Bi-directional Electrogram Activation Detection for Cardiac Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrophysiology systems for analyzing complex fractionated electrograms (CFAEs) are sensitive to catheter orientation, leading to incomplete detection of activation events, particularly due to focusing solely on negative deflections, which can miss positive deflections and affect the accuracy of average cycle length determination.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that analyze both positive and negative deflections of electrogram signals over an analysis time period to determine characteristics, enabling more robust and orientation-insensitive activation detection for improved CFAE analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If current electrophysiology systems focus solely on negative deflections for activation detection, then the system is simpler to operate, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to incomplete detection of activation events
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional single-direction detection approach by implementing bidirectional detection that considers both positive and negative deflections. The system detects activation events by monitoring changes in signal polarity, thereby capturing complete activation patterns regardless of deflection direction. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining operational simplicity while significantly improving measurement precision through comprehensive activation event detection.
2Device complexity
If current systems use single-direction activation detection, then the device complexity is lower, but the reliability deteriorates due to orientation sensitivity and incomplete detection
Solution Approach 1:
The system inverts the conventional unidirectional detection paradigm by implementing bidirectional activation detection that monitors both positive and negative deflections. This approach eliminates orientation sensitivity artifacts and ensures reliable detection regardless of catheter positioning. The enhanced reliability is achieved through comprehensive activation event capture while maintaining manageable system complexity through algorithmic processing of signal polarity changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the detection parameter from single-direction (negative deflection only) to bidirectional (both positive and negative deflections). By modifying the activation detection criteria to incorporate polarity changes in both directions, the system achieves orientation-insensitive reliable detection. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by improving reliability through comprehensive detection while keeping device complexity acceptable through efficient signal processing.
3Loss of time
If activation detection focuses only on negative deflections, then the processing time is shorter, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to missed positive deflections
Solution Approach 1:
The system inverts the conventional selective detection approach by implementing bidirectional detection that processes both positive and negative deflections. Although both signal types are processed, the algorithm efficiently identifies activation events through polarity change detection, maintaining acceptable processing times while significantly improving measurement precision. The inversion of detection scope from unidirectional to bidirectional ensures complete activation event capture without excessive processing delay.
Data Source
AI summary
In a system and computer implemented method for mapping of an anatomic structure and bi-directional activation detection of electrograms such as atrial and/or ventricular electrograms, both positive and negative deflections of an electrogram signal are analyzed over an analysis time period of the signal. At least one characteristic of the electrogram signal is determined based at least in part on analyzing both positive and negative deflections of the signal over the analysis time period. The determined at least one characteristic of the atrial electrogram signal is then associated with a generated three-dimensional model of the anatomic structure.