Method and device for visually assisting an electrophysiological use of a catheter in the heart

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9668704-B2
Application number	US-56995704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2004
Priority date	Sep 1, 2003
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and to a method for visual assistance during the electrophysiological use of a catheter in the heart, enabling electroanatomic 3D mapping data relating to an area of the heart to be treated to be visualized during the use of the catheter. Before the catheter is used, 3D image data of a body region containing the area to be treated is detected by means of a method for tomographic 3D imaging. The area to be treated or significant parts thereof are extracted from said 3D image data, in order to obtain selected 3D image data. The electroanatomic 3D mapping data and the selected 3D image data obtained are then classed in terms of position and dimension, and are adjacently visualized, for example, during the catheter ablation. The inventive method and associated device enable the orientation of the operator to be improved during the use of a catheter in the heart.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for visually supporting an electrophysiology catheter application in a heart of a patient by correlating a 3D surface profile created using 3D image data recorded before the electrophysiology catheter application, with 3D mapping data from a catheter, comprising:
(1) before initiating the electrophysiology catheter application, recording 3D image data for a body region comprising at least part of the heart, the 3D image data being collected using one of computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance tomography (MR);
(2) extracting at least a portion of the heart from said 3D image data, the extracting process comprising segmentation of the 3D image data, and deriving a 3D surface profile comprising at least an area of the heart to be treated from the 3D image data;
(3) after recording the 3D image data, initiating the electrophysiology catheter application with a catheter being inserted into the heart, and a tip of the catheter being moved into contact with a series of different points on surfaces inside the heart including surfaces in the area of the heart to be treated;
wherein the electrophysiology catheter application comprises collecting 3D mapping data using the catheter, the 3D mapping data comprising 3D coordinates of said series of different points on surfaces inside the heart contacted by the tip of the catheter;
wherein ECG gating is used during said collecting of 3D mapping data to ensure that the 3D image data and the 3D mapping data are recorded during a same heart phase;
wherein a plurality of magnetic fields are created outside of the patient, wherein an electromagnetic sensor in the catheter detects said plurality of magnetic fields, and wherein a series of positions of the catheter are determined based on said detection of magnetic fields by the electromagnetic sensor in the catheter;

(4) performing a registration process after the extraction step and while the catheter application is ongoing, the registration process correlating the 3D surface profile created in the extraction step with 3D mapping data, the registration process comprising a first stage and a later in time second stage;
said first stage of the registration process comprising matching anatomical point markers between the 3D surface profile and the 3D mapping data;
wherein fluoroscope imaging is used for imaging the catheter and the heart during the first stage, and wherein fluoroscope imaging is ended when said first stage of the registration process is completed;
said second stage of the registration process comprising surface matching between the 3D surface profile and the 3D mapping data, the surface matching being point-to-surface matching between (i) 3D coordinates of said series of different points inside the heart of the 3D mapping data, and (ii) the 3D surface profile;
wherein more 3D mapping data is available and used in the second stage of the registrations process than in the first stage, with the second stage having greater accuracy than the first stage;

(5) displaying the 3D surface profile and 3D mapping data which has been correlated by the registration process;
wherein a position and orientation of the catheter is also displayed overlaid on said 3D surface profile and said 3D mapping data; and
wherein the correlated 3D surface profile and 3D mapping data are linked during display such that rotation, movement, and scaling of one is simultaneously applied to the other.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electrophysiology catheter application comprises cardiac ablation.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the 3D image data of the body region are recorded by use of a 3D ultrasonic method.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first stage registration is made automatically using the anatomical points, the anatomical points being identifiable both in the 3D surface profile and in the 3D mapping data.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the displaying displays the 3D image data via a volume rendering technique.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the displaying displays the 3D surface profile using an adjustable volume rendering transfer function.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the displaying displays the 3D surface profile as a polygonal grid.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the 3D image data is collected using computerized tomography (CT).

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein registration between the 3D surface profile and the 3D mapping data prompts the displaying of the position and orientation of the catheter.

10. A device for visually supporting an electrophysiology catheter application by correlating a 3D surface profile created using 3D image data recorded before the electrophysiology catheter application, with 3D mapping data from a catheter:
wherein the device comprises an extraction module comprising at least one processor for executing extraction instructions, a registration module comprising at least one processor for executing registration instructions, a 3D image data input interface, an ECG, a fluoroscope, a catheter, and a display;
wherein the device is configured to support the electrophysiology catheter applications as follows:
(1) the input interface is configured to receive 3D image data for a body region comprising at least part of the heart, the 3D image data comprising at least one of computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance tomography (MR) data;
(2) the extraction module being configured to extract at least portions of the heart from 3D image data received by the input interface, the extracting process comprising segmentation of the 3D image data, and deriving a 3D surface profile comprising at least an area of the heart to be treated from the 3D image data;
(3) the device being configured to receive 3D mapping data from the catheter during the electrophysiology catheter application and after recording the 3D image data, and to simultaneously receive ECG signals from the ECG;
wherein the 3D mapping data comprises 3D coordinates of a series of different points on surfaces inside the heart when the heart is contacted by the tip of the catheter;
wherein an electromagnetic sensor of the catheter is adapted to detect a plurality of magnetic fields, and wherein the device is configured to determine the 3D coordinates of the series of different points based on said plurality of magnetic fields detected by the electromagnetic sensor of the catheter;
the device being configured to use ECG signals received from the ECG interface for ECG gating during said collecting of 3D mapping data to ensure that the 3D image data and the 3D mapping data are recorded during a same heart phase;

(4) the registration module being configured to perform a registration process after the extraction module has provided said 3D surface profile and while 3D mapping data is received from the catheter, the registration process correlating the 3D surface profile with 3D mapping data, the registration process comprising a first stage and a later in time second stage, with more 3D mapping data being available for the second stage than for the first stage;
said first stage of the registration process comprising matching anatomical point markers between the 3D surface profile and the 3D mapping data;
the device being configured to display fluoroscope images of the catheter and the heart on the display during the first stage of the registration process, and to end fluoroscope imaging when the first stage of registration is completed;
said second stage of the registration process comprising surface matching between the 3D surface profile and the 3D mapping data, the surfac

Assignees

• Fuimaono Kristine
• Hayam Gal
• Karmi Yuval
• Killmann Reinmar
• Preiss Assaf
• Rahn Norbert
• Sauer Frank
• Xu Chenyang
• Biosense Webster Israel Ltd

Inventors

• Fuimaono Kristine
• Hayam Gal
• Karmi Yuval
• Killmann Reinmar
• Preiss Assaf
• Rahn Norbert
• Sauer Frank
• Xu Chenyang

Classifications

• G01R33/5608

  Data processing and visualization specially adapted for MR, e.g. for feature analysis and pattern recognition on the basis of measured MR data, segmentation of measured MR data, edge contour detection on the basis of measured MR data, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of signal-to-noise ratio by means of noise filtering or apodization, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of resolution by means for deblurring, windowing, zero filling, or generation of gray-scaled images, colour-coded images or images displaying vectors instead of pixels (image data processing or generation, in general G06T) · CPC title

• A61B8/543

  involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal · CPC title

• A61B2018/00839

  Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG · CPC title

• A61B2018/00375

  Ostium, e.g. ostium of pulmonary vein or artery · CPC title

• A61B8/14

  Echo-tomography · CPC title