Electroanatomical Mapping System for Ablation Procedure Visualization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrophysiology procedures lack effective methods to leverage data collected during cardiac ablation procedures for informing future procedures, limiting the ability to optimize and improve outcomes.

Innovation Solution

A method is provided for visualizing data collected by an electrophysiology catheter during an ablation procedure using an electroanatomical mapping system. This involves receiving data points with localization information and procedure metrics, applying an ablation procedure model to generate a map of procedure metrics, and outputting a visualization of this map.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If data from electrophysiology procedures is stored for review, then data availability is improved, but the ability to leverage data for future procedure optimization is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata availabilityVSAvoiddata utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates visual replicas or copies of the complex three-dimensional electrophysiology procedure data in simplified two-dimensional formats. These visual copies preserve the essential procedural information while making it accessible and analyzable for future procedure optimization, thus enabling both data availability and effective utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary visualization layer that mediates between the raw electrophysiology data and the practitioner's analysis needs. This intermediary system processes and presents data in optimized visual formats, enabling practitioners to effectively leverage stored data for improving future procedures without direct access to complex raw datasets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If multiple data points with localization information and procedure metrics are collected, then measurement precision is improved, but data complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocedure metric accuracyVSAvoiddata processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and separates specific procedure metrics (contact angle, stability, contact force) from the overall complex dataset. By isolating and individually visualizing each metric, the system maintains high measurement precision for each parameter while reducing the perceived complexity through focused, separate presentations of each data element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the complex multi-dimensional procedure data into distinct visual representations for different procedure metrics. Each metric is processed and displayed separately, allowing practitioners to analyze each parameter's precision without being overwhelmed by the combined complexity of all simultaneous measurements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Loss of information

If three-dimensional anatomical maps are generated in real-time, then information completeness is improved, but visualization clarity may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanatomical data completenessVSAvoidvisualization interpretability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system transforms three-dimensional anatomical and procedural data into two-dimensional visual representations. This dimensionality reduction preserves the essential spatial relationships and procedural information while creating simplified views that are easier to interpret and analyze, thus maintaining information completeness while improving visualization clarity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20250025087A1Method and system for visualizing ablation procedure data

Publication Date: 2025.01.23 ST JUDE MEDICAL CARDILOGY DIV INC

AI summary

Data collected by an electrophysiology catheter during an ablation procedure. such as a pulmonary vein isolation, can be visualized using an electroanatomical mapping system. The mapping system receives data points measured by the catheter, each of which includes localization information and at least one procedure metric. The system then applies an ablation procedure model to the data points. The model facilitates relating the data points to one or more anatomical features using the localization data and/or relating the data points to an ablation procedure outcome using the metric(s). This allows the system to generate map(s) of the metric(s) and output visualization(s) of the map(s). The visualization(s) can include two-dimensional schematic anatomical representation(s) of the metric(s) and/or two-dimensional representation(s) of the metric(s) versus time. Various metrics, including, but not limited to, contact angle, contact force, and catheter stability, can be visualized.