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Contact sensing systems and methods

  • US 9,636,164 B2
  • Filed: 06/10/2016
  • Issued: 05/02/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for determining a contact state of a distal end portion of a medical instrument with a target region based, at least in part, on electrical measurements, the system comprising:

  • at least one signal source configured to generate at least one signal to apply a first frequency and a second frequency to a pair of electrode members of a combination electrode assembly; and

    a processor configured to, upon execution of specific program instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium;

    process a resulting waveform that formulates across the pair of electrode members to obtain a first electrical measurement at the first frequency;

    process a resulting waveform that formulates across the pair of electrode members to obtain a second electrical measurement at the second frequency;

    determine a bipolar contact impedance magnitude based on the first electrical measurement;

    determine a bipolar contact impedance magnitude and a phase angle based on the second electrical measurement; and

    calculate a contact indication value indicative of a state of contact between a distal end portion of a medical instrument and a target region utilizing each of;

    (i) the bipolar contact impedance magnitude based on the first electrical measurement or the second electrical measurement, (ii) a determined ratio of the bipolar contact impedance magnitudes based on the first electrical measurement and the second electrical measurement, and (iii) the phase angle based on the first electrical measurement or the second electrical measurement.

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