according to claim 31 wherein said location data of each of said points is associated with data characteristic of a property of tissue at said points.

34. The method according to claim 33 which further comprises displaying said reconstruction, wherein said reconstruction further comprises information as to the property of tissue at said data acquisition points.

35. The method according to claim 34 wherein said reconstruction further comprises property information intermediate said acquisition points.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein said reconstruction is colored so as to indicate the value of said property information.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein said organ is a heart.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein said location data is acquired with a catheter comprising a position sensor.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said position sensor is an electromagnetic position sensor.