Software for mapping potential distribution of a heart chamber

• US 7,289,843 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Kagan, Jonathan, Budd, Jeffrey R., Beatty, Graydon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): DROESCH, KRISTEN L
• Application Number:
  US11/003,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20050101874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/513
• 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 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00267 having a basket shaped structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00839 Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• 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 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/283 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/287 Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/308 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6853 with a balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6858 with a distal basket, e.g. expandable basket
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3625 External stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 : Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A computer software program is described that maps the electrical activity of a patient'"'"'s heart. The software program utilizes inputs from electrodes contained within a heart chamber. Inputs from the electrodes cause the program to calculate the heart chamber volume, and then to determine the position of the electrodes within the heart chamber. The program then utilizes inputs from the electrodes to calculate the three-dimensional volumetric electrical field distribution of said heart chamber. This calculation is accomplished using a spherical harmonic series expression. Finally, the computer program displays the electrical field distribution of the heart chamber.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring and representing physiological data in a heart chamber, comprising:

a) inserting a catheter in the heart chamber;

b) acquiring physiological data in the heart chamber with the catheter;

c) determining the position of the catheter; and

d) creating a three-dimensional representation of the physiological data,

wherein the representation is a continuous representation of substantially the whole endocardium.

2. A method of acquiring and representing physiological data in a heart chamber, comprising:

a) inserting a catheter in the heart chamber;

b) acquiring physiological data in the heart chamber with the catheter;

c) determining the position of the catheter;

d) creating a three-dimensional representation of the physiological data; and

e) displaying the position of the catheter superimposed on the representation.

3. A method of acquiring and representing physiological data in a heart chamber, comprising:

a) inserting a catheter having an electrode in the heart chamber;

b) acquiring physiological data in the heart chamber with the electrode;

c) determining the position of the electrode;

d) creating a three-dimensional representation of the physiological data; and

e) displaying the position of the electrode superimposed on the representation.

4. A method of acquiring and representing physiological data in a heart chamber, comprising:

a) inserting a catheter having an electrode in the heart chamber;

b) acquiring physiological data in the heart chamber with the electrode;

c) determining the position of the electrode; and

d) creating a three-dimensional representation of the physiological data,

wherein the representation is a continuous representation of substantially the whole endocardium.

5. A method of acquiring and representing physiological data in a heart chamber, comprising:

a) inserting a catheter having an electrode in the heart chamber;

b) acquiring physiological data in the heart chamber with the electrode;

c) determining the position of the electrode; and

d) creating a three-dimensional representation of the physiological data,

wherein the representation is a continuous representation of electrical activity of an endocardial surface.

6. A method of acquiring and representing physiological data in a heart chamber, comprising:

a) inserting a catheter having an electrode in the heart chamber;

b) acquiring physiological data in the heart chamber with the electrode;

c) determining the position of the electrode;

d) creating a three-dimensional representation of the physiological data; and

e) displaying the position of the catheter superimposed on the representation.

7. A system that acquires and represents physiological data in a heart chamber, comprising:

a catheter having an electrode positionable in the heart chamber to acquire physiological data;

an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the catheter to process catheter position information and the physiological data; and

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code to represent the physiological data in the heart chamber, the computer readable program code comprising;

code to create a three-dimensional representation of the physiological data using the catheter position information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the catheter position information is acquired by using an electromagnetic field source external to the heart chamber.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the representation is continuously filled and color-coded.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the representation is a continuous representation of substantially the whole endocardium.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the representation displays data related to voltages processed by the analog-to-digital converter.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the representation displays electrical propagation in the heart.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising code to display the position of the catheter superimposed on the representation.

14. For use with a system that acquires and represents physiological data in a heart chamber, wherein the system includes a catheter having an electrode positionable in the heart chamber to acquire physiological data and an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the catheter to process catheter position information and the physiological data, a computer usable medium having computer readable program code to cause an application program to execute on a computer to acquire and represent the physiological data in the heart chamber, the computer readable program code comprising:

code to create a three-dimensional representation of the physiological data using the catheter position information.

15. The computer usable medium of claim 14, wherein the heart chamber is a human heart chamber.

16. The computer usable medium of claim 14, wherein the representation is continuously filled.

17. The computer usable medium of claim 14, wherein the catheter position information is acquired by using an electromagnetic field source external to the heart chamber.

18. The computer usable medium of claim 14, wherein the representation is continuously filled and color coded.

19. The computer usable medium of claim 14, wherein the representation is a continuous representation of substantially the whole endocardium.

20. The computer usable medium of claim 14, wherein the representation is a continuous representation of the electrical activity of an endocardial surface.

21. The computer usable medium of claim 14, wherein the representation displays data related to voltages processed by the analog-to-digital converter.

22. The computer usable medium of claim 14, wherein the representation displays electrical propagation in the heart.

23. The computer usable medium of claim 14, wherein the representation is displayed in real-time.

24. The computer usable medium of claim 14, wherein the physiological data is displayed on the representation using contour lines.

25. The computer usable medium of claim 14, further comprising code to display the representation on a computer display monitor.

26. The computer usable medium of claim 14, further comprising code to display the position of the catheter superimposed on the representation.