Estimation of catheter contact force during ablation

Abstract

To estimate the catheter contact force. [Solution] In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an ablation energy generator for conducting ablation energy to the electrodes of a catheter, and a processor configured to calculate a first force signal acting on tissue by the distal end assembly of the catheter based on a first magnetic signal from a magnetic transmitting coil at the distal end of the catheter, which is received by a first magnetic field sensor of the distal end assembly during tissue ablation by the electrodes; calculate a second force signal acting on tissue by the distal end assembly based on a second magnetic signal from a magnetic transmitting coil located in a positioning pad, which is received by a second magnetic field sensor of the distal end assembly; calculate a third force signal based on the first and second force signals; and render a force value or ablation index value calculated from the third force signal on a display.

Claims

[Claim 1] It is a device, An ablation energy generator configured to conduct ablation energy to the electrodes of a catheter, It is a processor, The first force signal acting on the tissue by the distal end assembly of the catheter is calculated based on the first magnetic signal from the magnetic transmitting coil at the distal end of the catheter, which is received by the first magnetic field sensor of the distal end assembly of the catheter during tissue ablation by the electrode. The second force signal acting on the tissue by the distal end assembly of the catheter is calculated based on a second magnetic signal from a magnetic transmitting coil located in a positioning pad configured to be placed outside the body, which is received by a second magnetic field sensor of the distal end assembly during the ablation of the tissue by the electrode. Calculating a third force signal based on the first force signal and the second force signal, Rendering the force value or ablation index value calculated from the third force signal onto the display, A processor configured to perform the following actions: A memory configured to store data used by the aforementioned processor, A device equipped with the following features. [Claim 2] The aforementioned processor, During the period in which the ablation energy is conducted to the catheter, the force value or ablation index value calculated from the third force signal, and During the period when the ablation energy is not conducted to the catheter, another force value or another ablation index value calculated from the first force signal is used. The aforementioned display is configured to render, The apparatus according to claim 1. [Claim 3] The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are the same magnetic field sensor, and the first magnetic signal and the second magnetic signal are simultaneously received by the same magnetic field sensor during the ablation of the tissue by the electrode. [Claim 4] The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the ablation index value based on the third force signal. [Claim 5] The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the ablation index value based on the third force signal during ablation and to calculate an additional ablation index value based on the first force signal when ablation is not occurring. [Claim 6] The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to use a Kalman filter to combine the first force signal and the second force signal to produce the third force signal. [Claim 7] The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to use the Kalman filter to combine the first force signal and the second force signal to produce the third force signal as an optimal state estimate of the force value. [Claim 8] The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the catheter and the positioning pad. [Claim 9] The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate an ablation index value based on the third force signal which estimates the force sensed in real time during ablation at each ablation site, and the calculated ablation index value provides an indication of the quality of ablation at each ablation site. [Claim 10] The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the ablation index value as a function of the third force signal calculated with respect to each of the ablation sites and the ablation power used at each of the ablation sites. [Claim 11] The aforementioned processor, Record the calculated ablation index value, Rendering an electroanatomical map on a display that includes the display of the calculated ablation index value associated with each of the ablation sites, The apparatus according to claim 9, configured to perform the following: [Claim 12] It is a method, Conducting ablation energy to the catheter electrodes, The first force signal acting on the tissue by the distal end assembly of the catheter is calculated based on the first magnetic signal from the magnetic transmitting coil at the distal end of the catheter, which is received by the first magnetic field sensor of the distal end assembly of the catheter during tissue ablation by the electrode. The second force signal acting on the tissue by the distal end assembly of the catheter is calculated based on a second magnetic signal from a magnetic transmitting coil located in a positioning pad configured to be placed outside the body, which is received by a second magnetic field sensor of the distal end assembly during the ablation of the tissue by the electrode. Calculating a third force signal based on the first force signal and the second force signal, The force value calculated from the third force signal, or the ablation index value calculated from the third force signal, is rendered on the display. Methods that include... [Claim 13] During the period in which the ablation energy is conducted to the catheter, the force value or ablation index value calculated from the third force signal, and During the period when the ablation energy is not conducted to the catheter, another force value or another ablation index value calculated from the first force signal is used. The method according to claim 12, further comprising rendering to the display. [Claim 14] The method according to claim 12, wherein the first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor are the same magnetic field sensor, and the method further comprises simultaneously receiving the first magnetic signal and the second position by the same magnetic field sensor during the ablation of the tissue by the electrode. [Claim 15] The method according to claim 12, further comprising calculating the ablation index value based on the third force signal. [Claim 16] The method according to claim 12, further comprising calculating the ablation index value based on the third force signal during ablation and calculating an additional ablation index value based on the first force signal when ablation is not occurring. [Claim 17] The method according to claim 12, further comprising using a Kalman filter to combine the first force signal and the second force signal to obtain the third force signal. [Claim 18] The method according to claim 17, wherein the combination includes using the Kalman filter to combine the first force signal and the second force signal to obtain the third force signal as an optimal state estimate of the force value. [Claim 19] The method of claim 12, further comprising calculating an ablation index value based on a third force signal that estimates a force sensed in real time during ablation at each ablation site, wherein the calculated ablation index value indicates the quality of the ablation at each ablation site. [Claim 20] The method according to claim 19, wherein calculating the ablation index value includes calculating the ablation index value as a function of the third force signal calculated for each of the ablation sites and the ablation power used for each of the ablation sites. [Claim 21] Record the calculated ablation index value, Rendering an electroanatomical map on a display that includes the display of the calculated ablation index value associated with each of the ablation sites, The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

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