Abstract:
A magnetic position tracking system for performing a medical procedure on a patient who is positioned on an upper surface of a table includes a location pad, which is positioned on the upper surface of the table beneath the patient. The location pad includes one or more field generators, which are operative to generate respective magnetic fields and are arranged so that a thickness dimension of the location pad is no greater than 3 centimeters. A position sensor is fixed to an invasive medical device for insertion into a body of the patient, and is arranged to sense the magnetic fields so as to measure a position of the medical device in the body.
Abstract:
Monitoring intracardiac ablation progress in near real time is accomplished by evaluating capture of a pacing signal while ablation energy is concurrently directed to a target site. Sufficiency of ablation is indicated by failure of signal capture at a maximum predetermined pacing voltage. A common electrode in a cardiac catheter is simultaneously used to test pacing capture and to deliver ablation energy.
Abstract:
Apparatus for tracking an object includes a position transducer, which is adapted to be fixed to the object. The position transducer includes a digital microcontroller, which includes a plurality of output pins, and which is operative to generate an alternating digital output at a selected frequency on at least one of the output pins. At least one transmit antenna is coupled directly to the at least one of the output pins, so that the at least one antenna transmits a magnetic field at the selected frequency responsively to the alternating digital output. A field sensor senses the magnetic field and generates a signal responsively thereto. A processor receives and processes the signal in order to determine coordinates of the position transducer.
Abstract:
A computer software product for modeling of an anatomical structure includes a computer-readable medium, in which program instructions are stored, and which instructions, when read by the computer, cause the computer to acquire a plurality of ultrasonic images of the anatomical structure using an ultrasonic sensor, at a respective plurality of spatial positions of the ultrasonic sensor in order to measure location and orientation coordinates of the ultrasonic sensor at each of the plurality of spatial positions. The software product is used to receive a manual input marking contours-of-interest that refer to features of the anatomical structure in one or more of the ultrasonic images and to construct a 3-D model of the anatomical structure based on the contours-of-interest and on the measured location and orientation coordinates.
Abstract:
A method for modeling of an anatomical structure includes acquiring a plurality of ultrasonic images of the anatomical structure using an ultrasonic sensor, at a respective plurality of spatial positions of the ultrasonic sensor. Location and orientation coordinates of the ultrasonic sensor are measured at each of the plurality of spatial positions. Contours-of-interest that refer to features of the anatomical structure are marked in one or more of the ultrasonic images. A three-dimensional (3-D) model of the anatomical structure is constructed, based on the contours-of-interest and on the measured location and orientation coordinates.
Abstract:
A position sensing system includes a probe adapted to be introduced into a body cavity of a subject. The probe includes a magnetic field transducer and at least one probe electrodes. A control unit is configured to measure position coordinates of the probe using the magnetic field transducer. The control unit also measures an impedance between the at least one probe electrodes and one or more points on a body surface of the subject. Using the measured position coordinates, the control unit calibrates the measured impedance.
Abstract:
A system and method for imaging a target in a patient's body uses a pre-acquired image of the target and a catheter having a position sensor and an ultrasonic imaging sensor. The catheter is placed in the patient's body and positional information of a portion of the catheter in the patient's body is determined using the position sensor. The catheter is used to generate an ultrasonic image of the target using the ultrasonic imaging sensor. An image processor is used for determining positional information for any pixel of the ultrasonic image of the target and registering the pre-acquired image with the ultrasonic image; and a display is used for displaying the registered pre-acquired image and ultrasonic image.
Abstract:
A medical imaging system for imaging a patient's body includes a catheter having a position sensor and an ultrasonic imaging sensor wherein the position sensor transmits electrical signals indicative of positional information of a portion of the catheter in a patient's body and the ultrasonic imaging sensor transmits ultrasonic energy at a target in the patient's body, receives ultrasonic echoes reflected from the target in the patient's body and transmits signals relating to the ultrasonic echoes reflected from the target in the patient's body. A positioning processor is operatively connected to the catheter for determining positional information of the portion of the catheter based on the electrical signals transmitted by the position sensor. The system also includes a display and an image processor operatively connected to the catheter, the positioning processor and the display. The image processor generates an ultrasonic image of the target based on the signals transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor and depicts in real-time the generated ultrasound image on a display in a same orientation as an orientation of the portion of the catheter in the patient's body based on positional information derived from the position sensor.
Abstract:
A method for position sensing includes placing at a known position within a body of a subject a reference probe including at least one reference electrode. Electrical currents are passed through the body between the reference electrode and body surface electrodes. Characteristics of the electrical currents are measured and are used to generate an approximation of the known position of the reference probe. A correction factor is determined based on a relationship between the approximation and the known position. A target probe including at least one target electrode is placed within the body of the subject and second electrical currents are passed through the body between the target electrode and the body surface electrodes. Characteristics of the second electrical currents are measured and used to generate a calculated position of the target probe. The correction factor is applied to correct the calculated position.
Abstract:
A method for position sensing includes inserting a probe comprising at least one electrode into a body of a subject, and passing electrical currents through the body between the at least one electrode and a plurality of locations on a surface of the body. Respective characteristics of the currents passing through the plurality of the locations are measured in order to determine position coordinates of the probe.