Catheter Tracking via Internal Field Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current catheter tracking systems in cardiac procedures, such as catheter ablation for heart conditions, face challenges in accurately determining the position of catheters within the heart cavity without relying on external tracking systems or requiring external energy sources, and are prone to inaccuracies due to motion artifacts.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that uses current injecting electrodes placed inside the body to generate fields, allowing measuring electrodes on the catheter to determine expected signals and calculate the position of the catheter by reconciling local field maps using cost minimization functions, without the need for external tracking systems, and accounting for respiration and heartbeat.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If external tracking systems are used to determine catheter position, then tracking functionality is provided, but the system becomes dependent on external sources that may introduce inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the organ itself (heart tissue) as the reference frame by injecting current through electrodes placed on or in the organ. The measuring electrodes on the catheter detect the resulting electrical potentials, allowing the catheter to self-determine its position relative to the organ anatomy without external tracking systems. This eliminates dependence on external sources and improves reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Electrical current acts as an intermediary between the reference electrodes and the measuring electrodes. The current injected through reference electrodes creates electrical fields that are detected by measuring electrodes, enabling position determination through this intermediate electrical signal rather than direct mechanical or external optical tracking.
2Measurement precision
If external tracking systems are used, then position tracking is achieved, but motion artifacts from external sources reduce measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the organ's own electrical properties as the reference, which moves synchronously with the catheter during heartbeats and respiration. Since both the reference electrodes and measuring electrodes are affected equally by organ motion, the relative position measurements remain accurate despite motion artifacts that would affect external fixed reference systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes electrical equipotential relationships within the moving organ tissue. By measuring potential differences between electrodes that are all subject to the same motion, the system eliminates errors caused by differential motion between fixed external references and moving catheter components.
3Reliability
If current injecting electrodes are placed inside the body to generate fields, then external tracking systems are eliminated, but the complexity of field mapping and signal reconciliation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The field mapping process is segmented into discrete measurement steps at multiple locations. The organ is mapped by systematically moving reference electrodes to different positions and measuring the resulting electrical fields at each location. This segmented approach breaks down the complex task of whole-organ mapping into manageable sequential measurements that can be processed independently and combined.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses iterative feedback through cost minimization functions to reconcile field maps from multiple locations. The measured signals are compared against expected signals, and the position calculations are refined by minimizing the difference between observed and predicted field patterns. This feedback mechanism automatically handles the complexity of integrating data from multiple measurements.
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
This approach enables accurate and reliable tracking of catheters within the heart cavity, reducing inaccuracies from external sources and motion artifacts, allowing for precise positioning and navigation during cardiac procedures.
Implementation Method 1
causing current to flow among multiple current injecting electrodes, at least some of the current injecting electrodes being placed in stable locations inside a patient's body to generate a field in an organ
Implementation Method 2
measuring a signal at each of multiple measuring electrodes on a catheter for each of multiple locations of the catheter
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
Methods and systems for determining the position of an object, such as tracking the position of one or more catheters in a patient's heart cavity are disclosed herein.