Patent Application
20250032180
Aspects of this disclosure generally are related to systems and methods for selecting, activating, or selecting and activating transducers, such systems and methods applicable to, among other things, medical systems.
Cardiac surgery was initially undertaken using highly invasive open procedures. A sternotomy, which is a type of incision in the center of the chest that separates the sternum was typically employed to allow access to the heart. In the past several decades, more and more cardiac operations are performed using intravascular or percutaneous techniques, where access to inner organs or other tissue is gained via a catheter.
Intravascular or percutaneous surgeries benefit patients by reducing surgery risk, complications, and recovery time. However, the use of intravascular or percutaneous technologies also raises some particular challenges. Medical devices used in intravascular or percutaneous surgery need to be deployed via catheter systems which significantly increase the complexity of the device structure. As well, doctors do not have direct visual contact with the medical devices once the devices are positioned within the body.
One example of where intravascular or percutaneous medical techniques have been employed is in the treatment of a heart disorder called atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a disorder in which spurious electrical signals cause an irregular heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation has been treated with various methods including a technique known as “PV (pulmonary vein) isolation”. Research has shown that atrial fibrillation typically begins in the pulmonary veins or at the point where they attach to the left atrium. There are typically four major pulmonary veins, and some or all may be a focal point for activity that may cause atrial fibrillation. During this procedure, physicians create specific patterns of lesions in the left or right atrium to block various paths taken by the spurious electrical signals. The patterns of lesions may include a pattern of one or more lesions that encircle at least one of the pulmonary veins. Lesions were originally created using incisions, but are now typically created by ablating the tissue with various techniques including pulsed field ablation (PFA) (also known as irreversible electroporation), radiofrequency (RF) ablation, microwave ablation, laser ablation, and cryogenic ablation. Lesion formation may be performed with a high success rate under the direct vision that is provided in open procedures, but is relatively complex to perform intravascularly or percutaneously because of the difficulty in creating the lesions in the correct locations. Various problems, potentially leading to severe adverse events, may occur if the lesions are placed incorrectly. It is particularly important to know the position of the various transducers which will be creating the lesions relative to cardiac features such as the pulmonary veins and mitral valve. The continuity, transmurality and placement of the lesion patterns that are formed can impact the ability to block paths taken within the heart by spurious electrical signals. Further, it is typically desired to not “over-ablate” or to needlessly apply ablative energy to tissue regions that are not required to be ablated to provide effective therapy. For example, stiff left atrial syndrome is a possible complication that may occur several years after catheter ablation due to scarring with reduction or loss of left atrial compliance and contractility. This complication may occur after extensive ablation within the left atrium. Stiff left atrial syndrome may be defined as the combination of heart failure symptoms and left atrial dysfunction in the absence of a significant mitral valve pathology.
Another commonly important factor for effective therapy, particularly in the context of major operations such as operations performed on the heart, is duration of the procedure. All else being equal, it is typically preferable to reduce procedure time, as longer procedures tend to increase risk to the patient.
In this regard, the present inventors recognized that there is a need for improved intra-bodily-cavity transducer-based device systems or control mechanisms thereof with improved transducer selection capabilities to help achieve appropriate transducer activations, such as appropriate lesion formation, reducing the risk of over ablating or needlessly ablating tissue, and to help reduce procedure times.
At least the above-discussed need is addressed, and technical solutions are achieved by various embodiments of the present invention. According to some embodiments, a system may be summarized as including an input-output device system, a memory device system storing a program, and a data processing device system communicatively connected to the input-output device system and the memory device system. According to some embodiments, the data processing device system may be configured at least by the program at least to cause, via the input-output device system, reception of tissue contact information indicating degrees of tissue contact between various transducers of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device and a tissue surface. In some embodiments, the data processing device system may be configured at least by the program at least to cause, based at least on an analysis of the tissue contact information, a machine selection of a machine-selected group of transducers of the plurality of transducers. According to some embodiments, the machine selection may select the machine-selected group of transducers as having each transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers being associated with an indication of contact with the tissue surface based at least on the analysis of the tissue contact information and as having each transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers meeting or exceeding a threshold degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information. In some embodiments, the data processing device system may be configured at least by the program at least to cause, via the input-output device system and after the machine selection, reception of user input indicating a user-deselected transducer set. According to various embodiments, each transducer in the user-deselected transducer set may be a transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers that is to be deselected. According to various embodiments, the machine-selected group of transducers excluding the user-deselected transducer set may form a modified selected transducer set. In some embodiments, the data processing device system may be configured at least by the program at least to cause, via the input-output device system and at least after the machine selection and after the reception of the user input indicating the user-deselected transducer set, activation of the modified selected transducer set.
In some embodiments, the machine-selected group of transducers may consist of some, but not all, of the transducers of the plurality of transducers. In some embodiments, each transducer of the plurality of transducers meeting or exceeding the threshold degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information may be selected by the machine selection for inclusion in the machine-selected group of transducers. In some embodiments, the activation of the modified selected transducer set may include concurrent activation of at least two transducers in the modified selected transducer set. In some embodiments, the activation of the modified selected transducer set may include a transmission of energy between at least two transducers in the modified selected transducer set. In some embodiments, the energy may be configured to cause tissue ablation. In some embodiments, the tissue ablation is pulsed field ablation. In some embodiments, the tissue ablation is thermal ablation.
In some embodiments, the activation of the modified selected transducer set may include a transmission of energy from each of at least one transducer in the modified selected transducer set, the energy configured to cause tissue ablation. In some embodiments, the tissue ablation is pulsed field ablation. In some embodiments, the tissue ablation is thermal ablation.
In some embodiments, the activation of the modified selected transducer set may include causing a sensing of electrophysiological information by each of at least one transducer in the modified selected transducer set.
In some embodiments, the plurality of transducers of the transducer-based device may be arranged in a spatial distribution. In some embodiments, at least one transducer of the plurality of transducers is located between the user-deselected transducer set and the modified selected transducer set in the spatial distribution. In some embodiments, the at least one transducer is not included in the user-deselected transducer set and is not included in the modified selected transducer set.
In some embodiments, the plurality of transducers of the transducer-based device may be arranged in a spatial distribution. In some embodiments, each particular transducer in the modified selected transducer set is located in the spatial distribution adjacently to another transducer in the modified selected transducer set, and at least a first transducer in the user-deselected transducer set is not located in the spatial distribution adjacently to any transducer in the modified selected transducer set. In some embodiments, at least a second transducer in the user-deselected transducer set may be located in the spatial distribution adjacently to at least one transducer in the modified selected transducer set. In some embodiments, each transducer in the user-deselected transducer set is not located in the spatial distribution adjacently to any transducer in the modified selected transducer set. In some embodiments, the transducers in the modified selected transducer set may be arranged in a ring-shaped arrangement in the spatial distribution. In some embodiments the transducers in the modified selected transducer set may surround, in the spatial distribution, a particular transducer set of the plurality of transducers. According to various embodiments, each transducer in the particular transducer set is not included in the modified selected transducer set. In some embodiments, each transducer in the particular transducer set is not included in the user-deselected transducer set. In some embodiments, the transducers in the modified selected transducer set may be arranged in a clustered arrangement in the spatial distribution.
In some embodiments, the plurality of transducers of the transducer-based device may be arranged in a spatial distribution. In some embodiments, the user-deselected transducer set may be a user-deselected group of transducers. In some embodiments, the transducers in the modified selected transducer set may be arranged in a first particular arrangement in the spatial distribution. In some embodiments, the transducers in the user-deselected group of transducers may be arranged in a second particular arrangement in the spatial distribution, the second particular arrangement separated from the first particular arrangement in the spatial distribution. In some embodiments, the transducers in the user-deselected group of transducers may be arranged in a second particular arrangement in the spatial distribution, the second particular arrangement protruding from the first particular arrangement in the spatial distribution.
In some embodiments, the number of transducers in the user-deselected transducer set may be lower than the number of transducers in the modified selected transducer set. In some embodiments, the user-deselected transducer set may be a user-deselected group of transducers.
In some embodiments, the machine-selected group of transducers may include a first transducer and a second transducer, the first transducer having a first degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information and the second transducer having a second degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information. In some embodiments, the second degree of tissue contact may be greater than the first degree of tissue contact. In some embodiments, the user-deselected transducer set may include the first transducer. In some embodiments, the user-deselected transducer set may exclude the second transducer.
In some embodiments, the machine-selected group of transducers may include a first transducer and a second transducer, the first transducer having a first degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information and the second transducer having a second degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information. In some embodiments, the second degree of tissue contact may be equal to or greater than the first degree of tissue contact, and in some embodiments, the user-deselected transducer set may include the second transducer.
Various systems may include combinations and subsets of all the systems summarized above or otherwise described herein.
