# US 10,368,763 B2 · Apparatus and method for visualizing a conduction tract of heart

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- Number: US 10,368,763 B2
- Document ID: US10368763B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/380,982
- Filed: 2013-03-01
- Published: 2015-01-22
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-03-02
- Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Applicants: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Inventors: Alexandra Groth; Juergen Weese; Helko Lehmann; Hans Barschdorf
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10368763B2

## CPC

- A61B 5/341: Vectorcardiography [VCG]
- A61B 5/367: Electrophysiological study [EPS], e.g. electrical activation mapping or electro-anatomical mapping
- A61B 5/0066: {Optical coherence imaging}
- A61B 5/0084: {for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters (A61B5/1459 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/061: {Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body (A61B1/00158 takes precedence)}
- A61B 5/7425: {Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image}
- A61B 5/743: {Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots}
- A61B 6/032: {Transmission computed tomography [CT]}
- A61B 8/44: {Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device}
- A61B 8/445: {Details of catheter construction}
- G06T 17/00: Three-dimensional [3D] modelling for computer graphics
- A61B 5/6852: {Catheters}
- A61B 5/6886: {Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue}
- A61B 2576/023: for the heart
- G06T 2210/41: Medical
- G16H 30/40: for processing medical images, e.g. editing
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA

## Abstract

An apparatus, a method and a computer program for visualizing a conduction tract of a heart include adapting a generic heart model to match geometrical data of a patient's heart, where model data, corresponding to the generic heart model and indicating a shape and/or position of the conduction tract, is modified in accordance to the adaptation of the generic heart model. The modification of the model data is further refined based on electrophysiological data of the patient to produce refined model data, and the refined model data is used for generating a visualization of a refined model heart indicating a refined shape and/or refined position of the conduction tract of the patients heart.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for visualizing a conduction tract of a heart a subject, comprising:
a storage configured to store a generic heart model and model data, the generic heart model representing at least a portion of an actual heart, and the model data corresponding to the generic heart model indicating at least one of a shape and a position of the conduction tract in the generic heart model;
an input configured to receive geometrical data of the heart of the subject corresponding to the generic heart model and electrophysiological data of the subject;
a model adapter configured to adapt the generic heart model to match the geometrical data inputted to the input to generate an adapted generic heart model;
a model data modifier configured to modify the model data into modified model data to reflect the adapted generic heart model provided by the model adapter indicating at least one of an adapted shape and an adapted position of the conduction tract in the generic heart model;
a model refiner configured to refine the modified model data into refined model data indicating at least one of a refined shape and a refined position of the conduction tract in the generic heart model based on the electrophysiological data; and
a generator configured to generate a visualization of the conduction tract, having the at least one of the refined shape and the refined position, using the refined model data.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the model refiner comprises:
a simulator configured to calculate simulated electrophysiological data corresponding to the modified model data;
a comparator configured to compare the simulated electrophysiological data to the electrophysiological data received by the input and to output a comparison result; and
a comparison refiner configured to refine the modified model data based on the comparison result.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the model refiner comprises:
an extractor configured to extract characteristic features from the electrophysiological data; and
a feature refiner configured to refine the modified model data based on the characteristic features.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus as defined in claim 3,
wherein the extractor is configured to extract a minimum of an electrical activation time, and
wherein the feature refiner is configured to refine a location of an end conduction tract based on the electrical activation time extracted by the extractor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the model refiner is configured to refine the model data in an iterative manner.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the generator is configured to generate the visualization of the conduction tract, having the at least one of the refined shape and the refined position, at least one of by superposing a representation of the refined model data on geometrical data and by displaying the representation of the refined model data separately.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the geometrical data includes at least one of two-dimensional data, three-dimensional data and four-dimensional data, and wherein the geometrical data is obtained by at least one of radiography, tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the electrophysiological data includes at least one of an electroanatomical mapping of the heart and a body-surface-potential data of the subject.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

An apparatus for assisting an electrophysiological procedure, comprising:
a visualizing apparatus as defined in claim 1, and
an instrument position obtainer configured to obtain position data of a medical instrument to be used in the electrophysiological procedure;
a distance calculator configured to calculate, during the electrophysiological procedure, a distance between the medical instrument and a position of the conduction tract according to the refined model data; and
an indicator configured to indicate the distance calculated by the distance calculator.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus as defined in claim 9, further comprising:
an instrument controller configured to at least one of allow and prohibit a function of the medical instrument based on the distance calculated by the distance calculator.

### Claim 11

A method for visualizing a conduction tract of a heart of a subject, the method comprising acts of:
providing a generic heart model and model data corresponding to the generic heart model indicating at least one of a shape and a position of the conduction tract in the generic heart model, the generic heart model representing at least a portion of an actual heart;
obtaining geometrical data of the heart of the subject corresponding to the generic heart model;
adapting the generic heart model to match the geometrical data obtained in the obtaining geometrical data act, and modifying the model data into modified model data to reflect the adapting act indicating at least one of an adapted shape and an adapted position of the conduction tract in the generic heart model;
obtaining electrophysiological data of the subject;
refining the modified model data into refined model data indicating at least one of a refined shape and a refined position of the conduction tract in the generic heart model based on the electrophysiological data obtained by the act of obtaining electrophysiological data; and
generating a visualization of the conduction tract, having the at least one of the refined shape and the refined position, using the refined model data.

### Claim 12

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform a method for visualizing a conduction tract of a heart, the method comprising acts of:
providing a generic heart model and model data corresponding to the generic heart model indicating at least one of a shape and a position of the conduction tract in the generic heart model, the generic heart model representing at least a portion of an actual heart;
obtaining geometrical data of the heart of the subject corresponding to the generic heart model;
adapting the generic heart model to match the geometrical data obtained in the obtaining geometrical data act, and modifying the model data into modified model data to reflect the adapting act indicating at least one of an adapted shape and an adapted position of the conduction tract in the generic heart model;
obtaining electrophysiological data of the subject;
refining the modified model data into refined model data indicating at least one of a refined shape and a refined position of the conduction tract in the generic heart model based on the electrophysiological data obtained by the act of obtaining electrophysiological data; and
generating a visualization of the conduction tract, having the at least one of the refined shape and the refined position, using the refined model data.