High density atrial fibrillation cycle length (AFCL) detection and mapping system

Abstract

Systems and methods to assist in locating the focus of an atrial fibrillation include the association of atrial fibrillation cycle length values and statistics relating thereto with temporal locations on an electrogram of a given electrode, and/or the coordination of electrode locations with respective the spectral analyses of electrogram signals and further parameters and statistics relating thereto. Ablation therapy can proceed under guidance of such information.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to intervention and treatment of heart conditions such as atrial arrhythmias and more particularly atrial fibrillation with regard to characteristics of the heart tissue itself, and more particularly the present invention concerns the use of atrial fibrillation cycle length determinations in the mapping, diagnosis, treatment and prevention and intervention of atrial fibrillation as well as computer-implemented systems and interfaces relating thereto. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Atrial fibrillation together with atrial flutter is the most commonly sustained arrhythmia found in clinical practice. Although there has been an increased awareness in the last several years of the potentially serious clinical consequences of both arrhythmias, their basic electrophysiological mechanisms and optimal management strategies only recently have been understood. Atrial fibrillation (AF) involves rapid and chaotic beating of the indi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The invention concerns the automated determination of atrial fibrillation cycle length values and the manipulation and derivation of further parameters and statistics therefrom. Electrocardiogram signals can be annotated using this information and one or more maps can be created which coordinate location information of indwelling catheter electrodes with AFCL data and its derivatives. Ablation therapy can proceed under guidance of such maps.

Problems solved by technology

This inevitably results in that part of the heart ceasing to pump blood, which in turn can lead to embolic stroke.

Though mapping and ablation of these triggers appears to be curative in most patients with paroxysmal AF, there are a number of limitations to ablating focal triggers via mapping and ablating the earliest site of activation with a “point” radiofrequency lesion.

However, there is still recurrence of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation.

It is difficult to predict the long-term success or recurrence.

However, the mechanism of this kind of approach is not clear and may in fact be destructive to mechanical function of the heart in the long term.

However, due to the chaotic nature of waveforms during AF, it is difficult to interpret cycle length of atrial tissue on a beat-by-beat basis.

The procedure is subjective, tedious and is time-consuming and has not provided a convenient, rapid, and repeatable approach to evaluating and utilizing AFCL determinations.

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