According to some embodiments, a system may be summarized as including an input-output device system, a memory device system storing a program, and a data processing device system communicatively connected to the input-output device system and the memory device system. According to some embodiments, the data processing device system may be configured at least by the program at least to cause, via the input-output device system, reception of tissue contact information indicating degrees of tissue contact between various transducers of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device and a tissue surface. In some embodiments, the data processing device system may be configured at least by the program at least to cause, based at least on an analysis of the tissue contact information, a machine selection of a machine-selected group of transducers of the plurality of transducers. In some embodiments, the machine selection may select the machine-selected group of transducers as having each transducer in the group of transducers being associated with an indication of contact with the tissue surface based at least on the analysis of the tissue contact information and as having each transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers meeting or exceeding a threshold degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information. In some embodiments, the data processing device system may be configured at least by the program at least to cause, via the input-output device system and after the machine selection, reception of user input indicating a user selection of a user-selected transducer set. In some embodiments, each transducer in the user-selected transducer set may not be any transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers, and each transducer in the user-selected transducer set may have less than the threshold degree of tissue contact. In some embodiments, the data processing device system may be configured at least by the program at least to cause, via the input-output device system, activation of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set. According to various embodiments, the activation may be initiated in a state in which both the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set are in a selected state.
In some embodiments, the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set, in combination, may consist of some, but not all, of the transducers of the plurality of transducers. In some embodiments, each transducer of the plurality of transducers meeting or exceeding the threshold degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information may be selected by the machine selection for inclusion in the machine-selected group of transducers. In some embodiments, the activation of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set may be caused at least in response to both the machine selection and the user selection. In some embodiments, the data processing device system may be configured at least by the program at least to record in the memory device system a first indication indicating that the machine-selected group of transducers is in the selected state, in response to the machine selection. In some embodiments, the data processing device system may be configured at least by the program at least to record in the memory device system a second indication indicating that the user-selected transducer set is in the selected state, in response to the user selection. In some embodiments, the activation of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set may be initiated in a particular state in which the first indication and the second indication concurrently exist as recorded in the memory device system.
In some embodiments, the activation of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set may include concurrent activation of (a) at least one transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers and (b) at least one transducer in the user-selected transducer set. In some embodiments, the activation of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set may include a transmission of energy between (a) at least one transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers, and (b) at least one transducer in the user-selected transducer set. In some embodiments the energy may be sufficient to cause tissue ablation. In some embodiments, the tissue ablation may be pulsed field ablation. In some embodiments, the tissue ablation may be thermal ablation.
In some embodiments, the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set form a combined group of transducers, and the activation of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set may include causing a sensing of electrophysiological information by each of at least one transducer in the combined group of transducers. In some embodiments, the at least one transducer in the combined group of transducers may include at least a first transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers and at least a second transducer in the user-selected transducer set.
In some embodiments, the plurality of transducers of the transducer-based device may be arranged in a spatial distribution. In some embodiments, the transducers in the machine-selected group of transducers may be arranged in a ring-shaped arrangement in the spatial distribution. In some embodiments, the transducers in the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set may be arranged in a ring-shaped arrangement in the spatial distribution. In some embodiments, the transducers in the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set may surround a particular transducer set of the plurality of transducers in the spatial distribution. According to some embodiments, each transducer in the particular transducer set may not be included in either the machine-selected group of transducers or the user-selected transducer set. In some embodiments, the transducers in the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set may be arranged in a clustered arrangement in the spatial distribution.
In some embodiments, the number of transducers in the user-selected transducer set may be lower than the number of transducers in the machine-selected group of transducers. In some embodiments, the user-selected transducer set may be a user-selected group of transducers.
Various systems may include combinations and subsets of all the systems summarized above or otherwise described herein.
Various embodiments of the present invention may include systems, devices, or machines that are or include combinations or subsets of any one or more of the systems, devices, or machines and associated features thereof summarized above or otherwise described herein (which should be deemed to include the figures).
Further, all or part of any one or more of the systems, devices, or machines summarized above or otherwise described herein or combinations or sub-combinations thereof may implement or execute all or part of any one or more of the processes or methods described herein or combinations or sub-combinations thereof.
According to some embodiments, a method may be executed by a data processing device system according to a program stored by a communicatively connected memory device system, the data processing device system also communicatively connected to an input-output device system, and the method may include: receiving, via the input-output device system, tissue contact information indicating degrees of tissue contact between various transducers of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device and a tissue surface; machine-selecting, based at least on an analysis of the tissue contact information, a machine-selected group of transducers of the plurality of transducers, the machine selection selecting the machine-selected group of transducers as having each transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers being associated with an indication of contact with the tissue surface based at least on the analysis of the tissue contact information and as having each transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers meeting or exceeding a threshold degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information; receiving, via the input-output device system and after the machine selection, user input indicating a user-deselected transducer set, each transducer in the user-deselected transducer set being a transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers that is to be deselected, the machine-selected group of transducers excluding the user-deselected transducer set forming a modified selected transducer set; and activating, via the input-output device system and at least after the machine selection and after the reception of the user input indicating the user-deselected transducer set, the modified selected transducer set.
According to some embodiments, a method may be executed by a data processing device system according to a program stored by a communicatively connected memory device system, the data processing device system also communicatively connected to an input-output device system, and the method may include: receiving, via the input-output device system, tissue contact information indicating degrees of tissue contact between various transducers of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device and a tissue surface; machine selecting, based at least on an analysis of the tissue contact information, a machine-selected group of transducers of the plurality of transducers, the machine selection selecting the machine-selected group of transducers as having each transducer in the group of transducers being associated with an indication of contact with the tissue surface based at least on the analysis of the tissue contact information and as having each transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers meeting or exceeding a threshold degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information; receiving, via the input-output device system and after the machine selection, user input indicating a user selection of a user-selected transducer set, each transducer in the user-selected transducer set not being any transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers, and each transducer in the user-selected transducer set having less than the threshold degree of tissue contact; and activating, via the input-output device system, the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set, the activation initiated in a state in which both the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set are in a selected state.
It should be noted that various embodiments of the present invention include variations of the methods or processes summarized above or otherwise described herein (which should be deemed to include the figures) and, accordingly, are not limited to the actions described or shown in the figures or their ordering, and not all actions shown or described are required according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, such methods may include more or fewer actions and different orderings of actions. Any of the features of all or part of any one or more of the methods or processes summarized above or otherwise described herein may be combined with any of the other features of all or part of any one or more of the methods or processes summarized above or otherwise described herein.
In addition, a computer program product may be provided that includes program code portions for performing some or all of any one or more of the methods or processes and associated features thereof described herein, when the computer program product is executed by a computer or other computing device or device system. Such a computer program product may be stored on one or more computer-readable storage mediums, also referred to as one or more computer-readable data storage mediums or a computer-readable storage medium system.
According to some embodiments, one or more computer-readable storage mediums may store a program executable by a data processing device system communicatively connected to an input-output device system, and the program may include first reception instructions configured to cause, via the input-output device system, reception of tissue contact information indicating degrees of tissue contact between various transducers of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device and a tissue surface. The program may include machine selection instructions configured to cause, based at least on an analysis of the tissue contact information, a machine selection of a machine-selected group of transducers of the plurality of transducers, the machine selection selecting the machine-selected group of transducers as having each transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers being associated with an indication of contact with the tissue surface based at least on the analysis of the tissue contact information and as having each transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers meeting or exceeding a threshold degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information. The program may include second reception instructions configured to cause, via the input-output device system and after the machine selection, reception of user input indicating a user-deselected transducer set, each transducer in the user-deselected transducer set being a transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers that is to be deselected, the machine-selected group of transducers excluding the user-deselected transducer set forming a modified selected transducer set. The program may include activation instructions configured to cause, via the input-output device system and at least after the machine selection and after the reception of the user input indicating the user-deselected transducer set, activation of the modified selected transducer set.
According to some embodiments, one or more computer-readable storage mediums may store a program executable by a data processing device system communicatively connected to an input-output device system, and the program may include first reception instructions configured to cause, via the input-output device system, reception of tissue contact information indicating degrees of tissue contact between various transducers of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device and a tissue surface. The program may include machine selection instructions configured to cause, based at least on an analysis of the tissue contact information, a machine selection of a machine-selected group of transducers of the plurality of transducers, the machine selection selecting the machine-selected group of transducers as having each transducer in the group of transducers being associated with an indication of contact with the tissue surface based at least on the analysis of the tissue contact information and as having each transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers meeting or exceeding a threshold degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information. The program may include second reception instructions configured to cause, via the input-output device system and after the machine selection, reception of user input indicating a user selection of a user-selected transducer set, each transducer in the user-selected transducer set not being any transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers, and each transducer in the user-selected transducer set having less than the threshold degree of tissue contact. The program may include activation instructions configured to cause, via the input-output device system, activation of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set, the activation initiated in a state in which both the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set are in a selected state.
In some embodiments, each of any of one or more or all of the computer-readable data storage mediums or medium systems (also referred to as processor-accessible memory device systems) described herein is a non-transitory computer-readable (or processor-accessible) data storage medium or medium system (or memory device system) including or consisting of one or more non-transitory computer-readable (or processor-accessible) storage mediums (or memory devices) storing the respective program(s) which may configure a data processing device system to execute some or all of any of one or more of the methods or processes described herein.
Further, any of all or part of one or more of the methods or processes and associated features thereof discussed herein may be implemented or executed on or by all or part of a device system, apparatus, or machine, such as all or a part of any of one or more of the systems, apparatuses, or machines described herein or a combination or sub-combination thereof.
It is to be understood that the attached drawings are for purposes of illustrating aspects of various embodiments and may include elements that are not to scale.
