Open Catheter Mapping System for Atrial Fibrillation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for real-time mapping of electrical activity in the heart, particularly for atrial fibrillation, face limitations such as inadequate anatomical resolution, difficulty in mapping complex atrial anatomy, and constraints on device deployment due to large catheter sizes, leading to suboptimal success rates in ablation treatments.
Innovation Solution
An open catheter with multiple sensors is used to determine physiological information by obtaining sensor potentials, calculating catheter potentials, and solving differential equations to provide boundary conditions for inverse mapping, allowing for more accurate and efficient reconstruction of endocardial surface potentials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If large basket catheters are used for global atrial mapping, then anatomical coverage is improved, but device deployment difficulty increases and other devices cannot be easily positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter array is divided into multiple steerable catheters rather than one large basket, allowing each catheter to be independently positioned and maneuvered to map different regions of the atrium
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple catheters are positioned within the atrial chamber in a nested configuration, with each catheter containing multiple electrodes that can be independently oriented toward the atrial wall
2Area of stationary object
If basket catheter dimensions are matched to chamber size, then mapping coverage is improved, but electrodes cannot easily contact chamber wall in complex atrial regions
Solution Approach 1:
Each catheter is made steerable and adjustable, allowing dynamic repositioning and angling of individual catheters to maintain electrode contact with the atrial wall across varying anatomical geometries
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the atrium are mapped using locally optimized catheter positions and orientations, with each catheter configured to best suit the specific anatomical region it is mapping
3Measurement precision
If sequential point-by-point mapping is used, then measurement accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple electrodes on each catheter are pre-positioned and configured to simultaneously sample multiple points across the atrial surface, eliminating the need for sequential point-by-point mapping
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple measurement functions are combined into a single integrated system where numerous electrodes on multiple catheters simultaneously record electrical activity across the entire atrial chamber
4Productivity
If multiple steerable catheters with 64 electrodes each are used, then real-time mapping capability is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each catheter is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both a mapping device with 64 electrodes and a steerable positioning device, eliminating the need for separate control and mapping systems
Data Source
AI summary
A method of determining physiological information for an internal body surface using an open catheter comprising multiple sensors. Sensor potentials are obtained and used to determine catheter potentials within the catheter, and the physiological information for the internal body surface is determined using at least some of the catheter potentials.