Systems and methods for assessing stability of an operative instrument in a body region

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) is provided for assisting medical personnel in interpreting data collected by a multiple electrode catheter deployed within the body. The GUI generates and displays an image of the multiple electrode catheter. By manipulating appropriate controls, the medical personnel are able to change the orientation of the displayed image until it matches the orientation of the actual multiple electrode catheter as seen on a fluoroscope. Afterwards, the medical personnel can determine the relative position and orientation of the catheter by reference to the GUI generated image. To aid in interpreting data recovered by the catheter, the individual electrodes and splines are highlighted and labeled. Electrodes recovering particular types of physiological waveforms can be automatically identified and highlighted. Comments and anatomic landmarks can be inserted where desired to further assist in interpreting data. Views from various, virtual fluoroangles can be obtained, and various images can be recorded, stored and printed. The position of a roving electrode can also be indicated.

we claim:  
     
         1 . A graphical user interface for generating a visual display depicting the relative position and orientation of a multiple electrode catheter within a body comprising: 
 a display screen,    an image generator for generating on the display screen an image of the multiple electrode catheter, and    a user-actuable control coupled to the image generator for changing the relative position and orientation of the image as displayed on the display screen.    
     
     
         2 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the user-actuable control further operates to display the image from one or more predetermined viewing angles.  
     
     
         3 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the image generator highlights the electrodes on the displayed image of the multiple electrode catheter.  
     
     
         4 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the multiple electrode catheter includes a plurality of splines and the image generator functions to highlight the splines of the displayed image.  
     
     
         5 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the image generator displays certain elements of the image at brighter intensity than other elements of the image to enhance the three-dimensional appearance of the displayed image.  
     
     
         6 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the image generator further generates labels associated with individual ones of the displayed electrodes.  
     
     
         7 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the image generator further generates labels associated with individual ones of the displayed splines.  
     
     
         8 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the image generator further generates labels associated with a roving electrode.  
     
     
         9 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the image generator further generates anatomic markers representative of anatomic features within the body.  
     
     
         10 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the image generator further generates user-created markers representative of preidentified events occurring during an electrophysiological procedure.  
     
     
         11 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the user-actuable control is operable to place the anatomic markers at user-selected locations relative to the displayed image.  
     
     
         12 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the image generator further operates to develop binary maps in response to physiological data received by individual ones of the electrodes of the multiple electrode catheter.  
     
     
         13 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 12  wherein the binary maps are based on the detection of early activation occurrences at one or more electrodes of the multiple electrode catheter.  
     
     
         14 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 12  wherein the binary maps are based on the detection of fractionation occurrences at one ore more electrodes of the multiple electrode catheter.  
     
     
         15 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 12  wherein the binary maps are based on the detection of good -pace occurrences at one or more electrodes of the multiple electrode catheter.  
     
     
         16 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 12  wherein the binary maps are based on the detection of concealed entrainment occurrences at one or more electrodes of the multiple electrode catheter.  
     
     
         17 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the image generator further operates to develop iso-value maps in response to physiological data received by individual ones of the electrodes of the multiple electrode catheter.  
     
     
         18 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the image generator displays the position of roving electrodes with respect to the multiple electrode catheter.  
     
     
         19 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the user-actuable control includes the keyboard of a computer.  
     
     
         20 . A graphical user interface as defined in  claim 1  wherein the graphical user interface comprises a computer and a software program operating on the computer.  
     
     
         21 . A method of utilizing a multiple electrode structure within a body comprising the steps of: 
 locating the multiple electrode structure within a body,    displaying the actual multiple electrode structure on an imaging screen, and    generating and displaying on another screen an image representing the multiple electrode structure,    changing the displayed orientation of the image until the orientation of the displayed image substantially matches the orientation of the actual multiple electrode structure as displayed on the imaging screen.    
     
     
         22 . A method as defined in  claim 21  further comprising the steps of: 
 introducing a roving electrode into the body, and  
 generating and displaying an image representing the roving electrode on the other screen.  
 
     
     
         23 . A method as defined in  claim 21  comprising the further step of generating and displaying on the other screen binary maps indicative of the presence or absence of predetermined physiological events.  
     
     
         24 . A method as defined in  claim 23  comprising the further step of generating two or more binary maps representative of the presence or absence of two or more different predetermined physiological events.  
     
     
         25 . A method as defined in  claim 24  comprising the further step of identifying potential treatment sites by correlating the occurrence of two or more different physiological events at single locations.