Detection of catheter location, orientation, and movement direction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12496432-B2
Application number	US-202016799338-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2020
Priority date	Feb 24, 2020
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems for medical procedures are disclosed herein and include a catheter having a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode configured to transmit first electromagnetic signals and the second electrode configured to transmit second electromagnetic signals. A first patch, a second patch, and a third patch each configured to receive the first and second electromagnetic signals are included and arranged in a triangular formation on a first surface of a patient's body. A first catheter position relative to the first patch, the second patch, and the third patch, is determined at a first time and a second time. The first catheter position and the second catheter position relative to the first catheter position may be displayed such that the first catheter position is visually connected to the second catheter position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a catheter comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode configured to transmit first electromagnetic signals and the second electrode configured to transmit second electromagnetic signals, wherein the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals are distinguishable in at least one of frequency, phase, or amplitude; a first patch, a second patch, and a third patch each configured to receive the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals, wherein the first patch, the second patch, and the third patch are arranged in a triangular formation on a first surface of a body of a patient; and one or more processors that are communicatively coupled to the first patch, the second patch, and the third patch, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to:
determine a first set of positions based on the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals received at the first patch, the second patch, and the third patch respectively during a first time period, wherein the first set of positions includes a first terminus of a radius in three-dimensional space originating from the first patch, a second terminus of a radius in three-dimensional space originating from the second patch, and a third terminus of a radius in three-dimensional space originating from the third patch,
determine a first location of the catheter relative to the patient based on the first set of positions,
determine a first orientation of the catheter at the first location by comparing the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals received at a same one of the first patch, the second patch, or the third patch during the first time period, wherein the first orientation indicates a direction the catheter is pointing within the patient at the first time period, and wherein the first orientation is calculated based on a relative time delay or amplitude difference between the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals received at a same patch,
determine a second set of positions based on the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals received at the first patch, the second patch, and the third patch respectively during a second time period, wherein the second set of positions includes a fourth terminus of a radius in three-dimensional space originating from the first patch, a fifth terminus of a radius in three-dimensional space originating from the second patch, and a sixth terminus of a radius in three-dimensional space originating from the third patch,
determine a second location of the catheter relative to the patient based on the second set of positions,
determine a second orientation of the catheter at the second location by comparing the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals received at a same one of the first patch, the second patch, or the third patch during the second time period, wherein the second orientation indicates a direction the catheter is pointing within the patient at the second time period, and wherein the second orientation is calculated based on a relative time delay or amplitude difference between the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals received at the same patch, and
display a first catheter position and a second catheter position relative to the first catheter position such that the first catheter position is visually connected to the second catheter position by a vector segment, wherein the first catheter position includes the first location and first orientation, and the second catheter position includes the second location and the second orientation.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first orientation is determined based on a first comparison of the first electromagnetic signals to the second electromagnetic signals received by the at least one of at the first patch, the second patch, or the third patch during the first time period, and the second orientation is determined based on a second comparison of the first electromagnetic signals to the second electromagnetic signals received by the at least one of at the first patch, the second patch, or the third patch during the first time period.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the first comparison and the second comparison are based on a difference in time between the first electromagnetic signals to the second electromagnetic signals.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the first comparison and the second comparison are based on a difference in amplitude between the first electromagnetic signals to the second electromagnetic signals.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth patch on a second surface of the body of the patient opposite the first surface of the body of the patient, and
wherein at least one of the first location or the second location is further determined based on the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals received at the fourth patch.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth patch on the first surface, wherein:
the first patch and the fourth patch create a first directional line, at least one of the first location or the second location is further determined based on the combination of the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals received at the first patch and the fourth patch.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein a first component of the first catheter position perpendicular to the first directional line is determined based on the combination of the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals received at the first patch and the fourth patch.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein a second component of the first catheter position is further determined based on the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals received at least one of the second patch and the third patch.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further collectively further configured to:
determine that the catheter is in a bloodstream based on an impedance value sensed by at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode exceeds a threshold impedance; and determine at least one of the first location or the second location based on determining that the catheter is in the bloodstream.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further collectively configured to:
provide a visual indication of a direction of movement based on the first catheter position and the second catheter position.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further collectively configured to:
filter cyclical respiratory movements from at least one of the first catheter position and the second catheter position.

12 . A method comprising:
transmitting first electromagnetic signals from a first electrode of a catheter; transmitting second electromagnetic signals from a second electrode of the catheter, wherein the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals are distinguishable in at least one of frequency, phase, or amplitude; receiving the first electromagnetic signals and the second electromagnetic signals by each of a first patch, a second patch, and a third patch, wherein the first patch, the second patch, and the third patch are arranged in a triangular formation on a first surface of a body of a patient; determining a first set of positions based on the first electromagnetic signals and the second el

Assignees

• Biosense Webster Israel Ltd

Inventors

• Azaria Elad
• Yellin Tamir Avraham
• Sztejnberg Dan
• Maydel Michael
• Ben Natan Alon

Classifications

• A61B5/068

  using impedance sensors · CPC title

• A61B5/066

  Superposing sensor position on an image of the patient, e.g. obtained by ultrasound or x-ray imaging · CPC title

• A61B5/063

  using impedance measurements · CPC title

• A61B2034/2051

  Electromagnetic tracking systems · CPC title

• A61B5/742

  using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339) · CPC title