The above-discussed need in the art are addressed and technical solutions are achieved according to various embodiments of the present invention. In various embodiments, efficient transducer selection mechanisms are provided, such mechanisms facilitating a quicker selection of appropriate transducers, compared to conventional techniques, to perform efficient and effective transducer activations and to reduce procedure duration, among other benefits. In the case where the transducer activations perform tissue ablation and lesion formation, risk of over ablating or needlessly ablating tissue is reduced. In the case where the transducer activations perform a sensing function or mapping function, transducers that are most suitable to perform such functions may be efficiently selected, thereby reducing procedure time. In some embodiments, tissue contact information is received by a data processing device system, the tissue contact information indicating degrees of tissue contact between various transducers of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device and a tissue surface. In some embodiments, based at least on an analysis of the tissue contact information, a machine selection of a machine-selected group of transducers of the plurality of transducers occurs, the machine selection selecting the machine-selected group of transducers as having each transducer in the group of transducers having at least a threshold degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information, the threshold degree of tissue contact indicating contact with the tissue surface. By having a machine or automatic selection of transducers that meet or exceed a threshold degree of tissue contact, the user may be quickly presented with a group of transducers that are likely to be deemed to be able to effectively activate, such as to form a tissue lesion through ablation with sufficient contact with the tissue or to sense a tissue characteristic with sufficient contact with the tissue. From there, the user may then add transducers to or subtract transducers from the machine-selected group of transducers, resulting in a final transducer set that the user desires to activate. Accordingly, a transducer-based device or control system thereof, according to various embodiments of the present invention, provides efficient mechanisms to quickly achieve a final transducer set to perform effective and efficient activation, such as tissue ablation activation or tissue sensing activation, thereby reducing procedure risk (such as avoiding over ablating tissue, needlessly ablating tissue, or avoiding poor sensing results) and reducing overall procedure time. These and other features and benefits of various embodiments of the present invention will become apparent after reading the remainder of this disclosure and reviewing the figures.
In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced at a more general level without these details. In other instances, well-known structures have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of various embodiments of the invention.
Any reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an example embodiment”, “an illustrated embodiment”, “a particular embodiment”, and the like means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, any appearance of the phrase “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment”, “in an example embodiment”, “in this illustrated embodiment”, “in this particular embodiment”, or the like in this specification is not necessarily always referring to one embodiment or a same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics of different embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner to form one or more other embodiments.
Unless otherwise explicitly noted or required by context, the word “or” is used in this disclosure in a non-exclusive sense. In addition, unless otherwise explicitly noted or required by context, the word “set” is intended to mean one or more. For example, the phrase, “a set of objects” means one or more of the objects. In some embodiments, the word “subset” is intended to mean a set having the same or fewer elements of those present in the subset's parent or superset. In other embodiments, the word “subset” is intended to mean a set having fewer elements of those present in the subset's parent or superset. In this regard, when the word “subset” is used, some embodiments of the present invention utilize the meaning that “subset” has the same or fewer elements of those present in the subset's parent or superset, and other embodiments of the present invention utilize the meaning that “subset” has fewer elements of those present in the subset's parent or superset.
Further, the phrase “at least” is or may be used herein at times merely to emphasize the possibility that other elements may exist besides those explicitly listed. However, unless otherwise explicitly noted (such as by the use of the term “only”) or required by context, non-usage herein of the phrase “at least” nonetheless includes the possibility that other elements may exist besides those explicitly listed. For example, the phrase, ‘based at least on A’ includes A as well as the possibility of one or more other additional elements besides A. In the same manner, the phrase, ‘based on A’ includes A, as well as the possibility of one or more other additional elements besides A. However, the phrase, ‘based only on A’ includes only A. Similarly, the phrase ‘configured at least to A’ includes a configuration to perform A, as well as the possibility of one or more other additional actions besides A. In the same manner, the phrase ‘configured to A’ includes a configuration to perform A, as well as the possibility of one or more other additional actions besides A. However, the phrase, ‘configured only to A’ means a configuration to perform only A.
The word “device”, the word “machine”, the word “system”, and the phrase “device system” all are intended to include one or more physical devices or sub-devices (e.g., pieces of equipment) that interact to perform one or more functions, regardless of whether such devices or sub-devices are located within a same housing or different housings. However, it may be explicitly specified according to various embodiments that a device or machine or device system resides entirely within a same housing to exclude embodiments where the respective device, machine, system, or device system resides across different housings. The word “device” may equivalently be referred to as a “device system” in some embodiments, and the word “system” may equivalently be referred to as a “device system” in some embodiments.
Further, the phrase “in response to” may be used in this disclosure. For example, this phrase may be used in the following context, where an event A occurs in response to the occurrence of an event B. In this regard, such phrase includes, for example, that at least the occurrence of the event B causes or triggers the event A.
The phrase “thermal ablation” as used in this disclosure refers, in some embodiments, to an ablation method in which destruction of tissue occurs by hyperthermia (elevated tissue temperatures) or hypothermia (depressed tissue temperatures). Thermal ablation may include radiofrequency (“RF”) ablation, microwave ablation, or cryo-ablation by way of non-limiting example. RF ablation energy waveforms can take various forms. For example, in some RF ablation embodiments, energy is provided in the form of a continuous waveform. In some RF ablation embodiments, energy is provided in the form of discrete energy applications (e.g., in the form of a duty cycled waveform).
The phrase “pulsed field ablation” (“PFA”) as used in this disclosure refers, in some embodiments, to an ablation method that employs high voltage pulse delivery in a unipolar or bipolar fashion in proximity to target tissue. In some embodiments, each high voltage pulse may be referred to as a discrete energy application. In some embodiments, a grouped plurality of high voltages pulses may be referred to as a discrete energy application. Each high voltage pulse can be a monophasic pulse including a single polarity, or a biphasic pulse including a first component having a first particular polarity and a second component having a second particular polarity opposite the first particular polarity. In some embodiments, the second component of the biphasic pulse follows immediately after the first component of the biphasic pulse. In some embodiments, the first and second components of the biphasic pulse are temporally separated by a relatively small time interval. In some embodiments, each high voltage pulse may include a multiphasic pulse, such as a triphasic pulse, that includes a first component having a first particular polarity, a second component having a second particular polarity opposite the first particular polarity, and a third component having a third particular polarity that is the same as the first particular polarity. The electric field applied by the high voltage pulses in PFA physiologically changes the tissue cells to which the energy is applied (e.g., puncturing or perforating the cell membrane to form various pores therein). If a lower field strength is established, the formed pores may close in time and cause the cells to maintain viability (e.g., a process sometimes referred to as reversible electroporation). If the field strength that is established is greater, then permanent, and sometimes larger, pores form in the tissue cells, the pores allowing loss of control of ion concentration gradients (e.g., both inwards and outwards) thereby resulting in cell death (e.g., a process sometimes referred to as irreversible electroporation).
According to some embodiments, the word “fluid” as used in this disclosure should be understood to include any fluid that can be contained within a bodily cavity or can flow into or out of, or both into and out of a bodily cavity via one or more bodily openings positioned in fluid communication with the bodily cavity. In the case of cardiac applications, fluid such as blood will flow into and out of various intracardiac cavities (e.g., a left atrium or a right atrium).
According to some embodiments, the words “bodily opening” as used in this disclosure should be understood to include a naturally occurring bodily opening or channel or lumen; a bodily opening or channel or lumen formed by an instrument or tool using techniques that can include, but are not limited to, mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical, and exposure or illumination techniques; a bodily opening or channel or lumen formed by trauma to a body; or various combinations of one or more of the above. Various elements having respective openings, lumens, or channels and positioned within the bodily opening (e.g., a catheter sheath) may be present in various embodiments. These elements may provide a passageway through a bodily opening for various devices employed in various embodiments.
The words “bodily cavity” as used in this disclosure should be understood to mean a cavity in a body, in some embodiments. The bodily cavity may be a cavity or chamber provided in a bodily organ (e.g., an intracardiac cavity of a heart).
The word “tissue” as used in some embodiments in this disclosure should be understood to include any surface-forming tissue that is used to form a surface of a body or a surface within a bodily cavity, a surface of an anatomical feature or a surface of a feature associated with a bodily opening positioned in fluid communication with the bodily cavity.
The tissue can include part, or all, of a tissue wall or membrane that defines a surface of the bodily cavity. In this regard, the tissue can form an interior surface of the cavity that surrounds a fluid within the cavity. In the case of cardiac applications, tissue can include tissue used to form an interior surface of an intracardiac cavity such as a left atrium or a right atrium.
