Abstract:
A delivery system and method for percutaneous aortic valve (PAV) replacement and apparatus used therein. A temporary aortic valve including a reversibly expandable occluding means surrounds a central catheter mechanism. The temporary valve is positioned within the ascending aorta, just above and downstream from the coronary ostia. The occluding means is configured such that, when fully expanded against the aortic wall, gaps are left that promote continuous coronary perfusion during the cardiac cycle. The temporary valve substitutes for the function of the native aortic valve during its replacement. The native aortic valve is next dilated, and then ablated through deployment of low profile, elongated, sequentially delivered stents. The stent(s) displace the native tissues and remain within the aortic annulus to receive and provide a structure for retaining the PAV. The PAV is delivered, positioned and deployed within the stent(s) at the aortic annulus with precision and relative ease.
Abstract:
Apparatus and methods are described for use with a plurality of angiographic image frames of a moving lumen of a subject, including aligning the image frames with each other. Using the aligned image frames, a time it takes a contrast agent to travel a known distance through the lumen is determined. At least partially in response thereto, a characteristic of the lumen is determined, and, in response to the determined characteristic, an output is generated on a display. Other applications are also described.
Abstract:
Apparatus and methods are described for imaging a portion of a body of a subject that undergoes a motion cycle. A plurality of image frames of the portion are acquired. The image frames are enhanced with respect to a first given feature of the image frames, by (a) image tracking the image frames with respect to the first given feature, (b) identifying a second given feature in each of the image frames, and (c) in response to the identifying, reducing visibility of the second given feature in the image frames. The image frames that (a) have been image tracked with respect to the first given feature, and (b) have had reduced therein the visibility of the second given feature, are displayed as a stream of image frames. Other embodiments are also described.
Abstract:
Apparatus and methods are described for imaging a portion of a body of a subject that undergoes a motion cycle, including acquiring a plurality of image frames of the portion of the subject's body. A given feature is identified in at least some of the image frames. At least some image frames are image tracked with respect to the feature, and the image frames that have been image tracked with respect to the given feature are displayed as a stream of image frames. Visibility of a periphery of the displayed stream of image frames is at least partially reduced, by applying a mask to the displayed stream of image frames. Other applications are also described.
Abstract:
A system and method are provided for delivering a medical device on a catheter to a selected position within a lumen of the body. A medical positioning system (MPS) acquires MPS data for points within the lumen using an MPS sensor on the catheter. Each of the points is associated with a three-dimensional coordinate system and an activity state of an organ of the patient. A user interface receives position data for the selected position. The position date is associated with an MPS representation associated with one of the points. A processor determines a plurality of temporal three-dimensional trajectory representations based on the MPS data and corresponding to the respective activity states of the organ. The processor superimposes the temporal three-dimensional trajectory representations on a two-dimensional image according to the activity states of the organ thereby enabling an operator to visually navigate the medical device toward the selected position.
Abstract:
Communication systems are described that use signal constellations, which have unequally spaced (i.e. ‘geometrically’ shaped) points. In many embodiments, the communication systems use specific geometric constellations that are capacity optimized at a specific SNR. In addition, ranges within which the constellation points of a capacity optimized constellation can be perturbed and are still likely to achieve a given percentage of the optimal capacity increase compared to a constellation that maximizes dmin, are also described. Capacity measures that are used in the selection of the location of constellation points include, but are not limited to, parallel decode (PD) capacity and joint capacity.
Abstract:
A method of calibrating a robotic device, such as a cardiac catheter, including oscillating the device on an actuation axis by applying an oscillation vector at an oscillation frequency. While oscillating, a location of the device is periodically measured to generate a plurality of location data points, which may express the location of the device relative to a plurality of measurement axes. The location data points are then processed using a signal processing algorithm, such as a Fourier transform algorithm, to derive a transfer function relating a position of the device to a movement vector for the actuation axis. The transfer function may be resolved into and expressed as a calibration vector for the actuation axis, which may include one or more components, including zero components, directed along each of the measurement axes. The process may be repeated for any actuation axes on which calibration is desired.
Abstract:
A system to navigate an imaged subject in relation to an acquired image of the imaged subject is provided. The system includes an intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) imaging system having a transducer operable to acquire image data so as to create a four-dimensional image model of the imaged subject. The model is defined in spatial relation and orientation relative to an image coordinate system. A tracking system is operable to track movement and orientation of the transducer through the imaged subject relative to a tracking coordinate system. A controller is electrically connected in communication with the imaging system and the tracking system. The controller is operable to register the image coordinate system with the tracking coordinate system, and to calibrate the image coordinate system and the tracking coordinate system relative to a common reference having fiducials of known spatial relation.
Abstract:
A method of calibrating a robotic device, such as a cardiac catheter, includes oscillating the device on an actuation axis by applying an oscillation vector at an oscillation frequency. While oscillating, a location of the device is periodically measured to generate a plurality of location data points, which may express the location of the device relative to a plurality of measurement axes. The location data points are then processed using a signal processing algorithm, such as a Fourier transform algorithm, to derive a transfer function relating a position of the device to a movement vector for the actuation axis. The transfer function may be resolved into and expressed as a calibration vector for the actuation axis, which may include one or more components, including zero components, directed along each of the measurement axes. The process may be repeated for any actuation axes on which calibration is desired.
Abstract:
A system to allow registration of a patient to image space is disclosed. The registration can be performed without touching a plurality of fiducial points on the patient or in the image data. The registration process can eliminate manual steps of image to patient registration and image to image registration.