Body-Surface Electrode Mapping for Personalized Heart Rhythm Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional devices for treating heart rhythm disorders are invasive, costly, and associated with risks, providing limited spatial view and data, and are not practical for remote or rural areas, often requiring hospital visits and lacking comprehensive patient data for effective therapy guidance.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive body surface device with electrodes covering a majority of the heart chamber on the body surface to detect electrical signals, combined with machine learning and personal digital records, identifies critical regions for therapy and provides directional guidance for treatment, enabling personalized therapy without invasive procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If invasive catheter devices are used to treat heart rhythm disorders, then therapy can be delivered to the heart, but the procedure carries risks of complications and patient injury
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical invasive catheter-based system with a non-invasive body surface device that uses electrical signal detection and machine learning algorithms to identify critical regions and guide therapy, eliminating the need for percutaneous probe insertion and associated surgical risks
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces machine learning algorithms and body surface potential mapping as intermediary tools that translate external electrical signals into actionable therapeutic guidance, serving as a mediator between non-invasive detection and effective treatment delivery
2Reliability
If invasive catheter devices are used, then heart rhythm disorders can be treated, but the devices provide only limited spatial field of view of localized regions
Solution Approach 1:
The body surface device performs multiple functions including comprehensive spatial mapping, detection of electrical signals across the entire heart surface, identification of critical regions, and therapy guidance, replacing the limited single-function capability of invasive catheters
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional localized catheter measurements to two-dimensional comprehensive body surface mapping, capturing electrical activity across the entire heart surface and providing holistic spatial information
3Reliability
If invasive catheter procedures are performed in hospitals, then heart rhythm disorders can be treated, but access to care is limited for remote or rural patients
Solution Approach 1:
The body surface device enables patients to perform self-monitoring and data collection at home without requiring hospital visits, with the device automatically detecting electrical signals and the system providing therapy guidance independently
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection, mapping, and identification of critical regions using the body surface device before invasive therapy is needed, allowing for better treatment planning and reducing the frequency of hospital visits
4Loss of information
If conventional invasive devices are used, then some diagnostic data can be obtained, but the data are insufficient to determine the best course of therapy and correct region of interest
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of data collection by detecting electrical signals across multiple body surface locations simultaneously and analyzing temporal patterns, transforming insufficient localized data into comprehensive diagnostic information
Solution Approach 2:
The machine learning system continuously analyzes body surface potential data, provides feedback on identified critical regions, and refines therapy guidance based on detected electrical signal patterns, creating a closed-loop system for optimized treatment
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables personalized and effective therapy planning by identifying key regions for heart rhythm disorders, reducing unnecessary surgeries and improving access to care for remote patients, while providing a comprehensive data set for therapy guidance.
Implementation Method 1
The electrodes are capable of detecting a plurality of electrical signals generated by the heart of the subject
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed includes a body surface device for diagnosing locations associated with electrical rhythm disorders to guide therapy. The device can sense electrical signals and determine multiple sites that may be operative in that patient. The patch may encompass the heart regions from where the heart rhythm disorder originates. The patch comprises an array of electrodes configured to detect electrical signals generated by a heart. A controller may determine the locations of interest based on detected electrical signals. The controller is configured to locate these regions relative to the surface patch. The system may be coupled to a sensor or therapy device inside the heart, to guide this device to a region of interest. The controller is further configured to instruct the operator to use the trigger or source information to treat the heart rhythm disorder in an individual using additional clinical data and methods for personalization such as machine learning.