CARDIAC ABLATION IMAGE ANALYSIS SYSTEM AND PROCESS

• US 20110082451A1
• Filed: 10/06/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiofocus Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cardiofocus Incorporated
• Inventors: Melsky, Gerald
• Granted Patent: US 8,702,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00982 combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2025 with a pilot laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems

Abstract

A system is provided for identifying the sufficiency of lesions formed during a tissue ablation procedure. The system captures live and still images from the surgical site and provides composite imaging to the operator. Through the use of the system, the aiming light used to direct ablative energy is captured on the still images and used to indicate locations in a surgical site where energy has been directed. Through the use of processing modules, the system can analyze the lesions and determine the sufficiency thereof.

Claims

1. A tissue ablation system for identification of lesions formed by directed energy emission at a surgical site, the tissue ablation system comprising:

a tissue ablation instrument for use at the surgical site and having;

a movable directed energy emitter configured to emit a variable amount of directed energy;

an aiming light, an illumination light; and

an image capture device configured to capture live video and still images;

a controller for controlling the variable amount of directed energy and directing the movable emitter within the surgical site;

a computer having a processor, database and a display; and

a plurality of modules executing in the processor so as to configure the computer to perform certain operations including accessing data from an access module, the plurality of modules further including;

an analysis module for analyzing live video and still images to determine if the formed lesion is sufficient for a procedure;

a composite module for creating a composite image comprised of a series of still images taken during each emission of directed energy;

a split-screen module for simultaneously displaying the live video image and the composite or still image.

2. A tissue ablation system as in claim 1, further comprising, among the plurality of modules, a mapping module for providing a visual marker on the still image corresponding to the location of sufficient lesion formation.

3. A tissue ablation system as in claim 1, further comprising, among the plurality of modules, an illustration module operative to provide the display with illustrations of the surgical site and to indicate the sufficiency of lesions formed by said tissue ablation instrument at said surgical site.

4. A tissue ablation system as in claim 1, wherein the aiming light is further configured to reflect different frequencies of light depending on a tissue type illuminated.

5. A tissue ablation system as in claim 1, wherein opacity of each still image in the composite image stack can be individually set.

6. A tissue ablation system as in claim 1, wherein the aiming light is visible in each still image of the composite image.

7. A tissue ablation analysis system as recited in claim 1, further configured and operative to provide a signal to a user of the tissue ablation instrument indicating sufficiency of lesions formed by said tissue ablation instrument at said surgical site.

8. A tissue ablation system as recited in claim 7, wherein said signal is an audio signal provided when an insufficient lesion is determined to be formed on tissue at said surgical site.

9. A tissue ablation system as recited in claim 7, wherein said signal is a visual signal provided on a display accessible by a user of said tissue ablation instrument.

10. A tissue ablation system as recited in claim 9, wherein said visual signal is marker trace indicating an insufficient lesion.

11. A tissue ablation system as recited in claim 9, wherein said marker trace consists of a colored trace.

12. A tissue ablation system as recited in claim 9, wherein said marker trace is superimposed on the composite or still image depicting the surgical site.

13. A method for identifying and evaluating lesions formed by directed energy emission at a surgical site comprising the steps of:

directing energy to tissue at the surgical site using an energy emitter that is part of a tissue ablation instrument;

capturing live video and still images of the surgical site with an image capture device that is associated with the tissue ablation instrument;

creating a composite image that is formed of a series of still images taken during each emission of directed energy; and

analyzing the live video and still images to determine if the lesion formed on the tissue is of a sufficient quality that additional treatment of the treated area is not required.

14. The method of claim 13, further including the step of:

simultaneously displaying at least two of the live video image, the composite image and the still image on a split-screen display.

15. The method of claim 13, further including the step of:

directing light from an aiming light to the tissue, the aiming light being use to direct the energy; and

capturing the aiming light on the still images to indicate locations in a surgical site where energy has been directed.