According to some embodiment, the term “transducer” as used in this disclosure should be interpreted broadly as any device capable of transmitting or delivering energy, distinguishing between fluid and tissue, sensing temperature, creating heat, ablating tissue, sensing, sampling or measuring electrical activity of a tissue surface (e.g., sensing, sampling or measuring intracardiac electrograms, or sensing, sampling or measuring intracardiac voltage data), stimulating tissue, or any combination thereof. A transducer may convert input energy of one form into output energy of another form. Without limitation, a transducer may include an electrode that functions as, or as part of, a sensing device included in the transducer, an energy delivery device included in the transducer, or both a sensing device and an energy delivery device included in the transducer. A transducer may be constructed from several parts, which may be discrete components or may be integrally formed. In this regard, although transducers, electrodes, or both transducers and electrodes are referenced with respect to various embodiments, it is understood that other transducers or transducer elements may be employed in other embodiments. It is understood that a reference to a particular transducer in various embodiments may also imply a reference to an electrode, as an electrode may be part of the transducer as shown, e.g., at least with
The term “activation” as used in this disclosure, according to some embodiments, should be interpreted broadly as making active a particular function as related to various transducers disclosed in this disclosure. Particular functions may include, but are not limited to, tissue ablation (e.g., PFA), sensing, sampling or measuring electrophysiological activity (e.g., sensing, sampling or measuring intracardiac electrogram information or sensing, sampling or measuring intracardiac voltage data), sensing, sampling or measuring temperature and sensing, sampling or measuring electrical characteristics (e.g., tissue impedance or tissue conductivity). For example, in some embodiments, activation of a tissue ablation function of a particular transducer is initiated by causing energy sufficient for tissue ablation from an energy source device system to be delivered to the particular transducer. Also, in this example, the activation can last for a duration of time concluding when the ablation function is no longer active, such as when energy sufficient for the tissue ablation is no longer provided to the particular transducer. In some contexts, however, the word “activation” can merely refer to the initiation of the activating of a particular function, as opposed to referring to both the initiation of the activating of the particular function and the subsequent duration in which the particular function is active. In these contexts, the phrase or a phrase similar to “activation initiation” may be used.
In the following description, some embodiments of the present invention may be implemented at least in part by a data processing device system or a controller system configured by a software program. Such a program may equivalently be implemented as multiple programs, and some, or all, of such software program(s) may be equivalently constructed in hardware. In this regard, reference to “a program” should be interpreted to include one or more programs.
According to some embodiments, the term “program” in this disclosure should be interpreted to include one or more programs including a set of instructions or modules that can be executed by one or more components in a system, such as a controller system or a data processing device system, in order to cause the system to perform one or more operations. The set of instructions or modules may be stored by any kind of memory device, such as those described subsequently with respect to the memory device system 130 or 330 shown in at least
Further, it is understood that information or data may be operated upon, manipulated, or converted into different forms as it moves through various devices or workflows. In this regard, unless otherwise explicitly noted or required by context, it is intended that any reference herein to information or data or the like includes modifications to that information or data. For example, “data X” may be encrypted for transmission, and a reference to “data X” is intended to include both its encrypted and unencrypted forms, unless otherwise required or indicated by context. For another example, “image information Y” may undergo a noise filtering process, and a reference to “image information Y” is intended to include both the pre-processed form and the noise-filtered form, unless otherwise required or indicated by context. In other words, both the pre-processed form and the noise-filtered form are considered to be “image information Y”, unless otherwise required or indicated by context. In order to stress this point, the phrase “or a derivative thereof” or the like may be used herein. Continuing the preceding example, the phrase “image information Y or a derivative thereof” refers to both the pre-processed form and the noise-filtered form of “image information Y”, unless otherwise required or indicated by context, with the noise-filtered form potentially being considered a derivative of “image information Y”. However, non-usage of the phrase “or a derivative thereof” or the like nonetheless includes derivatives or modifications of information or data unless otherwise explicitly noted or required by context.
In some embodiments, the phrase “graphical representation” used herein is intended to include a visual representation presented via a display device system and may include computer-generated text, graphics, animations, or one or more combinations thereof, which may include one or more visual representations originally generated, at least in part, by an image-capture device, such as computerized tomography (“CT”) scan images, magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) images, or images created from a navigation system (e.g., electric potential navigation system or an electromagnetic navigation system), according to some embodiments. The graphical representation may include various entities depicted in a two-dimensional manner. The graphical representation may include various entities depicted in a three-dimensional manner, in some embodiments.
Example methods are described herein with respect to
Each of the phrases “derived from” or “derivation of” or “derivation thereof” or the like may be used herein, according to some embodiments, to mean to come from at least some part of a source, be created from at least some part of a source, or be developed as a result of a process in which at least some part of a source forms an input. For example, a data set derived from some particular portion of data may include at least some part of the particular portion of data, or may be created from at least part of the particular portion of data, or may be developed in response to a data manipulation process in which at least part of the particular portion of data forms an input. In some embodiments, a data set may be derived from a subset of the particular portion of data. In some embodiments, the particular portion of data is analyzed to identify a particular subset of the particular portion of data, and a data set is derived from the subset. In various ones of these embodiments, the subset may include some, but not all, of the particular portion of data. In some embodiments, changes in least one part of a particular portion of data may result in changes in a data set derived at least in part from the particular portion of data.
In this regard, each of the phrases “derived from” or “derivation of” or “derivation thereof” or the like may be used herein merely to emphasize the possibility that such data or information may be modified or subject to one or more operations. For example, if a device generates first data for display, the process of converting the generated first data into a format capable of being displayed may alter the first data. This altered form of the first data may be considered a derivative or derivation of the first data. For instance, the first data may be a one-dimensional array of numbers, but the display of the first data may be a color-coded bar chart representing the numbers in the array. For another example, if the above-mentioned first data is transmitted over a network, the process of converting the first data into a format acceptable for network transmission or understanding by a receiving device may alter the first data. As before, this altered form of the first data may be considered a derivative or derivation of the first data. For yet another example, generated first data may undergo a mathematical operation, a scaling, or a combining with other data to generate other data that may be considered derived from the first data. In this regard, it can be seen that data is commonly changing in form or being combined with other data throughout its movement through one or more data processing device systems, and any reference to information or data herein is intended in some embodiments to include these and like changes, regardless of whether or not the phrase “derived from” or “derivation of” or “derivation thereof” or the like is used in reference to the information or data. As indicated above, usage of the phrase “derived from” or “derivation of” or “derivation thereof” or the like merely emphasizes the possibility of such changes. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the addition of or deletion of the phrase “derived from” or “derivation of” or “derivation thereof” or the like should have no impact on the interpretation of the respective data or information. For example, the above-discussed color-coded bar chart may be considered a derivative of the respective first data or may be considered the respective first data itself.
In some embodiments, the term “adjacent”, the term “proximate”, and the like refer at least to a sufficient closeness between the objects or events defined as adjacent, proximate, or the like, to allow the objects or events to interact in a designated way. For example, in the case of physical objects, if object A performs an action on an adjacent or proximate object B, objects A and B would have at least a sufficient closeness to allow object A to perform the action on object B. In this regard, some actions may require contact between the associated objects, such that if object A performs such an action on an adjacent or proximate object B, objects A and B would be in contact, for example, in some instances or embodiments where object A needs to be in contact with object B to successfully perform the action. In some embodiments, the term “adjacent”, the term “proximate”, and the like additionally or alternatively refer to objects or events that do not have another substantially similar object or event between them. For example, object or event A and object or event B could be considered adjacent or proximate (e.g., physically or temporally) if they are immediately next to each other (with no other object or event between them) or are not immediately next to each other but no other object or event that is substantially similar to object or event A, object or event B, or both objects or events A and B, depending on the embodiment, is between them. In the context of graphical elements, discussed at various points in this description, two graphical elements may be considered adjacent, in some embodiments, in which the two graphical elements have no other graphical element between them that is the same in form to any of the two graphical elements. In the context of graphical elements, discussed at various points in this description, two graphical elements may be considered adjacent, in some embodiments, in which the two graphical elements have no other graphical element between them that is the same in function to any of the two graphical elements. In the context of transducer graphical elements, discussed at various points in this description, two transducer graphical elements may be considered adjacent, in some embodiments, in which the two transducer graphical elements have no other transducer graphical element between them. In some embodiments, the term “adjacent”, the term “proximate”, and the like additionally or alternatively refer to at least a sufficient closeness between the objects or events defined as adjacent, proximate, and the like, the sufficient closeness being within a range that does not place any one or more of the objects or events into a different or dissimilar region or time period, or does not change an intended function of any one or more of the objects or events or of an encompassing object or event that includes a set of the objects or events. Different embodiments of the present invention adopt different ones or combinations of the above definitions. Of course, however, the term “adjacent”, the term “proximate”, and the like are not limited to any of the above example definitions, according to some embodiments. In addition, the term “adjacent” and the term “proximate” do not have the same definition, according to some embodiments.
The data processing device system 110 includes one or more data processing devices that implement or execute, in conjunction with other devices, such as those in the system 100, various methods and functions described herein, including those described with respect to methods exemplified in
The memory device system 130 includes one or more processor-accessible memory devices configured to store one or more programs and information, including the program(s) and information needed to execute the methods or functions described herein, including those described with respect to
Each of the phrases “processor-accessible memory” and “processor-accessible memory device” and the like is intended to include any processor-accessible data storage device or medium, whether volatile or nonvolatile, electronic, magnetic, optical, or otherwise, including but not limited to, registers, hard disk drives, Compact Discs, DVDs, flash memories, ROMs, and RAMs. In some embodiments, each of the phrases “processor-accessible memory” and “processor-accessible memory device” is intended to include or be a processor-accessible (or computer-readable) data storage medium. In some embodiments, each of the phrases “processor-accessible memory” and “processor-accessible memory device” may include or may be a non-transitory processor-accessible (or computer-readable) data storage medium. In some embodiments, the processor-accessible memory device system 130 may include or may be a non-transitory processor-accessible (or computer-readable) data storage medium system. In some embodiments, the memory device system 130 may include or may be a non-transitory processor-accessible (or computer-readable) storage medium system or data storage medium system including or consisting of one or more non-transitory processor-accessible (or computer-readable) storage or data storage mediums.
