Method for mapping potential distribution of a heart chamber

• US 7,831,288 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2000
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kagan, Jonathan, Beatty, Graydon Ernest, Budd, Jeffrey Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen; Lee S
• Application Number:
  US09/589,387
• Time in Patent Office: 3,807 Days
• Field of Search: 600/372, 600/374, 600/509, 607/116, 607/115, 607/122, 607/123
• US Class Current: 600/374
• 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 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 5/282 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 5/6853 with a balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6858 with a distal basket, e.g. expandable basket

Abstract

A method of mapping electrical activity of a patient'"'"'s heart. The system includes a set of electrodes spaced from the heart wall and a set of electrodes in contact with the heart wall. Voltage measurements from the electrodes are used to generate three-dimensional and two-dimensional maps of the electrical activity of the heart.

Claims

1. A method of mapping a volumetric electrical potential distribution of a heart chamber arising from electrical activation in a myocardium comprising the steps of:

a) positioning an electrode array within the heart chamber;

b) determining heart chamber volume and shape;

c) computing the position of said array within said heart chamber;

d) measuring electrical potentials on said array;

e) computing the three-dimensional volumetric electrical field distribution of said heart chamber volume from a spherical harmonic series expression containing said measured electrical potentials, and said array position; and

f) displaying said volumetric electrical field distribution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step f) further comprises displaying the volumetric electrical field distribution on a display surface representing the heart chamber volume and shape.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising

displaying the position of the array within said heart chamber on the display generated in step f).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step f) further comprises displaying the volumetric electrical field distribution on a wire grid display surface representing the heart chamber volume and shape.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein step f) further comprises displaying the volumetric electrical field distribution as a set of continuously filled color scale areas superimposed on the wire grid display surface representing the heart chamber volume and shape.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step f) further comprises displaying the volumetric electrical field distribution as a set of iso-potential lines on a display surface representing the heart chamber volume and shape.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step f) further comprises displaying the volumetric electrical field distribution as a set of continuously filled color scale areas on a display surface representing the heart chamber volume and shape.