Method and system for ablation catheter and circumferential mapping catheter tracking in fluoroscopic images

An apparatus for tracking at least one of an ablation catheter and a circumferential mapping catheter in a fluoroscopic image sequence, comprising:

• means for initializing a catheter electrode model of one of an ablation catheter and a circumferential mapping catheter in a first frame of a fluoroscopic image sequence based on input locations of a plurality of electrodes of the one of the ablation catheter and the circumferential mapping catheter in the first frame, wherein the catheter electrode model in the first frame comprises a plurality of template points corresponding to locations of the electrodes of the one of the ablation catheter and the circumferential mapping catheter in the first frame;
• and
• means for tracking the catheter electrode model of the one of the ablation catheter and the circumferential mapping catheter in a second frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence, comprising:
• means for detecting catheter landmark candidates in a second frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence using at least one trained catheter landmark detector, wherein the catheter landmark candidates include electrode candidates;
• means for generating a plurality of tracking hypotheses for the catheter electrode model of the one of the ablation catheter and the circumferential mapping catheter in the second frame based on the detected catheter landmark candidates and the catheter electrode model initialized in the first frame by translating each of the plurality of template points of the catheter electrode model initialized in the first frame to each of the detected electrode candidates in the second frame;
• and
• means for selecting one of the tracking hypotheses as the catheter electrode model of the one of the ablation catheter and the circumferential mapping catheter in the second frame, wherein the selected tracking hypothesis defines the catheter electrode model;
• wherein the catheter electrode model provides locations of the plurality of electrodes of the one of the ablation catheter and the circumferential mapping catheter in the second frame.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions for tracking at least one of an ablation catheter and a circumferential mapping catheter in a fluoroscopic image sequence, wherein the computer program instructions, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• initializing a catheter electrode model of one of an ablation catheter and a circumferential mapping catheter in a first frame of a fluoroscopic image sequence based on input locations of a plurality of electrodes of the one of the ablation catheter and the circumferential mapping catheter in the first frame, wherein the catheter electrode model in the first frame comprises a plurality of template points corresponding to locations of the electrodes of the one of the ablation catheter and the circumferential mapping catheter in the first frame;
• and
• tracking the catheter electrode model of the one of the ablation catheter and the circumferential mapping catheter in a second frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence by:
• detecting catheter landmark candidates in a second frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence using at least one trained catheter landmark detector, wherein the catheter landmark candidates include electrode candidates;
• generating a plurality of tracking hypotheses for the catheter electrode model of the one of the ablation catheter and the circumferential mapping catheter in the second frame based on the detected catheter landmark candidates and the catheter electrode model initialized in the first frame by translating each of the plurality of template points of the catheter electrode model initialized in the first frame to each of the detected electrode candidates in the second frame;
• and
• selecting one of the tracking hypotheses as the catheter electrode model of the one of the ablation catheter and the circumferential mapping catheter in the second frame, wherein the selected tracking hypothesis defines the catheter electrode model;
• wherein the catheter electrode model provides locations of the plurality of electrodes of the one of the ablation catheter and the circumferential mapping catheter in the second frame.