Method and apparatus for localizing an ultrasound catheter
AssigneeSt. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc.
InventorsCharles Bryan Byrd, Praveen Dala-Krishna, David A. Jenkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An imaging system is provided with an ultrasound catheter and a controller coupled to the ultrasound catheter. The catheter includes a localizer sensor configured to generate positional information for the ultrasound catheter, and an imaging ultrasound sensor having a restricted field of view. The controller co-registers images from the imaging ultrasound sensor with positional information from the localizer sensor.
Claims16
An imaging system, comprising:
- an ultrasound catheter including a tubular body, comprising:
- a localizer sensor adapted and configured to generate positional information for the ultrasound catheter;
- and
- an imaging ultrasound sensor positionable relative to the tubular body so as to have a first restricted field of view;
- and
- a controller coupled to the ultrasound catheter for co-registering images from the imaging ultrasound sensor with positional information from the localizer sensor,
- wherein the controller is further configured to generate a context map of a geometry of a heart on a display and highlight a surface on the context map corresponding to a frame of the heart for which ultrasound data has been captured by said imaging ultrasound sensor
- wherein the first restricted field of view spans less than 360 degrees about the tubular body.
An imaging system, comprising:
- an ultrasound catheter including a localizer sensor and an imaging ultrasound transducer;
- an ultrasound system operatively coupled to said ultrasound transducer to generate a sound wave and to sense an echo wave to yield and capture ultrasound data for a frame of a heart;
- a navigation system operatively coupled to the localizer sensor for determining positional information for the ultrasound catheter in the context of a portion of a body;
- a controller coupled to the catheter for registering images from the imaging ultrasound transducer into the navigation system using positional information from the localizer sensor, and
- an imaging system for displaying a context map of a heart geometry wherein the imaging system highlights a surface on the context map corresponding to the frame.
A method of displaying medical images from a catheter-based imaging ultrasound sensor, the method comprising:
- positioning a catheter in the interior of a heart chamber, said catheter having a localizer sensor and an ultrasound sensor coupled to a distal portion;
- generating at least one image with the ultrasound sensor;
- creating an electromagnetic field across the heart to generate positional signals;
- calculating a position of the ultrasound sensor based on positional signals received by the localizer sensor;
- displaying the ultrasound image and simultaneously highlighting on a context map of an interior heart geometry a surface on the context map corresponding to the frame of the heart surface that is displayed in the ultrasonic image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.