The phrase “communicatively connected” is intended to include any type of connection, whether wired or wireless, between devices, data processors, or programs between which data may be communicated. Further, the phrase “communicatively connected” is intended to include a connection between devices or programs within a single data processor or computer, a connection between devices or programs located in different data processors or computers, and a connection between devices not located in data processors or computers at all. In this regard, although the memory device system 130 is shown separately from the data processing device system 110 and the input-output device system 120, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the memory device system 130 may be located completely or partially within the data processing device system 110 or the input-output device system 120. Further in this regard, although the input-output device system 120 is shown separately from the data processing device system 110 and the memory device system 130, one skilled in the art will appreciate that such system may be located completely or partially within the data processing system 110 or the memory device system 130, for example, depending upon the contents of the input-output device system 120. Further still, the data processing device system 110, the input-output device system 120, and the memory device system 130 may be located entirely within the same device or housing or may be separately located, but communicatively connected, among different devices or housings. In the case where the data processing device system 110, the input-output device system 120, and the memory device system 130 are located within the same device, the system 100 of
The input-output device system 120 may include a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen, another computer, or any device or combination of devices from which a desired selection, desired information, instructions, or any other data is input to the data processing device system 110. The input-output device system 120 may include a user-activatable control system that is responsive to a user action. The user-activatable control system may include at least one control element that may be activated or deactivated on the basis of a particular user action. The input-output device system 120 may include any suitable interface for receiving information, instructions or any data from other devices and systems described in various ones of the embodiments. In this regard, the input-output device system 120 may include various ones of other systems described in various embodiments. For example, the input-output device system 120 may include at least a portion of a transducer-based device. The phrase “transducer-based device” or “transducer-based device system” is intended to include one or more physical systems that include various transducers. A PFA device system that includes one or more transducers may be considered a transducer-based device or device system, according to some embodiments.
The input-output device system 120 also may include an image generating device system, a display device system, a speaker or audio output device system, a computer, a processor-accessible memory device system, a network-interface card or network-interface circuitry, or any device or combination of devices to which information, instructions, or any other data is output by the data processing device system 110. In this regard, the input-output device system 120 may include various other devices or systems described in various embodiments. The input-output device system 120 may include any suitable interface for outputting information, instructions, or data to other devices and systems described in various ones of the embodiments. If the input-output device system 120 includes a processor-accessible memory device, such memory device may, or may not, form part, or all, of the memory device system 130. The input-output device system 120 may include any suitable interface for outputting information, instructions, or data to other devices and systems described in various ones of the embodiments. In this regard, the input-output device system 120 may include various other devices or systems described in various embodiments.
Various embodiments of transducer-based devices are described herein in this disclosure. Some of the described devices are PFA devices that are percutaneously or intravascularly deployed. Some of the described devices are movable between a delivery or unexpanded configuration (e.g.,
In some example embodiments, the device includes transducers that sense characteristics (e.g., convective cooling, permittivity, force) that distinguish between fluid, such as a fluidic tissue (e.g., blood), and tissue forming an interior surface of the bodily cavity. Such sensed characteristics can allow a medical system to map the cavity, for example, using positions of openings or ports into and out of the cavity to determine a position or orientation (e.g., pose), or both of the portion of the device in the bodily cavity. In some example embodiments, the described systems employ a navigation system or electro-anatomical mapping system including electromagnetic-based systems and electropotential-based systems to determine a positioning of a portion of a device in a bodily cavity. In some example embodiments, the described devices are part of a transducer-activation system capable of ablating tissue in a desired pattern within the bodily cavity using various techniques (e.g., via thermal ablation, PFA, etc., according to various embodiments).
In some example embodiments, the devices are capable of sensing various cardiac functions (e.g., electrophysiological activity including intracardiac voltages). In some example embodiments, the devices are capable of providing stimulation (e.g., electrical stimulation) to tissue within the bodily cavity. Electrical stimulation may include pacing.
Transducer-based device 200 can be percutaneously or intravascularly inserted into a portion of the heart 202, such as an intra-cardiac cavity like left atrium 204. In this example, the transducer-based device 200 is part of a catheter 206 inserted via the inferior vena cava 208 and penetrating through a bodily opening in transatrial septum 210 from right atrium 212. (In this regard, transducer-based devices or device systems described herein that include a catheter may also be referred to as catheter devices or catheter-based devices, in some embodiments). In other embodiments, other paths may be taken.
Catheter 206 includes an elongated flexible rod or shaft member appropriately sized to be delivered percutaneously or intravascularly. Various portions of catheter 206 may be steerable. Catheter 206 may include one or more lumens. The lumen(s) may carry one or more communications or power paths, or both. For example, the lumens(s) may carry one or more electrical conductors 216 (two shown). Electrical conductors 216 provide electrical connections to transducer-based device 200 that are accessible externally from a patient in which the transducer-based device 200 is inserted.
Transducer-based device 200 includes a frame or structure 218 which assumes an unexpanded configuration for delivery to left atrium 204. Structure 218 is expanded (e.g., shown in a deployed or expanded configuration in
According to some embodiments, the elongate members 304 may be arranged in a frame or structure 308 that is selectively movable between an unexpanded or delivery configuration (e.g., as shown in
In various embodiments, catheter sheath 312 typically includes a length sufficient to allow the catheter sheath to extend between a location at least proximate a bodily cavity into which the structure 308 is to be delivered and a location outside a body including the bodily cavity. In some embodiments, structure 308 has a size in the expanded or deployed configuration too large for delivery through a bodily opening (e.g., via catheter sheath 312) to the bodily cavity. The elongate members 304 may form part of a flexible circuit structure (e.g., also known as a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) circuit). The elongate members 304 may include a plurality of different material layers. Each of the elongate members 304 may include a plurality of different material layers. The structure 308 may include a shape memory material, for instance, Nitinol. The structure 308 can include a metallic material, for instance stainless steel, or non-metallic material, for instance polyimide, or both a metallic and non-metallic material by way of non-limiting example. The incorporation of a specific material into structure 308 may be motivated by various factors including the specific requirements of each of the unexpanded or delivery configuration and expanded or deployed configuration, the required position or orientation (e.g., pose), or both of structure 308 in the bodily cavity or the requirements for successful ablation of a desired pattern.
The flexible circuit structure 401 can be formed by various techniques including flexible printed circuit techniques. In some embodiments, the flexible circuit structure 401 includes various layers including flexible layers 403a, 403b and 403c (e.g., collectively flexible layers 403). In some embodiments, each of flexible layers 403 includes an electrical insulator material (e.g., polyimide). One or more of the flexible layers 403 can include a different material than another of the flexible layers 403. In some embodiments, the flexible circuit structure 401 includes various electrically conductive layers 404a, 404b and 404c (collectively electrically conductive layers 404) that are interleaved with the flexible layers 403. In some embodiments, each of the electrically conductive layers 404 is patterned to form various electrically conductive elements. For example, electrically conductive layer 404a is patterned to form a respective electrode 415 of each of the transducers 406. Electrodes 415 have respective electrode edges 415-1 that form a periphery of an electrically conductive surface associated with the respective electrode 415. It is noted that other electrodes employed in other embodiments may have electrode edges arranged to form different electrodes shapes (for example, as shown by electrode edges 315-1 in
Electrically conductive layer 404b is patterned, in some embodiments, to form respective temperature sensors 408 for each of the transducers 406 as well as various leads 410a arranged to provide electrical energy to the temperature sensors 408. In some embodiments, each temperature sensor 408 includes a patterned resistive member 409 (two called out) having a predetermined electrical resistance. In some embodiments, each resistive member 409 includes a metal having relatively high electrical conductivity characteristics (e.g., copper). In some embodiments, electrically conductive layer 404c is patterned to provide portions of various leads 410b arranged to provide an electrical communication path to electrodes 415. In some embodiments, leads 410b are arranged to pass though vias in flexible layers 403a and 403b to connect with electrodes 415. Although
In some embodiments, electrodes 415 are employed to selectively deliver ablation energy (e.g., thermal ablation energy or PFA energy) to various tissue structures within a bodily cavity (e.g., an intra-cardiac cavity or chamber). The energy delivered to the tissue structures may be sufficient for ablating portions of the tissue structures. The energy delivered to the tissue may be delivered to cause monopolar tissue ablation, bipolar tissue ablation or blended monopolar-bipolar tissue ablation by way of non-limiting example.
Energy that is sufficient for tissue ablation may be dependent upon factors including transducer location, size, shape, relationship with respect to another transducer or a bodily cavity, material or lack thereof between transducers, et cetera. Typically, a larger electrode (e.g., an electrode with a relatively large surface area) will achieve a given ablation depth sooner than a smaller electrode. Put differently, a maximum ablation depth of a relatively smaller electrode is typically shallower than that of a relatively larger electrode when ablating under the same control parameters as a relatively larger electrode.
