Atrial Fibrillation Mapping for Precise Heart Tissue Identification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies struggle to accurately identify and target heart tissue locations responsible for atrial fibrillation, leading to ineffective treatments and potential complications such as stroke and heart failure.
Innovation Solution
A method involving electro-anatomic mapping using flexible multi-electrode basket catheters or noncontact mapping systems to record electrical potentials, followed by statistical analysis to identify locations with consistent temporal discrepancies, enabling precise targeting of tissue for ablation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional catheter procedures are used to treat atrial fibrillation, then the treatment process is simplified, but the precision of identifying specific heart tissue locations is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heart chamber surface into multiple discrete locations or regions, allowing independent analysis of electrical activation at each segment. This enables precise identification of specific tissue locations with temporal discrepancies without requiring a monolithic complex system, as each location can be analyzed separately through the mapping methodology
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational mapping system that processes electrical signal data to generate phase information and identify temporal discrepancies. This intermediary layer between the catheter sensors and the treatment decision-making process enables high precision identification while keeping the physical catheter device relatively simple
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive electrical mapping is performed across the heart surface, then the accuracy of locating aberrant tissue is improved, but the time required for the procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary computational processing of electrical signals during the mapping procedure to generate phase information and identify temporal discrepancies in real-time or near-real-time. This preliminary analysis of the electrical data allows for rapid identification of aberrant tissue locations without requiring exhaustive manual examination of all heart surface locations, thereby reducing overall procedure time while maintaining high accuracy
3Area of stationary object
If multiple electrodes are used to record electrical potentials, then the coverage and detail of heart surface mapping is improved, but the complexity of data analysis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a computational copy or model of the heart chamber surface with electrical activation data for multiple locations. This virtual model allows comprehensive analysis of electrical patterns across the entire heart surface without requiring physically complex processing hardware, as the complexity is managed through software-based phase analysis and temporal discrepancy detection algorithms
Data Source
AI summary
A method, including obtaining heart phase data for a plurality of activation cycles of a living human afflicted with atrial fibrillation and analyzing the heart phase data to identify specific heart tissue locations where there are repeated and consistent temporal discrepancies of electrical activation relative to other tissue locations, wherein the action of analyzing the heart phase data includes executing a statistical analysis on the heart phase data.