Method for measuring heart electrophysiology

• US 7,189,208 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2000
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Endocardial Solutions Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Beatty, Graydon Ernest, Budd, Jeffrey Robert, Hauck, John Anderson
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoekstra; Jeffrey G.
• Application Number:
  US09/548,102
• Time in Patent Office: 2,526 Days
• Field of Search: 600/372, 600/374, 600/509, 600/547, 600/443, 600/462, 600/466, 600/481, 600/485, 600/486, 600/508, 600/587, 128/916, 128/915, 382/128
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/287 Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]

Abstract

A mapping catheter is positioned in a heart chamber, and active electrode sites are activated to impose an electric field within the chamber. The blood volume and wall motion modulates the electric field, which is detected by passive electrode sites on the preferred catheter. Electrophysiology measurements, as well as geometry measurements, are taken from the passive electrodes and used to display a map of intrinsic heart activity.

Claims

1. A method of presenting medical diagnostic information comprising:

(a) measuring the anatomy of an organ to create an organ data file representing the anatomy of the organ at a specific time, said anatomy having a surface representing a wall surface of the organ;

(b) measuring an electrophysiologic variable having a spatial relationship with the organ;

(c) generating an electrophysiologic data file representing the dynamic behavior of said electrophysiologic variable; and

(d) combining said organ data file and said electrophysiologic data file by displaying the dynamic behavior of said electrophysiologic variable on an image representing said wall surface of the organ created from said static organ data file.

2. A method of presenting cardiac medical diagnostic information comprising:

(a) measuring the anatomy of an organ by collecting data throughout a heart beat cycle creating a data set representing the anatomy of the organ through the heart beat cycle;

(b) reducing the data set to provide a geometric representation of the anatomy at a specific time in the heart beat cycle to create an organ data file, the anatomy having a surface representing a wall surface of the organ;

(c) measuring an electrophysiologic variable having a spatial relationship with the organ;

(d) generating an electrophysiologic data file representing dynamic behavior of said electrophysiologic variable; and

(e) combining said organ data file and said electrophysiologic data file by displaying the dynamic behavior of said electrophysiologic variable on an image of said wall surface of the organ created from said organ data file.

4. The method of presenting cardiac medical diagnostic information of claim 2 wherein:

step (c) comprises generating an electrophysiological data file representing dynamic behavior of said electrophysiology variable throughout the heartbeat cycle to create a representation of global activation of the heartbeat cycle.

3. A method of presenting cardiac medical diagnostic information wherein comprising:

(a) measuring the anatomy of an organ by collecting data throughout a heart beat cycle to create a data set representing the anatomy of the organ through the heart beat cycle;

(b) reducing said data set to provide a geometric representation of the anatomy at a specific time in the heart beat cycle to create an organ data file, the anatomy having a surface representing a surface of the organ;

(c) measuring an electrophysiologic variable having a spatial relationship with the organ;

(d) generating an electrophysiologic data file representing dynamic behavior of said electrophysiologic variable; and

(e) combining said organ data file and said electrophysiologic data file by displaying the dynamic behavior of said electrophysiologic variable on an image created from said organ data file, wherein

step (a) comprises collecting data throughout a heart beat cycle with a catheter electrode in contact with a moving wall of the organ to create a data set representing the anatomy of the organ throughout the heart beat cycle and then reducing the data set to provide a geometric representation of an anatomic surface of the organ at a specific time in the heart beat cycle.

5. A method of presenting cardiac medical diagnostic information comprising:

(a) measuring the anatomy of a heart by collecting data throughout a heart beat cycle to create a data set representing the anatomy of the heart through the heart beat cycle;

(b) reducing the data set to provide a geometric representation of the anatomy at a specific time in the heart beat cycle to create a heart data file depicted as a wall surface of the heart;

(c) measuring an electrophysiologic variable having a spatial relationship with the heart;

(d) generating an electrophysiological data file representing dynamic behavior of said electrophysiology variable; and

(e) combining said heart data file and said electrophysiologic data file by displaying the dynamic behavior of said electrophysiological variable on an image of said wall surface of the heart created from said heart data file.

6. A method of presenting cardiac medical diagnostic information comprising:

(a) measuring the anatomy of an organ to create a data set representing a geometry of the organ at a particular time in a heart beat cycle to create a geometry data file for creating an image of a wall surface of the organ;

(b) measuring an electrophysiologic variable throughout one or more heart beat cycles;

(c) generating an electrophysiological data file representing dynamic behavior of said electrophysiology variable over said one or more heart beat cycles; and

(d) combining said geometry data file and said electrophysiologic data file by displaying the dynamic behavior of said electrophysiological variable on an image of said wall surface of the organ created from said geometry data file.

7. The method of presenting medical diagnostic information comprising:

(a) measuring the anatomy of an organ by collecting data to create a data set representing the anatomy of the organ;

(b) reducing the data set to provide a geometric representation of the anatomy in an organ data file, the anatomy having a surface representing a surface of the organ;

(c) measuring an electrophysiologic variable having a spatial relationship with the organ;

(d) generating an electrophysiologic data file representing dynamic behavior of the electrophysiologic variable; and

(e) combining the organ data file and the electrophysiologic data file by displaying the dynamic behavior of the electrophysiologic variable on an image created from the organ data file, wherein

step (a) comprises collecting data with a catheter electrode in the organ, creating a data set representing the anatomy of the organ and then reducing the data set to provide a geometric representation of an anatomic surface of the organ.