Dual-Filter Catheter Tracking for Latency and Map Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current medical tracking systems face challenges in providing real-time, stable representation of catheter movement while generating accurate anatomical maps, as aggressive filtering for map generation introduces latency and non-aggressive filtering results in noisy maps with artifacts.

Innovation Solution

Implementing two filtering levels for position signals, with an aggressive filter for anatomical map generation and a non-aggressive filter for real-time catheter movement tracking, and using finite impulse response filters with peak preservation techniques to maintain signal accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If aggressive filtering is applied to position signals for anatomical map generation, then map accuracy is improved, but latency in catheter movement representation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanatomical map accuracyVSAvoidcatheter movement latency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the single filtering operation into two separate filtering operations with different filtering levels. The first smoother applies a first filtering level to generate first filtered position signals for real-time catheter movement representation, while the second smoother applies a second filtering level to generate second filtered position signals for anatomical map generation. This segmentation allows each filtering operation to be optimized for its specific purpose without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Speed

If non-aggressive filtering is applied to position signals for real-time tracking, then latency is reduced, but anatomical map quality deteriorates with noise and artifacts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereal-time tracking responseVSAvoidanatomical map quality
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the single filtering operation into two separate filtering operations with different filtering levels. The first smoother applies a first filtering level to generate first filtered position signals for real-time catheter movement representation, while the second smoother applies a second filtering level to generate second filtered position signals for anatomical map generation. This segmentation allows each filtering operation to be optimized for its specific purpose without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If aggressive filtering is applied to position signals, then anatomical map accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanatomical map accuracyVSAvoidsignal processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the single filtering operation into two separate filtering operations with different filtering levels. The first smoother applies a first filtering level to generate first filtered position signals for real-time catheter movement representation, while the second smoother applies a second filtering level to generate second filtered position signals for anatomical map generation. This segmentation allows each filtering operation to be optimized for its specific purpose without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4140428B1Reducing perceived latency of catheters
Publication Date: 2024.07.31 BIOSENSE WEBSTER (ISRAEL) LTD
  • EP4140428B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4140428B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4140428B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In one embodiment, a system includes a catheter, at least one position sensor to provide position signal(s) indicative of a position of a distal end of the catheter over time, a first smoothing filter to provide first filtered position signal(s) responsively to the position signal(s) and a first filtering level, a second smoothing filter to provide second filtered position signal(s) responsively to the position signal(s) and a second filtering level, wherein the second filtering level provides more smoothing than the first filtering level, and processing circuitry to find first and second position coordinates of the distal end responsively to the first and second filtered position signal(s), respectively, generate, and render to a display, an anatomical map of a body part responsively to the second position coordinates, and render a representation of the distal end to the display while showing movement of the distal end responsively to the first position coordinates.