Animated Electrophysiology Maps for Cardiac Wavefront Directionality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cardiac electrophysiological maps are static, making it difficult to understand the directionality of cardiac activation wavefronts, which is crucial for accurately discerning complex cardiac arrhythmias.
Innovation Solution
Generating animated electrophysiology maps by superimposing timing markers on static maps, where marker visibility is related to the distance from the activation wavefront and adjusting opacity over time to depict the wavefront's movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If static maps with colors and shading are used to represent cardiac parameters, then the map structure is simple and easy to generate, but the directionality of cardiac activation wavefronts cannot be understood
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms static electrophysiological maps into dynamic animated maps by superimposing moving timing markers that represent the propagation of activation wavefronts over time. The markers transition across the map surface, visually demonstrating the directionality and sequence of cardiac activation, thereby converting a static representation into a dynamic one that preserves temporal information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to the traditional two-dimensional electrophysiological map by introducing animated timing markers that move across the map surface over time. This transforms the visualization from a single moment in time to a time-varying representation, effectively adding the fourth dimension (time) to the spatial map, allowing observers to track wavefront propagation directionality.
2Reliability
If traditional static maps are used, then the visualization is simple, but complex cardiac rhythms are difficult to discern
Solution Approach 1:
The animated timing markers provide dynamic visual feedback about wavefront propagation patterns, allowing clinicians to distinguish between different types of arrhythmias based on the movement patterns, speed, and sequence of marker transitions across the cardiac map. This dynamic visualization enhances diagnostic reliability for complex rhythms.
Solution Approach 2:
The timing markers utilize visual properties such as color, brightness, and opacity changes to encode different aspects of cardiac activation timing and wavefront propagation. These visual variations help distinguish different activation sequences and patterns, improving the ability to diagnose complex arrhythmias.
Data Source
AI summary
An animated electrophysiology map is generated from a plurality of data points, each including measured electrophysiology information, location information, and timing information. The electrophysiology and location information can be used to generate the electrophysiology map, such as a local activation time, peak-to-peak voltage, or fractionation map. Animated timing markers can be superimposed upon the electrophysiology map using the electrophysiology, location, and timing information. For example a series of frames can be displayed sequentially, each including a static image of the electrophysiology map at a point in time and timing markers corresponding to the state or position of an activation wavefront at the point in time superimposed thereon. The visibility or opacity of the timing markers can be adjusted from frame to frame, dependent upon a distance between the timing marker and the activation wavefront, to give the illusion that the timing markers are moving along the electrophysiology map.