Contact quality system and method
AssigneeSt. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.
InventorSamuel P. Massmann
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Abstract
A system includes an ablation generator configured to provide ablation energy to the body via a catheter, and a contact quality monitor configured to provide a quality signal indicative of contact quality associated with the one or more surface body electrodes. The contact quality monitor provides an interrogation signal to the electrodes and receives a sense signal. The contact quality monitor provides a quality signal indicating a low contact quality in response to the sense signal.
Claims13
A system for monitoring contact quality of a first body surface electrode, the system comprising:
- a generator configured to provide ablation energy;
- an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to be in electrical communication with the first body surface electrode and the generator;
- a circuit connecting the first body surface electrode to the ECU;
- wherein the ECU is configured to send an interrogation signal through the circuit to the first body surface electrode and receive a sense signal through the circuit in response to the interrogation signal;
- wherein the ECU determines the contact quality of the first body surface electrode by processing the sense signal and provides a low contact quality signal when the sense signal is higher than a threshold;
- and
- wherein the circuit is configured to dynamically adjust the threshold in response to a current level associated with the ablation energy provided by the generator through the first body surface electrode.
A method of determining contact quality of a first body surface electrode, the method comprising:
- providing ablation energy from an ablation generator to a body during a time interval, the ablation generator comprising a return node coupled to the first body surface electrode;
- providing a single interrogation signal to the first body surface electrode, the interrogation signal having a frequency related to whether the ablation energy is being provided to the body from the ablation generator, wherein the interrogation signal is provided at a first frequency if the ablation energy is being provided to the body and at a second frequency if the ablation energy is not being provided to the body;
- receiving a sense signal from the first body surface electrode in response to the interrogation signal, wherein the sense signal is related to an impedance between the body and the first body surface electrode;
- and
- processing the sense signal to determine the contact quality;
- wherein the sense signal is processed by comparing the sense signal to a threshold, and the method further comprises providing a low contact quality signal when the sense signal is above the threshold, and
- wherein a magnitude of the threshold is inversely related to the current level associated with the ablation energy provided by the ablation generator through the first body surface electrode.
A method of determining contact quality of a first body surface electrode, the method comprising:
- providing ablation energy from an ablation generator to a body during a time interval, the ablation generator comprising a return node coupled to the first body surface electrode;
- providing an interrogation signal to the first body surface electrode, the interrogation signal having a frequency related to whether the ablation energy is being provided to the body from the ablation generator;
- receiving a sense signal from the first body surface electrode in response to the interrogation signal, wherein the sense signal is related to an impedance between the body and the first body surface electrode;
- and
- processing the sense signal to determine the contact quality, wherein the sense signal is processed by comparing the sense signal to a threshold, and the method further comprises providing a low contact quality signal when the sense signal is above the threshold;
- and
- adjusting the threshold in response to a current level associated with the ablation energy provided by the ablation generator through the first body surface electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.