System and method for navigating an ultrasound catheter to image a beating heart

Abstract

Catheter navigation is coupled with ultrasound imaging to yield a context map showing the location on a heart of the ultrasonically imaged frame.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system for imaging a heart, comprising:
 a signal processing system configured to:
 receive ultrasound data and position data from an elongate medical device, the ultrasound data including an ultrasonic image of a portion of an interior surface of the heart and the position data including data associated with a location of the elongate medical device within the heart; and 
 transmit imaging data to a display responsive to the ultrasound data and the position data, the imaging data configured to cause the display to simultaneously: (i) display the ultrasound image of the portion of the interior surface of the heart, (ii) display a three-dimensional context map of the heart, and (iii) highlight a surface on the context map corresponding to the portion of the interior surface of the heart. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the surface is a first surface and the portion is a first portion, wherein the imaging data is further configured to cause the display, simultaneously with (i), (ii), and (iii), to (iv) highlight a second surface on the context map corresponding to a second portion of the interior surface of the heart for which ultrasound data was previously received. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the first and second portions partially overlap. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the signal processing system is configured to receive the position data from a first sensor element and a second sensor element disposed on the catheter. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the position data comprises a location of a first sensor element disposed on the catheter and an orientation of the first sensor element. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the signal processing system comprises:
 an ultrasound processor configured to calculate a distance from an ultrasound transducer disposed on the catheter to the portion of the interior surface of the heart responsive to the ultrasound data; and   a computer system configured to identify the surface on the context map responsive to the position data and the distance.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the context map displays a section of the heart that includes the portion and additional portions of the heart adjacent to the portion. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein highlighting the surface on the context map comprises animating the surface. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the display comprises an ultrasound display and a separate navigation display, and the imaging data comprises ultrasound imaging data and context imaging data, wherein the signal processing system is configured to:
 transmit the ultrasound imaging data to the ultrasound display, the ultrasound imaging data configured to cause the ultrasound display to: (i) display the ultrasound image of the portion of the interior surface of the heart; and   transmit the context image data to the navigation display, the context image data configured to cause the navigation display to: (ii) display a three-dimensional context map of the heart, and (iii) highlight a surface on the context map corresponding to the portion of the interior surface of the heart;   wherein the signal processing system is configured to transmit the ultrasound imaging data to the ultrasound display and the context imaging data to the navigation display to cause (i), (ii), and (iii) to occur simultaneously.   
     
     
         30 . A method for imaging a heart, comprising:
 receiving, with a signal processing system, ultrasound data and position data from an elongate medical device, the ultrasound data including an ultrasonic image of a portion of an interior surface of the heart and the position data including data associated with a location of the elongate medical device within the heart; and   transmitting, with the signal processing system, imaging data to a display responsive to the ultrasound data and the position data, the imaging data configured to cause the display to simultaneously: (i) display the ultrasound image of the portion of the interior surface of the heart, (ii) display a three-dimensional context map of the heart, and (iii) highlight a surface on the context map corresponding to the portion of the interior surface of the heart.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the surface is a first surface and the portion is a first portion, wherein the imaging data is further configured to cause the display, simultaneously with (i), (ii), and (iii), to (iv) highlight a second surface on the context map corresponding to a second portion of the interior surface of the heart for which ultrasound data was previously received. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first and second portions partially overlap. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the position data is received from a first sensor element and a second sensor element disposed on the elongate medical device. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the position data comprises a location of a first sensor element disposed on the catheter and an orientation of the first sensor element. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the context map displays a section of the heart that includes the portion and additional portions of the heart adjacent to the portion. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein highlighting the surface on the context map comprises animating the surface. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the display comprises an ultrasound display and a separate navigation display, and the imaging data comprises ultrasound imaging data and context imaging data, wherein the transmitting comprises:
 transmitting the ultrasound imaging data to the ultrasound display, the ultrasound imaging data configured to cause the ultrasound display to: (i) display the ultrasound image of the portion of the interior surface of the heart; and   transmitting the context image data to the navigation display, the context image data configured to cause the navigation display to: (ii) display a three-dimensional context map of the heart, and (iii) highlight a surface on the context map corresponding to the portion of the interior surface of the heart;   wherein the ultrasound imaging data is transmitted to the ultrasound display and the context imaging data is transmitted to the navigation display to cause (i), (ii), and (iii) to occur simultaneously.   
     
     
         38 . A system comprising:
 a signal processing system configured to:
 receive ultrasound data and position data from an elongate medical device, the ultrasound data received from an ultrasound transducer, the position data received from a positioning sensor associated with the ultrasound transducer, the position data comprising a location and an orientation of the positioning sensor; 
 determine a portion of a heart that is within a field of view of the ultrasound transducer according to the ultrasound data and the position data; and 
 transmit imaging data to a display responsive to the ultrasound data and the location data, the imaging data configured to cause the display to simultaneously: (i) display a three-dimensional context map of the heart and (ii) highlight a surface on the context map corresponding to the portion of the heart that is within the field of view of the ultrasound transducer. 
   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the portion is a first portion and the surface is a first surface, wherein the imaging data is further configured to cause the display, simultaneously with (i) and (ii), to (iii) highlight a second surface on the context map corresponding to a second portion of the heart that was previously within the field of view of the ultrasound transducer. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the first portion and the second portion partially overlap.