In some embodiments, each electrode 415 is employed to sense or sample an electrical potential in the tissue proximate the electrode 415 at a same or different time than delivering energy sufficient for tissue ablation. In some embodiments, each electrode 415 is employed to sense or sample intra-cardiac voltage data in the tissue proximate the electrode 415. In some embodiments, each electrode 415 is employed to sense or sample data in the tissue proximate the electrode 415 from which an electrogram (e.g., an intra-cardiac electrogram) may be derived. In some embodiments, each resistive member 409 is positioned adjacent a respective one of the electrodes 415. In some embodiments, each of the resistive members 409 is positioned in a stacked or layered array with a respective one of the electrodes 415 to form a respective one of the transducers 406. In some embodiments, the resistive members 409 are connected in series to allow electrical current to pass through all of the resistive members 409. In some embodiments, leads 410a are arranged to allow for a sampling of electrical voltage across each resistive member 409. This arrangement allows for the electrical resistance of each resistive member 409 to be accurately measured. The ability to accurately measure the electrical resistance of each resistive member 409 may be motivated by various reasons including determining temperature values at locations at least proximate the resistive member 409 based at least on changes in the resistance caused by convective cooling effects (e.g., as provided by blood flow).
Referring to
In some embodiments, elongate members 304 can form a portion of an elongated cable 316 of leads 317 (e.g., control leads, data leads, power leads or any combination thereof), for example, by stacking multiple layers, and terminating at a connector 321 or other interface with transducer-activation system 322. The leads 317 may correspond to the electrical connectors 216 in
Transducer-activation device system 322 includes an input-output device system 320 (e.g., which may be a particular implementation of the input-output device system 120 from
Transducer-activation device system 322 may also include an energy source device system 340 including one or more energy source devices connected to transducers 306. In this regard, although various ones of
The energy source device system 340 may, for example, be connected to various selected transducers 306 to selectively provide energy in the form of electrical current or power (e.g., thermal ablation energy or PFA energy), light or low temperature fluid to the various selected transducers 306 to cause ablation of tissue. The energy source device system 340 may, for example, selectively provide energy in the form of electrical current to various selected transducers 306 and measure a temperature characteristic, an electrical characteristic, or both at a respective location at least proximate each of the various transducers 306. The energy source device system 340 may include various electrical current sources or electrical power sources as energy source devices. In some embodiments, an indifferent electrode 326 is provided to receive at least a portion of the energy transmitted by at least some of the transducers 306. Consequently, although not shown in various ones of
It is understood that input-output device system 320 may include other systems. In some embodiments, input-output device system 320 may optionally include energy source device system 340, transducer-based device 300 or both energy source device system 340 and transducer-based device 300 by way of non-limiting example. Input-output device system 320 may include the memory device system 330 in some embodiments.
Structure 308 can be delivered and retrieved via a catheter member, for example, a catheter sheath 312. In some embodiments, a structure provides expansion and contraction capabilities for a portion of the medical device (e.g., an arrangement, distribution or array of transducers 306). The transducers 306 can form part of, be positioned or located on, mounted or otherwise carried on the structure and the structure may be configurable to be appropriately sized to slide within catheter sheath 312 in order to be deployed percutaneously or intravascularly.
In a manner similar to that described in International Publication No.: WO 2012/100184, published Jul. 26, 2012 and International Publication No.: WO 2012/100185, published Jul. 26, 2012, each of the elongate members 304 is arranged in a fanned arrangement 370 in
The transducers 306 can be arranged in various distributions or arrangements in various embodiments. In some embodiments, various ones of the transducers 306 are spaced apart from one another in a spaced apart distribution in the delivery configuration shown in
In other example embodiments, other structures besides those shown in
According to some embodiments, methods 600A and 600B may include block 602 associated with computer-executable instructions (e.g., graphical representation instructions (which also may be referred to at least as graphical interface instructions or display instructions) provided by a program) configured to cause an input-output device system (e.g., 120, 320) to display a graphical representation. Blocks 602a and 602b represent some possible aspects of the graphical representation, according to some embodiments, although either or both of such blocks 602a, 602b need not be included in some embodiments, and one or more other aspects of the graphical representation may be provided in some embodiments. In some embodiments associated with block 602a, the graphical representation includes a graphical representation of at least a portion of a transducer-based device (e.g., 200, 300, or 400 in some embodiments). For example, at least
The instructions associated with block 602 or block 602a may be configured to access a predefined model (e.g., a computer-aided-design (“CAD”) or other computer-readable model stored in memory device system 130, 330) of the at least the portion of the transducer-based device (e.g., the plurality of transducers) and display the at least the portion of the transducer-based device according to such model. In some embodiments encompassing at least
In some embodiments, a plurality of graphical elements 501 (only two called out in
Referring to some embodiments encompassing
In some example embodiments, graphical elements 501 may include alternate or additional forms. For example,
In some embodiments, between graphical elements 504 are shown in addition to various ones of the transducer graphical elements 502 shown in
In some embodiments, selection of a between graphical element 504 may allow an efficient selection of multiple transducer graphical elements 502. For example, with reference to
In some embodiments, first transducer graphical element 502a (e.g.,
In some embodiments, the first between graphical element 504a is positioned between the second and the first transducer graphical elements 502b, 502a among the graphical representation 500. In some embodiments, the second between graphical element 504b is positioned between the second and the third transducer graphical elements 502b, 502c among the graphical representation 500. In some embodiments, the second and the first transducer graphical elements 502b, 502a are adjacent transducer graphical elements. In some embodiments, the second and the first transducer graphical elements 502b, 502a are associated with adjacent transducers (e.g., transducers 306b, 306a). In some embodiments, the second and the third transducer graphical elements 502b, 502c are adjacent transducer graphical elements. In some embodiments, the second and the third transducer graphical elements 502b, 502c are associated with adjacent transducers (e.g., transducers 306b, 306c). In some embodiments, the first and the third transducer graphical elements 502a, 502c are adjacent transducer graphical elements. In some embodiments, the first and the third transducer graphical elements 502a, 502c are associated with adjacent transducers (e.g., transducers 306a, 306c). In other example embodiments, other spatial relationships exist between the transducer graphical elements 502 and the between graphical elements 504 in the graphical representation 500.
The transducer graphical elements 502, the between graphical elements 504, or both may have different sizes, shapes or forms than those shown in the illustrated embodiments. In some embodiments, at least one particular one of the transducer graphical elements 502 may be depicted with a different shape, size, or form than the respective one of the shape, size, or form of the respective portion of the particular transducer to which the particular one of the transducer graphical elements 502 corresponds. In some embodiments, different ones of the between graphical elements 504 may be depicted with different shapes, sizes, or forms.
With reference to various ones of
In some example embodiments, a portion of each of the rows 510 may correspond to spaces not associated with any physical portion of the transducer-based device (e.g., space 350 between adjacent ones of the elongate members 304). In other example embodiments, different numbers of transducer graphical elements 502 and different numbers and spatial arrangements of between graphical elements 504 may be depicted in the graphical representation. In other example embodiments, different numbers and spatial arrangements of rows 510 and columns 512 may be depicted in the graphical representation. In various embodiments, each of the between graphical elements (e.g., between graphical elements 504) depicted in the graphical representation may be representative of a respective physical path extending between a respective pair of transducers of the transducer-based device. Each of the physical paths may extend over a physical surface of the transducer-based device or over a portion of an opening defined by a physical surface of the transducer-based device. In some embodiments like
Referring back to
The graphical representation instructions associated with block 602 may include instructions (e.g., instructions responsive to a user input made via an input-output device system) configured to vary the depiction of the portion of the transducer-based device between a three-dimensional representation (e.g., as depicted in various ones of at least
The two-dimensional representation depicted in
As discussed above, other two-dimensional representations may be implemented and may be user-selectable for viewing. For example,
In some embodiments, at least some of the between graphical elements 504 are not shown in various ones of the displayable two-dimensional representations. For example, in
Various computer-executable instructions may be configured to control various input element control functions (e.g., mouse drag functions, touch screen drag functions) between various operating modes such as rotating and panning modes. A rotating mode may be advantageously used for manipulation of a three-dimensional representation of a transducer-based device or other portions of the graphical representation 500 to allow for viewing one or more portions of the three-dimensional representation of the transducer-based device or various portions of the graphical representation 500 that were not previously viewable (e.g., a manipulation between the views shown in
The graphical representation 500 displayed according to the instructions associated with block 602 in
In some embodiments, the graphical representation of the envelope representing a three-dimensional representation of an interior volume of the bodily cavity may be produced with respect to a graphical representation of a pre-existing image or model, such as a CT scan, of the cavity, further assisting the operator to understand the location of the transducer-based device, as well as potential future desired movements of the transducer-based device.
According to some embodiments, methods 600A and 600B may include block 604 associated with computer-executable instructions (e.g., reception instructions provided by a program) configured to cause, via the input-output device system 120, 320, reception of tissue contact information indicating degrees of tissue contact between various transducers of a plurality transducers of a transducer-based device (e.g., 200, 300, 400) and a tissue surface.
