Local Activation Time Mapping Without Roving Activation Intervals

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cardiac mapping systems face inaccuracies in generating local activation time (LAT) maps due to the use of user-defined roving activation intervals (RAI), which can result in missed cardiac activity and incorrect LAT computations, especially when cardiac cycle lengths and RAI placement vary.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that compute LAT maps without relying on a RAI by identifying the most recent reference cardiac activation and the corresponding roving cardiac activation closest in time, independent of any RAI, allowing for accurate LAT calculation and map generation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If a user-defined roving activation interval (RAI) is used to generate LAT maps, then the system can automatically reject cardiac activity outside the interval, but this may result in missed cardiac activity and incorrect LAT computations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic rejection of cardiac activityVSAvoidaccuracy of LAT map

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the RAI filtering mechanism from the system. Instead of using a user-defined time interval to automatically reject cardiac activity, the system processes all detected cardiac activations without temporal filtering, thereby eliminating the source of measurement errors while maintaining automated LAT map generation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than using RAI to exclude unwanted data, the patent inverts the approach by including all detected cardiac activations and using computational methods to identify the most relevant activation pairs. The system computes LAT for all possible reference-roving activation combinations and selects the most appropriate pairs based on temporal proximity and anatomical consistency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Adaptability or versatility

If variable user-defined RAIs are placed relative to sensed cardiac activity, then the system can adapt to different cardiac rhythms, but this may cause desired cardiac activity to fall on boundaries or outside the RAI

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptation to different cardiac rhythmsVSAvoiddetection of cardiac activity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic adaptation by computing LAT values for all detected cardiac activations without fixed temporal windows. The system automatically adjusts to varying cardiac rhythms by processing the complete set of detected activations and using algorithms to identify corresponding reference-roving pairs based on their temporal relationships, eliminating the need for static RAI boundaries

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the fundamental parameter from fixed RAI time intervals to variable computational matching of cardiac activations. Instead of constraining analysis within predetermined time windows, the system evaluates all detected activations and dynamically determines appropriate pairings based on actual cardiac timing, thereby adapting to rhythm variations without measurement loss

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If RAI is used to compute LAT based on timing difference between reference and roving activation, then the system can generate LAT maps, but this may result in improperly computing LAT by using cardiac activity from two different cardiac cycles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegeneration of LAT mapsVSAvoidcomputation of LAT

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system computes LAT for all possible reference-roving activation pairs, then uses quality metrics to evaluate each computation. Activations from different cardiac cycles are identified and excluded through iterative validation, ensuring only physiologically valid LAT values are included in the final map while maintaining efficient generation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20230073299A1Systems and methods for mapping local activation times

Publication Date: 2023.03.09 ST JUDE MEDICAL CARDILOGY DIV INC

AI summary

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for generating a local activation time (LAT) map. A method includes receiving at least one reference electrogram, receiving at least one roving electrogram, detecting cardiac activations in the at least one reference electrogram, detecting roving cardiac activations in the at least one roving electrogram, identifying, at a trigger time, a most recent reference cardiac activation of the detected reference cardiac activations, identifying, a corresponding roving cardiac activation of the detected roving cardiac activations that is closest in time to the most recent reference cardiac activation, the corresponding roving cardiac activation identified independent of any roving activation interval (RAI), computing, a LAT as a time difference between the most recent reference cardiac activation and the corresponding roving cardiac activation, and generating and displaying, a LAT map based on the computed LAT.