Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-26
2001-02-20
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C600S523000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192266
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to systems for diagnosing and treating medical conditions using instruments deployed within a living body.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Multiple electrode arrays are used to diagnose or treat a variety of medical conditions.
For example, physicians use arrays of multiple electrodes to examine the propagation of electrical impulses in heart tissue to locate aberrant conductive pathways. The techniques used to analyze these pathways, commonly called “mapping,” identify regions in the heart tissue, called foci, which can be ablated to treat the arrhythmia. When used for this purpose, the multiple electrode arrays are typically located in electrical contact with either epicardial or endocardial tissue. The multiple electrodes are coupled to an external cardiac stimulator, which applies electrical pacing signals through one or more electrodes at given frequencies, durations, or amplitudes to myocardial tissue, a process called “pacing.” The multiple electrodes on the array are also typically coupled to signal processing equipment, called “recorders,” which display the morphologies of the electrocardiograms or electrograms recorded during pacing. Sometimes, another roving electrode is deployed in association with the multiple electrode array, to pace the heart at various endocardial locations, a technique called “pace mapping.” When it is desired to ablate myocardial tissue, an electrode coupled to a source of, e.g., radio frequency energy is deployed.
In conducting these diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, the physician must compare all paced electrocardiograms or electrograms to those previously recorded during an induced arrhythmia episode. The physician also must know the position of all deployed electrodes in order to interpret the data in a meaningful way. The physician also needs to be able to accurately maneuver and position the roving or ablation electrode, when used. For these reasons, these procedures required a considerable degree of skill and experience on the part of the attending medical personnel.
Conventional systems and methods designed to aid the physician in his difficult task became impractical and unwieldy as new technology provides more sophisticated arrays, have more electrodes arranged with increased density. With larger and more dense electrode arrays, the number of possible failure modes also increases. Conventional systems and methods cannot automatically and continuously monitor the status of the more sophisticated arrays, to warn the physician in the event of an opened or shorted electrode condition or other malfunction.
Thus, there is a need for improved systems and methods for manipulating and monitoring the use of multiple electrode arrays, as well as systems and methods for processing, monitoring, and interpreting data from multiple electrode arrays in an efficient, organized manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, systems and methods provide an interface for association with an electrode structure which, in use, is deployed in contact with heart tissue to perform a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure. The interface comprises a display screen, and an interface manager coupled to the display screen. The interface manager includes a first function to generate a real image of the electrode structure acquired by an imaging device. The interface manager includes a second function to generate an idealized image of the electrode structure based at least in part upon the real image. The interface manager includes a third function to display a view image comprising either the real image, or the idealized image, or both on the display screen.
Other features and advantages of the inventions are set forth in the following Description and Drawings, as well as in the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5694945 (1997-12-01), Ben-Haim
patent: 5722402 (1998-03-01), Swanson et al.
patent: 5724985 (1998-03-01), Snell et al.
patent: 5840031 (1998-11-01), Crowley
patent: 5916163 (1999-06-01), Panescu et al.
patent: 6106460 (2000-08-01), Panescu et al.
patent: 6115626 (2000-08-01), Whayne et al.
Dupree Daniel A.
Nguyen Tuan
Panescu Dorin
Whayne James G.
Boston Scientific Corporation
Lateef Marvin M.
Lyon & Lyon LLP
Shaw Shawna J
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