Catheter navigation systems and methods

A method executed by a programmed data processing device system of a catheter navigation system, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of location signal sets, each location signal set of the plurality of location signal sets indicative of a respective location in a sequence of locations at which at least a portion of a catheter has sequentially moved to in a bodily cavity, the catheter comprising a plurality of transducers arrangeable in a first spatial distribution, each transducer of the plurality of transducers configured to detect a degree of transducer-to-tissue contact;
• and
• generating and causing a display device system communicatively connected to the programmed data processing device system to concurrently display, in a state representative of the at least the portion of the catheter being in a particular location in the sequence of locations, at least (a) at least a portion of an envelope representing an interior volume of the bodily cavity based at least on the received plurality of location signal sets, and (b) a plurality of graphical elements, each graphical element corresponding to a transducer of the plurality of transducers,
• wherein the generating and causing the display device system to concurrently display at least (a) and (b) includes, in the state representative of the at least the portion of the catheter being in the particular location in the sequence of locations, a display of a first set of graphical elements of the plurality of graphical elements and a first portion of the at least the portion of the envelope in a graphically-overlapping manner, concurrently with a second portion of the at least the portion of the envelope displayed without overlapping or being overlapped by any of the graphical elements and in accordance with a particular visual characteristic set indicative of a degree-of-tissue-contact detected, in a prior state representative of the at least the portion of the catheter being in an earlier location in the sequence of locations, by a particular set of transducers of the plurality of transducers, the earlier location being earlier in the sequence of locations than the particular location in the sequence of locations,
• wherein the plurality of graphical elements is graphically displayed, in the state representative of the at least the portion of the catheter being in the particular location in the sequence of locations, in a second distribution corresponding to the first spatial distribution, and
• wherein the first portion of the at least the portion of the envelope is mutually exclusive with the second portion of the at least the portion of the envelope.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing a computer-executable program, the program comprising:

• location signal set receiving instructions configured to cause reception of a plurality of location signal sets, each location signal set of the plurality of location signal sets indicative of a respective location in a sequence of locations at which at least a portion of a catheter has sequentially moved to in a bodily cavity, the catheter comprising a plurality of transducers arrangeable in a first spatial distribution, each transducer of the plurality of transducers configured to detect a degree of transducer-to-tissue contact;
• and
• concurrent display instructions configured to generate and cause a display device system to concurrently display, in a state representative of the at least the portion of the catheter being in a particular location in the sequence of locations, at least (a) at least a portion of an envelope representing an interior volume of the bodily cavity based at least on the received plurality of location signal sets, and (b) a plurality of graphical elements, each graphical element corresponding to a transducer of the plurality of transducers,
• wherein the concurrent display instructions are configured to cause the display device system to concurrently display at least (a) and (b) as including, in the state representative of the at least the portion of the catheter being in the particular location in the sequence of locations, a display of a first set of graphical elements of the plurality of graphical elements and a first portion of the at least the portion of the envelope in a graphically-overlapping manner, concurrently with a second portion of the at least the portion of the envelope displayed without overlapping or being overlapped by any of the graphical elements and in accordance with a particular visual characteristic set indicative of a degree-of-tissue-contact detected, in a prior state representative of the at least the portion of the catheter being in an earlier location in the sequence of locations, by a particular set of transducers of the plurality of transducers, the earlier location being earlier in the sequence of locations than the particular location in the sequence of locations,
• wherein the program comprises graphical element display instructions configured to cause the display device system to graphically display the plurality of graphical elements, in the state representative of the at least the portion of the catheter being in the particular location in the sequence of locations, in a second distribution consistent with the first spatial distribution, and
• wherein the first portion of the at least the portion of the envelope is mutually exclusive with the second portion of the at least the portion of the envelope.