Heart Graphic Display System for Arrhythmia Source Localization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for identifying the sources and locations of heart disorders are complex, cumbersome, and expensive, often involving costly and risky electrophysiology catheters or body surface vests that may not accurately detect arrhythmia sources, especially those located in the interventricular and interatrial septa.
Innovation Solution
A heart graphic display system that generates intra-cardiogram similarity and source location graphics to visualize the similarity between patient cardiogram cycles and library cycles, using similarity scores to identify stable and unstable arrhythmia sources and their locations, aiding in the evaluation of heart disorders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If electrophysiology catheters are used to identify arrhythmia sources, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase, and harmful factors are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary computational model that simulates heart anatomy and electrical activity to bridge the gap between non-invasive body surface measurements and invasive catheter measurements. This virtual model acts as a mediator, allowing accurate source localization without physically inserting catheters into the heart, thereby eliminating the harmful effects while maintaining measurement precision through sophisticated signal processing and simulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the patient's heart anatomy and electrical activity through computational modeling. This digital twin replicates the electrical pathways and arrhythmia sources, allowing clinicians to study and identify arrhythmia mechanisms without physical intrusion. The copied virtual environment provides the same diagnostic information as invasive catheters without the associated risks.
2Ease of operation
If body surface vests with electrodes are used to collect measurements, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates, especially for septal arrhythmia sources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the direct mechanical measurement approach of body surface electrodes with a computational field model. Instead of relying solely on physical electrode placements on the body surface, the system uses electromagnetic field simulations and inverse problem solving to reconstruct internal heart activity from external measurements, thereby maintaining ease of operation while significantly improving measurement precision for septal sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the measurement approach by changing parameters from direct electrical potential measurements at body surface to computed electrical activity parameters within the heart model. By adjusting the measurement and analysis parameters through sophisticated algorithms and simulation models, the system achieves accurate localization of arrhythmia sources even with non-invasive body surface electrodes.
3Reliability
If invasive electrophysiology procedures are performed to identify arrhythmia sources, then reliability is improved, but loss of time and productivity decrease due to procedure complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary computational analysis and virtual catheterization before actual clinical procedures. By pre-processing the data through simulation models and identifying potential arrhythmia sources in advance, the system reduces the time and complexity of subsequent invasive procedures. This preliminary virtual assessment maintains high reliability while improving overall productivity by streamlining the diagnostic workflow.
Data Source
AI summary
A system is provided for displaying heart graphic information relating to sources and source locations of a heart disorder to assist in evaluation of the heart disorder. A heart graphic display system provides an intra-cardiogram similarity (“ICS”) graphic and a source location (“SL”) graphic. The ICS graphic includes a grid with the x-axis and y-axis representing patient cycles of a patient cardiogram with the intersections of the patient cycle identifiers indicating similarity between the patient cycles. The SL graphic provides a representation of a heart with source locations indicated. The source locations are identified based on similarity of a patient cycle to library cycles of a library cardiogram of a library of cardiograms.