Apparatus and method for catheter navigation using endovascular energy mapping

A system for tracking a location of a medical device within a vasculature of a patient, the system comprising:

• an endovascular electrode disposed on the medical device and capable of detecting an endovascular ECG signal;
• a display for depicting an image of the endovascular ECG signal;
• and
• a module including a processor capable of identifying an endovascular ECG waveform complex of the endovascular ECG signal and calculating an absolute value of the energy of at least a portion of the endovascular ECG waveform complex in order to enable determination of a position of the medical device within the vasculature.

A method for locating an indwelling catheter within a vasculature of a patient, the method comprising:

• identifying an endovascular ECG waveform complex from an endovascular ECG signal associated with the catheter and a skin ECG waveform complex from a skin ECG signal;
• calculating an absolute value of the energy of the endovascular ECG waveform complex over a predetermined segment thereof and an absolute value of the energy of the skin ECG waveform complex over a predetermined segment thereof, the predetermined segments corresponding in time with one another;
• and
• determining a position of the medical device within the vasculature using at least one of the absolute values of the energy of the predetermined segment of the endovascular ECG waveform complex and the energy of the predetermined segment of the skin ECG waveform complex.

A method for locating an indwelling medical device within a vasculature of a patient, the method comprising:

• identifying a P-wave segment in an endovascular ECG waveform complex of an endovascular ECG signal associated with the medical device;
• calculating a positive energy value relating to the amount of energy of the P-wave segment above a baseline of the endovascular ECG signal;
• calculating a negative energy value relating to the amount of energy of the P-wave segment below a baseline of the endovascular ECG signal;
• and
• determining a position of the medical device within the vasculature utilizing at least one of the positive and negative energy values of the P-wave segment.