Catheter Depth Visualization on 3D Cardiac Maps
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of accurately determining the location of a catheter's distal end assembly relative to cardiac chamber walls in 2D projections of 3D EA maps is addressed, as orthographic projections lack depth perception, making it difficult for physicians to understand catheter positioning.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that provides catheter depth perception tools using a processor to define a viewing direction as a ray from a virtual viewer to a catheter reference point, calculating and visually indicating the catheter's depth relative to cardiac chamber walls through scales, color coding, and light and shadow effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If orthographic projection is used to display 3D EA maps on 2D displays, then accurate rendering of cardiac chamber geometry is achieved, but depth perception is lost making catheter location difficult to understand
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds depth information visualization to the existing 2D orthographic projection by introducing visual cues such as color gradients, transparency variations, and depth scales that encode the third dimension (depth) into the 2D display, allowing physicians to perceive catheter depth without leaving the orthographic view
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies color mapping to represent depth information, where different colors or color intensities indicate different depths of the catheter relative to chamber walls, enabling intuitive depth perception while maintaining the accuracy of the orthographic projection
2Ease of operation
If visual depth indicators are added to the map, then catheter depth perception is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces computational algorithms as intermediaries that automatically process catheter position data and generate depth visualization indicators, reducing the operational burden on physicians while managing the complexity through software-based solutions rather than hardware modifications
Data Source
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AI summary
A system includes a display and a processor configured to receive an electroanatomical 3D map of cardiac chamber to be displayed on the display as a view-dependent orthographic projection. The processor is further configured to (i) receive position information of catheter located within the cardiac chamber, from catheter positioning system, (ii) define a reference point location of the catheter displayed on the map, (iii) for any given viewing direction of the map, define the viewing direction as a ray superimposed on a vector from a virtual viewer to the reference point location, (iv) calculate a view-dependent cardiac chamber distance between a distal wall location along the ray and a proximal wall location along the ray, (v) calculate a location over the ray of the reference point location relative to the cardiac chamber view-dependent distance, based on the position information, and (vi) indicate the calculated reference point location distance to user.