System for indicating proximity to transeptal site with electro-anatomical catheter sheath

An electroanatomical mapping (EAM) system for use in a cardiac procedure of a heart having left atrium and an intra-atrial septum including a puncture therethrough, the EAM system comprising:

• a catheter sheath having a shaft including a distal section opposite a proximal section and defining a lumen having a longitudinal axis, the distal section having a plurality of tracking electrodes spaced-apart from each other along the longitudinal axis on the distal section of the shaft, the catheter sheath configured to be inserted through the puncture;
• a graphical display;
• and
• a controller coupled to the catheter sheath, the controller configured to:
• determine a plurality of impedances during the cardiac procedure, wherein a current is injected to a current carrying pair of tracking electrodes of the plurality of tracking electrodes and a plurality of voltages are measured via corresponding tracking electrodes of the plurality of tracking electrodes;
• determine a position of each of the plurality of tracking electrodes the with respect to the left atrium and the intra-atrial septum based on the plurality of impedances;
• determine a location of the catheter sheath with respect to the heart;
• and
• generate, on the graphical display, a graphical representation of the plurality of tracking electrodes with respect to the intra-atrial septum based on the determined positions and a graphical representation of the intra-atrial septum with respect to the heart based on the determined position of each of the tracking electrodes with respect to the intra-atrial septum and the determined location of the catheter sheath with respect to the heart.

A method of an electroanatomical mapping (EAM) system for use in a cardiac procedure of a heart having left atrium and an intra-atrial septum including a puncture therethrough, the EAM system coupled to a graphical display and a catheter sheath having a shaft including a distal section opposite a proximal section and defining a lumen having a longitudinal axis, the distal section having a plurality of tracking electrodes spaced-apart from each other along the longitudinal axis on the distal section of the shaft, the catheter sheath configured to be inserted through the puncture, the method comprising:

• determining a plurality of impedances during the cardiac procedure, wherein a current is injected to a current carrying pair of tracking electrodes of the plurality of tracking electrodes and a plurality of voltages are measured via corresponding tracking electrodes of the plurality of tracking electrodes;
• determining a position of each of the plurality of tracking electrodes the with respect to the left atrium and the intra-atrial septum based on the plurality of impedances;
• and
• generating, on the graphical display, a graphical representation of the plurality of tracking electrodes with respect to the intra-atrial septum based on the determined positions.