Heart Rhythm Disorder Analysis Using MRI-Based Activation Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for diagnosing and treating complex heart rhythm disorders, such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular fibrillation, are inadequate due to the inability to accurately identify and locate the causes of these conditions, leading to low success rates and significant complications in ablation procedures.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize sensors to detect and analyze biological activation signals at multiple locations, processing data to identify and locate electrical rotors and focal beats, allowing for targeted treatment of the underlying causes of heart rhythm disorders using minimally invasive techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ablation is used to treat complex heart rhythm disorders, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but success rate remains low due to inability to accurately identify and locate causes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/electrical mapping methods with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect and locate causes of heart rhythm disorders. The MRI system uses magnetic fields and radio waves to generate detailed images of the heart, enabling precise identification of abnormal tissue locations without invasive procedures. This substitution of detection methodology provides superior spatial resolution and accuracy compared to prior electrical mapping techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces contrast agents as intermediaries to enhance the detection of abnormal heart tissue. These contrast agents are administered to the patient and accumulate in specific tissue regions, creating enhanced signal differences that allow the MRI system to clearly distinguish between healthy and abnormal tissue. This intermediary substance bridges the gap between the MRI detection system and the target tissue, improving cause location precision.
2Productivity
If ablation procedures are performed without accurate cause identification, then treatment can be applied, but complications increase and success rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary MRI-based cause identification and location mapping before conducting ablation procedures. The system generates a detailed treatment plan by first identifying the precise location and characteristics of abnormal tissue causes, then planning the ablation approach accordingly. This preliminary detection and planning phase ensures that subsequent ablation is targeted accurately, improving efficiency while minimizing complications from misplaced or excessive treatment.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of analyzing a complex rhythm disorder in a human heart includes accessing signals from a plurality of sensors disposed spatially in relation to the heart, where the signals are associated with activations of the heart, and identifying a region of the heart having an activation trail that is rotational or radially emanating, where the activation trail is indicative of the complex rhythm disorder and is based on activation times associated with the activations of the heart.