Cardiac Mapping Far-Field Signal Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cardiac mapping systems face challenges in accurately detecting local electrical activity due to far-field electrical signals, which can mask localized activity and result in inaccurate or low-resolution activation maps, hindering effective diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize non-contact electrodes to sense activation signals, identify electrodes with the lowest maximum amplitude to filter out far-field signals, and generate anatomical maps based on adjusted signals, employing a dynamic thresholding algorithm to distinguish between local and global activation signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are placed in the cardiac chamber to detect electrical activity, then local electrical activity can be detected, but far-field electrical activity masks the local signals and reduces measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes far-field electrical signals from the composite signals detected by the sensors. By identifying characteristics of far-field signals (such as their spatial distribution patterns across multiple sensors) and subtracting them from the total signal, the system isolates the local electrical activity that would otherwise be masked by the stronger far-field ventricular activations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces non-contact electrodes as an intermediary element to detect far-field signals separately. These electrodes, positioned in the cardiac chamber but not in direct contact with tissue, specifically capture ambient far-field electrical activity. This intermediary detection mechanism allows the system to obtain a reference signal of far-field activity that can then be used to suppress its interference on local signal detection.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple sensors are used to detect electrical activity, then coverage area increases, but far-field signals appear simultaneously on multiple sensors and mask localized activity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrical signal detection function into two distinct components: local signal detection by contact sensors and far-field signal detection by non-contact electrodes. This segmentation allows the system to process and analyze different signal types separately, preventing the far-field signals from overwhelming the localized activity information across all sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the signals detected by non-contact electrodes are fed back into the signal processing system. This feedback signal represents the far-field electrical activity and is used to adjust and suppress the far-field component in the signals from contact sensors, thereby preserving the localized electrical activity information that would otherwise be lost.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for mapping an anatomical structure includes sensing activation signals of intrinsic physiological activity with a plurality of electrodes disposed in or near the anatomical structure, identifying at least one of the electrodes not in direct contact with the anatomical structure, and adjusting the activation signals sensed by each of the plurality of electrodes based on the activation signals sensed by the identified at least one of the electrodes not in direct contact with the anatomical structure.