Computing local propagation velocities in real-time

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12420088-B2
Application number	US-202217672780-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2022
Priority date	May 24, 2021
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A method includes, based on respective signals acquired by a plurality of electrodes on an anatomical surface of a heart, computing respective local activation times (LATs) at respective locations of the electrodes. The method further includes, based on the LATs, computing respective directions of electrical propagation at the locations. The method further includes selecting pairs of adjacent ones of the electrodes such that, for each of the pairs, a vector joining the pair is aligned, to within a predefined threshold degree of alignment, with the direction of electrical propagation at the location of one of the electrodes belonging to the pair. The method further includes associating respective bipolar voltages measured by the pairs of electrodes with a digital model of the anatomical surface. Other examples are also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for real-time computing of local signal propagation velocities in a heart of a patient, comprising:
a probe carrying a plurality of electrodes, the probe being inserted into the heart of the patient and configured to measure electrical signals during an electroanatomical mapping procedure;
an electrical interface; and
a processor, connected to the probe, configured to:
receive, via the electrical interface, respective signals acquired by the plurality of electrodes on an anatomical surface of the heart, in real time during the electroanatomical mapping procedure,
generate a digital electro-anatomical (EA) map of the heart by associating spatial coordinates for each electrode of the plurality of electrodes, with the respective signals received from the plurality of electrodes;
based on the signals, compute respective local activation times (LATs) at respective locations of the electrodes,
based on the LATs, compute respective directions of electrical propagation at the locations,
select pairs of adjacent ones of the electrodes such that, for each of the pairs, a vector joining the pair is aligned, to within a predefined threshold degree of alignment, with the direction of electrical propagation at the location of one of the electrodes belonging to the pair, and
associate respective bipolar voltages measurements measured by the selected pairs of electrodes with the digital EA map of the heart to generate a detailed propagation velocity map of the heart in real time, wherein the processor uses the selected pairs of bipolar voltages to enhance the accuracy of LAT computations, while other bipolar voltages are omitted from the propagation velocity map;
wherein the processor computes the respective directions of electrical propagation by the sub-steps of:
performing Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of a 4×4 covariance matrix for a set of vectors chosen from the vectors of the selected pairs, and
computing a propagation velocity at the locations, based on the PCA.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to compute the LAT at the location of each first electrode of the electrodes by:
obtaining multiple candidate sets of LATs for the location, by, for each second electrode of the electrodes that is adjacent to the first electrode:
providing, as input to a function, (i) a unipolar voltage signal, which represents a unipolar voltage between the first electrode and a reference electrode, and (ii) a bipolar voltage signal, which represents a bipolar voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and
receiving, as output from the function, a respective one of the candidate sets, and
choosing the LAT from the candidate sets.

3. A method, executed by a processor, for real-time computing of local signal propagation velocities in a heart of a patient, the processor being connected to a probe carrying a plurality of electrodes, the probe being inserted into the heart of the patient and configured to measure electrical signals during an electroanatomical mapping procedure, the method comprising:
generating a digital electro-anatomical (EA) map of the heart by associating spatial coordinates for each electrode of the plurality of electrodes, with the respective signals received from the plurality of electrodes;
based on the respective signals acquired by the plurality of electrodes on an anatomical surface of the heart, computing respective local activation times (LATs) at respective locations of the electrodes;
based on the LATs, computing respective directions of electrical propagation at the locations;
selecting pairs of adjacent ones of the electrodes such that, for each of the pairs, a vector joining the pair is aligned, within a predefined threshold degree of alignment, with the direction of electrical propagation at the location of one of the electrodes belonging to the pair; and
associating respective bipolar voltages measurements measured by the selected pairs of electrodes with the digital EA map of the heart to generate a detailed propagation velocity map of the heart in real time, wherein the processor uses the selected pairs of bipolar voltages to enhance the accuracy of LAT computations, while other bipolar voltages are omitted from the propagation velocity map,
wherein the step of computing respective directions of electrical propagation includes the sub-steps of:
performing Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of a 4×4 covariance matrix for a set of vectors chosen from the vectors of the selected pairs, and
computing a propagation velocity at the locations, based on the PCA.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein computing the LATs comprises computing the LAT at the location of each first electrode of the electrodes by:
obtaining multiple candidate sets of LATs for the location, by, for each second electrode of the electrodes that is adjacent to the first electrode:
providing, as input to a function, (i) a unipolar voltage signal, which represents a unipolar voltage between the first electrode and a reference electrode, and (ii) a bipolar voltage signal, which represents a bipolar voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and
receiving, as output from the function, a respective one of the candidate sets; and
choosing the LAT from the candidate sets.

5. A computer software product for real-time computing of local signal propagation velocities in a heart of a patient, the computer software product comprising a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, the processor being connected to a probe carrying a plurality of electrodes, the probe being inserted into the heart of the patient and configured to measure electrical signals during an electroanatomical mapping procedure, which instructions, when read by a processor, cause the processor to:
receive respective signals acquired by a plurality of electrodes on an anatomical surface of a heart, in real time during the electroanatomical mapping procedure,
generate a digital electro-anatomical (EA) map of the heart by associating spatial coordinates for each electrode of the plurality of electrodes, with the respective signals received from the plurality of electrodes;
based on the signals, compute respective local activation times (LATs) at respective locations of the electrodes,
based on the LATs, compute respective directions of electrical propagation at the locations,
select pairs of adjacent ones of the electrodes such that, for each of the pairs, a vector joining the pair is aligned, to within a predefined threshold degree of alignment, with the direction of electrical propagation at the location of one of the electrodes belonging to the pair, and
associate respective bipolar voltages measurements measured by the selected pairs of electrodes with the digital EA map of the heart to generate a detailed propagation velocity map of the heart in real time, wherein the processor uses the selected pairs of bipolar voltages to enhance the accuracy of LAT computations, while other bipolar voltages are omitted from the propagation velocity map;
wherein the processor computes the respective directions of electrical propagation by the sub-steps of:
performing Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of a 4×4 covariance matrix for a set of vectors chosen from the vectors of the selected pairs, and
computing a propagation velocity at the locations, based on the PCA.

6. The computer software product according to claim 5 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to compute the LAT at the location of each first electrode of the electrodes by:
obtaining multiple candidate sets of LATs for the location, by, for each second electrode of the electrodes that is adjacent to t

Assignees

• Biosense Webster Israel Ltd

Inventors

• Zaides Leonid
• Nakar Elad
• Ravuna Eliyahu
• Massarwi Fady
• Yarnitsky Jonathan
• Greenbaum Lior

Classifications

• A61N1/3925

  Monitoring; Protecting · CPC title

• A61N1/0563

  specially adapted for defibrillation or cardioversion · CPC title

• A61B5/349

  Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle · CPC title

• A61B5/361

  Detecting fibrillation · CPC title

• A61B5/318

  Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG] · CPC title