Cardiac Activation Wavefront Mapping via Bipole Stream Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for identifying and mapping cardiac activation wavefronts, such as those during cardiac arrhythmia procedures, face challenges in accurately tracing the propagation of electrical signals across the cardiac surface, particularly in complex wavefront patterns like collision, focal, re-entry, and rotor patterns, which are crucial for understanding electrophysiological pathologies.
Innovation Solution
The method involves an electroanatomical mapping system that receives electrophysiological data from a multi-electrode catheter, identifying the first activating bipole and iteratively adding neighboring bipoles to create an activation stream path, and computing a conduction velocity vector field to map cardiac activation wavefronts as stream paths on a cardiac geometry model.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional bipolar EGM datasets are used to identify wavefronts, then the method is simple to implement, but the measurement precision and ability to accurately trace propagation in complex wavefront patterns is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the continuous electrical activation process into discrete activation events at individual bipoles, organizing them into structured datasets that can be systematically processed to reconstruct wavefront propagation paths with high precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D bipolar EGM data to 3D electroanatomical mapping by incorporating spatial coordinates and creating volumetric representations of cardiac activation, enabling accurate tracing of wavefronts through complex three-dimensional cardiac structures
2Loss of information
If complex wavefront patterns (collision, focal, re-entry, rotor) are analyzed in detail, then the understanding of electrophysiological pathologies improves, but the time required for data processing and analysis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary organization of electrophysiological data into structured datasets during the mapping procedure itself, pre-processing and tagging activation events with spatial and temporal information, which enables rapid subsequent analysis of complex wavefront patterns without requiring extensive post-processing time
3Measurement precision
If high density grid catheters are used to capture detailed electrophysiological data, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity and difficulty of operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated algorithms that self-organize the complex data from high-density electrode arrays, automatically identifying activation sequences and reconstructing wavefront paths without requiring manual interpretation, thereby compensating for the increased operational complexity of using dense electrode catheters
Data Source
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AI summary
Cardiac activation wavefronts can be computed as one or more stream paths or stream lines from electrophysiological data collected by a multi-electrode catheter. In embodiments of the disclosure, the stream path or stream line is computed by identifying a first activating bipole from amongst the electrodes and then iteratively identifying successively later-activating, neighboring bipoles. The process can be repeated for additional bipoles and/or additional locations of the multi-electrode catheter within the subject's heart. In additional embodiments of the disclosure, stream paths or stream lines are computed from a conduction velocity vector field or mesh, distributed over a cardiac geometry, by identifying the path of one or more seed points through the conduction velocity vector field. The stream paths and/or stream lines can be graphically output, such as on a three-dimensional cardiac geometry model.