Assessing degrees of transducer-to-tissue contact may be motivated for different reasons. In ablation procedures, the degree of transducer-to-tissue contact (e.g., electrode-to-tissue contact) has a bearing on the depth of the lesions formed with fuller or more complete contact typically leading to deeper lesions. Further, in thermal ablation applications, lesser degrees of transducer-to-tissue contact may lead to undesired increased levels of thermal coagulum formation in which at least a portion of the ablation energy is conveyed to blood rather than to tissue. In some electrophysiological activity detection applications, lesser degrees of electrode-to-tissue contact may cause undesired filtering of electric potential information (e.g., intracardiac voltage information). Such filtering may lead to the formation of intracardiac electrograms with reduced sharpness. In some embodiments, each electrode (e.g., 315, 415) is configured to sense or sample an electric potential in the tissue proximate the electrode at a same or different time than delivering energy sufficient for tissue ablation. According to some embodiments, different portions of the transducer-based device (200, 300, 400) are manipulable to in turn manipulate various ones of the plurality of transducers (e.g., transducers 220, 306, 406) into various degrees of contact with a tissue wall within a patient's body.
According to various embodiments, at least some transducers (e.g., at least some of the transducers 220, 306, 406), of the plurality of transducers of the transducer-based device system 200, 300, 400 are arranged in a first spatial distribution (e.g., the spaced apart distribution associated with the deployed configuration of
Intra-cardiac information may be acquired or received by various methods and from various device systems. For example, intra-cardiac information may be received or acquired via data sampling performed by a transducer-based device system (e.g., which may be at least part of the data input-output device system 120, 320) deployed externally from an intra-cardiac chamber or cavity (e.g., outside the chamber or cavity or outside a body including the chamber or cavity). By way of non-limiting example, various “external” transducer-based device systems may include various fluoroscopy device systems, ultra-sound device system, magnetic resonance device systems, computerized tomography device systems, and transthoracic electrocardiographic mapping device systems. In some embodiments, reception or acquisition of the intra-cardiac information may be via data sampling performed by a transducer-based device system (e.g., which may be at least part of the data input-output device system 120, 320) deployed internally to an intra-cardiac chamber or cavity. By way of non-limiting example, various transducer-based device systems that may be internally deployed within an intra-cardiac chamber include by way of non-limiting example transducer-based device systems 200, 300, 400 where data may be sampled by each of one or more transducers of the transducer-based device system, a portion of the transducer-based device system including the one or more transducers positionable in a cardiac chamber during the sampling. Various transducer-based devices may include various intravascularly deployable or percutaneously deployable catheter device systems. Various transducer-based device systems may include detection capabilities, mapping capabilities, diagnostic capabilities, treatment capabilities, or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the graphical representation instructions of block 602, block 602a, or block 602b in
In some embodiments where overlapping graphical representations are displayed, such as a combination of the graphical representation of the transducer-based device, the graphical representation of the envelope representing an interior volume of the bodily cavity, or the graphical representation of the pre-existing image or model of the bodily cavity, blending of colors utilized to represent each of the graphical representations is implemented in a translucent or semi-transparent manner to provide the operator with an efficient understanding of the relative positioning and locational depth (e.g., distance from a viewing perspective or location) of the objects represented by the graphical representations. See, e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0353370, published Nov. 18, 2021, for examples pertaining to the generation of and displays including an envelope representing an interior of a bodily cavity.
The displaying of the graphical representation according to the computer-executable instructions associated with block 602 (and, in some embodiments, also block 602a, block 602b, or both blocks 602a and 602b) may, in some embodiments, include causing display of a graphical representation of the tissue contact information or a derivative thereof. Various embodiments may process or analyze (e.g., according to the instructions associated with block 602) the transducer data received by the data processing device system in order to, for example, generate and cause the displayed graphical representation 500 to include (a) intra-cardiac information, (b) tissue contact information, or both (a) and (b). Various embodiments may process or analyze the tissue contact information received by the data processing device system according to block 604 in order to, for example, generate and possibly cause the displayed graphical representation 500 to include a map of at least the tissue contact information. In various embodiments, the tissue contact information is sampled by a transducer-based device system from a plurality of locations in a bodily cavity, which may allow for a mapping of each of a plurality of parts or values of the tissue contact information to a respective one of the plurality of locations in the bodily cavity. In some of these various embodiments, the graphical representation instructions associated with block 602 may be configured to cause an input-output device system (e.g., 120, 320) to display the plurality of parts of the tissue contact information with a first spatial relationship that is consistent with a second spatial relationship between the plurality of locations in the bodily cavity (e.g., a map of the parts of the tissue contact information may be displayed). In some embodiments, the transducer-based device includes a plurality of transducers (e.g., transducer-based device 200, 300) and the sampled tissue contact information may be sampled concurrently from the plurality of locations of the transducers in the bodily cavity.
In
In
It is noted that, in some embodiments, indications of tissue contact may be displayed in alternate or additional manners. For example, various regions of space in the graphical representation 500 other than those occupied by the graphical elements 500 may be employed to indicate various degrees or levels of tissue contact. In some embodiments, interpolated values of tissue contact may be indicated based at least on the tissue contact information received as per block 604. In some embodiments, the tissue contact information may be displayed in a spatial map (e.g.,
According to some embodiments, methods 600A and 600B may include block 606 associated with computer-executable instructions (e.g., machine selection instructions (which also may be referred to at least as machine selection instructions) provided by a program) configured to cause, via the input-output device system 120, 320, based at least on an analysis of the tissue contact information (e.g., received as per block 604), a machine selection of a machine-selected group of transducers (e.g., a group of transducers 220, 306, 406). According to various embodiments, the machine selection is an automatic selection made by the data processing device system 110, 310. In some embodiments, the machine or automatic selection of the machine or automatically selected group of transducers is a selection performed by the data processing device system based on an analysis of the tissue contact information without, or without the requirement or necessity of, a user selection of any of the transducers in the group of transducers. According to various embodiments, the machine selection selects the machine-selected group of transducers as having each transducer in the group of transducers being associated with an indication of contact with the tissue surface based at least on the analysis of the tissue contact information. According to various embodiments, the indication of contact with the tissue surface associated with each transducer in the group of transducers indicates contact between the transducer in the group of transducers and the tissue surface at a time in which data pertaining to the tissue contact information was sensed or generated (e.g., by various transducers 220, 306, 406 or other internal or external transducers). According to various embodiments, the indication of contact with the tissue surface associated with each transducer in the group of transducers indicates contact between the transducer in the group of transducers and the tissue surface at a time in which the tissue contact information was received by the data processing device system 110, 310 in accordance with block 604. According to various embodiments, the indication of contact with the tissue surface associated with each transducer in the group of transducers indicates contact between the transducer in the group of transducers and the tissue surface at a time when the analysis of the tissue contact information is conducted. According to various embodiments, the indication of contact with the tissue surface associated with each transducer in the group of transducers indicates existing contact between the transducer in the group of transducers and the tissue surface at a time of the machine selection of the machine-selected group of transducers.
According to various embodiments, the machine selection selects the machine-selected group of transducers as having a degree or level of contact with the tissue surface associated with each transducer in the group of transducers meeting or exceeding a threshold degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information. According to various embodiments, the threshold degree of tissue contact is a tissue contact degree or level that is likely to be deemed sufficient for a subsequent activation (example, as per block 610a, 610b described further below) of various ones of the transducers (e.g., 220, 306, 406). For example, the threshold degree of tissue contact may mark a degree of tissue contact that is likely to be deemed sufficient to safely and efficaciously form a tissue lesion by tissue ablation performed by the respective transducer, in some embodiments. For another example, the threshold degree of tissue contact may mark a degree of tissue contact that is likely to be deemed sufficient to allow a proper sensing of a tissue characteristic. Accordingly, for example, by machine-selecting transducers that meet or exceed this threshold level of tissue contact, a user can be quickly and efficiently presented with a set of likely viable transducers to perform a successful activation, such as an ablation activation or a sensing activation.
According to various embodiments, the threshold degree of tissue contact is a predetermined threshold degree of tissue contact (e.g., predetermined prior to the reception of the contact information as per block 604 in some embodiments; predetermined prior to the analysis of the analysis of the tissue contact information, in some embodiments). According to various embodiments, the threshold degree of tissue contact is a determined threshold degree of tissue contact. According to various embodiments, the threshold degree of tissue contact is user determined. According to various embodiments, the threshold degree of tissue contact is at least in part machine determined. For example, the data processing device system may, in some embodiments, perform a distribution analysis on the tissue contact information and determine, for instance, the threshold degree of tissue contact to be at a certain location on the distribution.
