Mapping force and temperature for a catheter

• US 9,980,652 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2013
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Govari, Assaf, Beeckler, Christopher Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, SEAN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US14/058,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20150112149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• 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 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00029 open
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00357 Endocardium
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00815 measured by a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots

Abstract

A method for displaying information, including receiving measurements, with respect to an invasive probe inside a body of a subject, of probe parameters consisting of a force exerted by the probe on tissue of the subject and temperatures measured by sensors of the probe. The method further includes, responsively to the measurements, displaying in a single map on a display screen a graphical representation of a distribution of the temperatures in a vicinity of the probe and superimposing thereon a vector representation of the force.

Claims

1. Apparatus for displaying information, comprising:

a probe comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the probe configured to be inserted into a body of a subject and comprising;

a force sensor arranged at the distal end of the probe, the force sensor configured to sense a force signal indicative of a force exerted by the distal end of the probe on tissue of the subject, the force signal comprising a first indication of a magnitude of the force and a second indication of a force-direction of the force; and

temperature sensors arranged at the distal end of the probe, the temperature sensors configured to sense temperature signals of temperatures in a vicinity of the distal end of the probe;

a display screen; and

a processor configured to receive the force signal and the temperature signals, to display on the display screen in a single map a graphical representation showing a distribution of the temperatures with a vector representation of the force superimposed on the distribution of the temperatures;

wherein the vector representation comprises the first indication of a magnitude of the force and the second indication of a force-direction of the force.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vector representation comprises an arrow, and wherein the first indication comprises a width of the arrow, and wherein the second indication comprises a combination of a length of the arrow and a direction of the arrow.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vector representation comprises an arrow and a text box associated therewith, and wherein the first indication comprises text within the text box, and wherein the second indication comprises a combination of a length of the arrow and a direction of the arrow.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vector representation comprises a first circle having a first center, and wherein the graphical representation of the distribution comprises a second circle having a second center, and wherein the first indication comprises a diameter of the first circle, and wherein the second indication comprises a combination of a distance between the first and second centers and a direction therebetween.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate a center of the graphical representation, and to display the center in the single map.