To elaborate, in some embodiments, the threshold degree of tissue contact is determined (e.g., user determined or machine determined) from the tissue contact information. For instance, a user or the data processing device system may determine the threshold degree of tissue contact from the tissue contact information itself or a derivative of the tissue contact information (e.g., a mapping of the tissue contact information as exemplified in
In some embodiments, the threshold degree of tissue contact indicates at least a partial level or degree of tissue contact (e.g., at least some degree or level of actual contact that may be established between a transducer and a tissue surface, or at least some degree of contact force that may be exerted on a tissue surface by a transducer), and the machine selection selects the machine-selected group of transducers as having a degree or level of contact with the tissue surface associated with each transducer in the group of transducers meeting or exceeding, in various embodiments, the threshold degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information. In some embodiments, the threshold degree of tissue contact indicates no tissue contact, and the machine selection selects the machine-selected group of transducers as including any transducer of the plurality of transducers having any degree or level of actual contact with the tissue surface (i.e., since the threshold degree of tissue contact indicates no tissue contact in this example). In some embodiments, each transducer of the plurality of transducers 220, 306, 406 meeting or exceeding the threshold degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information is selected by the machine selection for inclusion in the machine-selected group of transducers. For example, according to some embodiments associated with
In this regard,
According to various embodiments, the second degree of tissue contact associated with transducers corresponding to transducer graphical elements 502C is greater than the first degree of tissue contact associated with transducers corresponding to transducer graphical elements 502B, and both the second degree of tissue contact and the first degree of tissue contact are each greater than the third degree of tissue associated with transducers corresponding to transducer graphical elements 502D and greater than the “no-tissue contact” status associated with transducer graphical elements 502A. According to various embodiments, transducer graphical elements 502B and 502C that correspond to the machine-selected group of transducers are associated with, or correspond to, particular transducers of the plurality of transducers that are associated with an indication of contact with the tissue surface based at least on the analysis of the tissue contact information. According to various embodiments associated with
In some embodiments associated with block 606, the machine-selected group of transducers consists of some, but not all, of the transducers of the plurality of transducers. For example, in some embodiments associated with
In some embodiments associated with block 606, the machine selection selects the machine-selected group of transducers with each particular transducer of the group not only meeting or exceeding a threshold degree of tissue contact, but also being selected on the basis of a spatial relationship with other particular transducers in the group. For example, the machine selection may select each transducer in the group of transducers as not only meeting or exceeding a threshold degree of tissue contact but as also being proximate (e.g., adjacent) at least one other particular transducer in the group, according to some embodiments. With reference to
According to some embodiments, at least method 600A may include block 608a associated with computer-executable instructions (e.g., user-deselection instructions provided by a program) configured to cause, via the input-output device system 120, 320 and after the machine selection (as per block 606), reception of user input indicating a user-deselected transducer set. According to various embodiments, each transducer in the user-deselected transducer set is, at the time of deselection, a transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers that is to be deselected. According to various embodiments, the user deselection removes the user-deselected transducer set from the machine-selected group of transducers to form a modified selected transducer set. For example, according to some embodiments,
The user input may indicate the user-deselected transducer set in various ways according to various embodiments. In some embodiments, the user deselection according to block 608a may occur by a user mouse-click or other user interface interaction occurring at the display location of a particular graphical element corresponding to a transducer that is to be deselected, or may occur by a user inputting (e.g., via a keyboard) an identifier associated with the particular graphical element. However, the invention is not limited to any particular manner of deselecting a particular transducer or group of transducers.
According to various embodiments, the plurality of transducers 220, 306, 406 of the transducer-based device 200, 300, 400 are arranged in a spatial distribution, and at least one transducer of the plurality of transducers is located between the user-deselected transducer set and the modified selected transducer set in the spatial distribution. According to some embodiments, the at least one transducer is not included in the user-deselected set. According to some embodiments, the at least one transducer is not included in the modified selected transducer set. For example, in some examples associated with
According to various embodiments, the user-deselected transducers set is a user-deselected group of transducers. For example, the first subset 510A of transducer graphical elements 502 and the second subset 510B of transducer graphical elements 502 in
In some embodiments, at least a first transducer in the user-deselected transducer set is not located in the spatial distribution adjacently to any transducer in the modified selected transducer set. For example, in
In some embodiments, each transducer 220, 306, 406 in the user-deselected transducer set is not located in the spatial distribution adjacently to any transducer in the modified selected transducer set. For example, with reference to
In some embodiments, the user-deselected transducer set is a user-deselected group of transducers. According to various embodiments, the transducers in the modified selected transducer set are arranged in a first particular arrangement in the spatial distribution (for example, an arrangement corresponding to the ring-shaped arrangement of transducer graphical elements in the set 515A of transducer graphical elements 502). In some embodiments, the transducers 220, 306, 406 in the user-deselected group of transducers are arranged in a second particular arrangement in the spatial distribution. In some embodiments, the second particular arrangement is separated from the first particular arrangement in the spatial distribution. For example, with reference to
In some embodiments, the second particular arrangement protrudes (e.g., like a peninsula) from the first particular arrangement in the spatial distribution. For example, with reference to
According to various embodiments, a user may deselect various ones of the transducers in the machine-selected group of transducers based on factors other than the spatial distribution of various sets of the transducers in the machine-selected group of transducers. For example, the degree of tissue contact associated with a particular transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers may motivate a user to deselect the transducer or allow it to form a part of the modified selected transducer set. For example, in some embodiments, the machine-selected group of transducers includes a first transducer and a second transducer. According to various embodiments, the first transducer may have a first degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information (e.g., referred to in block 606), and the second transducer may have a second degree of tissue contact as indicated by the analysis of the tissue contact information. According to various embodiments, the second degree of tissue contact is greater than the first degree of tissue contact. In some embodiments, the user-deselected transducer set includes the first transducer. In some embodiments, the user-deselected transducer set excludes the second transducer. For example, working from the example of
Referring to
In some embodiments, user input may additionally or alternatively indicate transducers that are to be additionally added to the machine-selected transducers for a corresponding transducer activation thereof. For example, in some embodiments associated with at least method 600B a block 608b may be included that is associated with computer-executable instructions (e.g., user selection instructions provided by a program) configured to cause, via the input-output device system 120, 320 and after the machine selection as per block 606, reception of user input indicating a user selection of a user-selected transducer set. According to various embodiments associated with block 608b, each transducer in the user-selected transducer set is not any transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers. According to various embodiments, each transducer in the user-selected transducer set may have less than the threshold degree of tissue contact. For example,
According to various embodiments, the user-selected ones of the transducer graphical elements 502D are indicated as user-selected with a visual characteristic set that includes bolded double outlines or borders as indicated by the KEY in
According to various embodiments, each of the user-selected transducers 220, 306, 406 is associated with a third degree of tissue contact (e.g., as additionally indicated by the corresponding transducer graphical elements 502D via the
These machine and user-based selection processing aspects of various embodiments of the present invention allow for an efficient workflow that readily presents a machine selection of transducers that meet or exceed a desired tissue contact threshold and allows revision thereof, if necessary, with user-selected or deselected transducers. It is understood that in various tissue ablation procedures, the user-selected transducers associated with less than desired degrees or levels of tissue contact may not in themselves produce a lesion having a desired quality (e.g., depth, size, etc.), but when combined with the transducers of the machine selection that meet or exceed a desired tissue contact threshold, an overall quality of the combined arrangement of theses transducers may be improved.
It is noted that, in some embodiments associated with
In some embodiments, at least method 600B may include block 610b associated with computer-executable instructions (e.g., activation instructions provided by a program) configured to cause, via the input-output device system 120, 320, activation of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set. According to various embodiments, the activation of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set is initiated in a state in which both the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set are in a selected state (e.g., as in the state of
In some embodiments, the activation of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set is caused at least in response to both the machine selection (e.g., per block 606) and the user selection (e.g., per block 608b). For example, in some embodiments, at least the initiation of the activation of both the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set occurs automatically at least in response to both the machine selection (e.g., per at least block 606) and the user selection (e.g., per block 608b). In some embodiments, user confirmation or authorization of the initiation of the activation of both the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set may be required. In this regard, the activation may still be considered to be performed in response to the machine selection (e.g., per block 606) and the user selection (e.g., per block 608b), since such selections at least in part cause energy to flow to the selected transducers once the user confirmation or authorization to activate has been received, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the activation of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set caused at least in response to both the machine selection (e.g., per block 606) and the user selection (e.g., per block 608b) includes concurrent activation of at least a first transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers and at least a second transducer in the user-selected transducer set. In some embodiments, the activation of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set caused at least in response to both the machine selection (e.g., per at least block 606) and the user selection (e.g., per block 608b) includes an initiation of the activation of at least a first transducer in one of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set before an initiation of the activation of at least a second transducer in the other of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set. According to various embodiments, the initiation of the activation of the at least the second transducer in the other of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set occurs without any user input indicating an activation request of the at least the second transducer being received after the initiation of the activation of the at least the first transducer in one of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set. For instance, in some embodiments, a user confirmation or authorization to initiate the activation (e.g., per block 610b) of the selected transducers indicated, e.g., in
According to various embodiments, the activation per block 610b of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set includes concurrent activation of (1) at least one transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers and (2) at least one transducer in the user-selected transducer set. For instance, in the example of
In some embodiments, the activation per block 610b of the machine-selected group of transducers and the user-selected transducer set includes a transmission of energy between (1) at least one transducer in the machine-selected group of transducers and (2) at least one transducer in the user-selected transducer set. For instance, in the example of
While some of the embodiments disclosed above are described with examples of tissue ablation, the same or similar embodiments may be used for mapping various bodily organs, for example, cardiac mapping, gastric mapping, bladder mapping, arterial mapping and mapping of any lumen or cavity into which the devices of the present invention may be introduced. Mapping may include mapping electrophysiological information (for example, in the form of intra-cardiac electrograms).
Subsets or combinations of various embodiments described above can provide further embodiments.
These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims but should be construed to include other transducer-based device systems including all medical treatment device systems and all medical diagnostic device systems in accordance with the claims. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the disclosure, but instead its scope is to be determined entirely by the following claims.
This application is a Bypass Continuation Application of International Application No. PCT/CA2023/050572, filed Apr. 27, 2023, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/336, 123, filed Apr. 28, 2022, the entire disclosure of each of the applications cited in this sentence is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63336123 | Apr 2022 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/CA2023/050572 | Apr 2023 | WO |
| Child | 18905309 | US |
