IP Library Granted Patent US 10,702,181
Granted Patent B2
US 10,702,181 · App. 15/994,842 · Granted Jul 7, 2020

Atrial fibrillation treatment systems and methods

Inventors: Thomas Jared Bunch (South Jordan, UT); John David Day (Salt Lake City, UT)
Assignee: Intermountain Intellectual Asset Management, LLC
A61B5/046A61B5/04012A61B5/6869A61B5/7264
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,702,181
App. No.
15/994,842
Granted
Jul 7, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods for treating cardiac complex rhythm disorder in a patient can include receiving a plurality of electrical signals from a sensor system, wherein each electrical signal corresponds with a separate location on a cardiac wall of the heart of the patient, and wherein each electrical signal comprises an electrogram waveform; and ranking the electrical signals relative to each other based on at least a uniformity and a frequency of the electrogram waveform of each electrical signal.

Claims (42)

1. A method of treating cardiac complex rhythm disorder in a patient, the method comprising:

receiving an electrical base signal of a heart comprising a base signal frequency and a base signal waveform;

simultaneously positioning a sensor system inside the heart of a patient while receiving a plurality of electrical signals from the sensor system, wherein positioning comprises identifying a source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity in the plurality of electrical signals and placing the sensor system such that the source is within a sensing region, wherein the sensing region is defined by a plurality of sensor locations that are in contact with a cardiac wall of the heart, wherein each electrical signal is detected at each of the plurality of sensor locations for at least one heartbeat, and wherein each electrical signal comprises an electrogram waveform;

determining that the source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity is propagating in an outward direction from within the sensing region based on at least a timing and a frequency of the electrogram waveform of each electrical signal that is distinguishable from the base signal frequency, wherein the sensor system is positioned at a location where the source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity is disposed between a plurality of sensor locations in at least two different directions; and

electrically isolating the source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity by relocating the sensor system and performing at least one focal ablation procedure inside the sensing region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a location of the source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity defines a target site within the sensing region and at least one focal ablation procedure is performed at the target site.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

repositioning the sensor system to another or the same sensing region that encompasses the target site after performing at least one focal ablation procedure and receiving a second plurality of electrical signals from the sensor system; and determining if the repetitive aberrant electrical activity has been eliminated from the electrical signals.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a representative image of the heart of the patient; and

identifying a target position on the representative image that corresponds to a location of the source of aberrant electrical activity.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a target site of the cardiac wall, wherein identifying the target site comprises interpolating a location of the target site from the sensor locations on the cardiac wall.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one focal ablation procedure comprises encircling the source with a plurality of focal ablations.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein relocating the sensor system comprises removing the sensor system from its position inside the heart.

8. A method of treating cardiac complex rhythm disorder in a patient, the method comprising:

receiving an electrical base signal of a heart comprising a base signal frequency and a base signal waveform;

simultaneously positioning a sensor system inside the heart of a patient while receiving a plurality of electrical signals from the sensor system, wherein positioning comprises identifying a source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity in the plurality of electrical signals and placing the sensor system such that the source is within a sensing region, wherein the sensing region is defined by a plurality of sensor locations that are in contact with a cardiac wall of the heart, wherein each electrical signal is detected at each of the plurality of sensor locations for at least one heartbeat, and wherein each electrical signal comprises an electrogram waveform;

determining that the source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity is propagating in an outward direction from within the sensing region based on at least a timing and a frequency of the electrogram waveform of each electrical signal that is distinguishable from the base signal frequency; and

electrically isolating the source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity by performing at least one focal ablation procedure inside the sensing region.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a location of the source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity defines a target site within the sensing region and at least one focal ablation procedure is performed at the target site.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

repositioning the sensor system to another or the same sensing region that encompasses the target site after performing at least one focal ablation procedure and receiving a second plurality of electrical signals from the sensor system; and

determining if the repetitive aberrant electrical activity has been eliminated from the electrical signals.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

generating a representative image of the heart of the patient; and

identifying a target position on the representative image that corresponds to a location of the source of aberrant electrical activity.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising identifying a target site of the cardiac wall, wherein identifying the target site comprises interpolating a location of the target site from the sensor locations on the cardiac wall.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one focal ablation procedure comprises encircling the source with a plurality of focal ablations.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising removing the sensor system from its position inside the heart prior to performing the at least one focal ablation procedure.

15. A method of treating cardiac complex rhythm disorder in a patient, the method comprising:

positioning a sensor system inside the heart of a patient while receiving a plurality of electrical signals from the sensor system, wherein positioning comprises identifying a source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity in the plurality of electrical signals and placing the sensor system such that the source is within a sensing region, wherein the sensing region is defined by a plurality of sensor locations that are in contact with a cardiac wall of the heart, wherein each electrical signal is detected at each of the plurality of sensor locations for at least one heartbeat, and wherein each electrical signal comprises an electrogram waveform;

determining that the source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity is propagating in an outward direction from within the sensing region based on at least a timing and a frequency of the electrogram waveform of each electrical signal, wherein the sensor system is positioned at a location where the source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity is disposed between a plurality of sensor locations in at least two different directions;

electrically isolating the source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity by performing at least one focal ablation procedure inside the sensing region; and

repositioning the sensor system to another or the same sensing region that encompasses the target site after performing at least one focal ablation procedure and receiving a second plurality of electrical signals from the sensor system; and

determining if the repetitive aberrant electrical activity has been eliminated from the electrical signals.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a location of the source of repetitive aberrant electrical activity defines a target site within the sensing region and at least one focal ablation procedure is performed at the target site.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

generating a representative image of the heart of the patient; and

identifying a target position on the representative image that corresponds to a location of the source of aberrant electrical activity.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising identifying a target site of the cardiac wall, wherein identifying the target site comprises interpolating a location of the target site from the sensor locations on the cardiac wall.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one focal ablation procedure comprises encircling the source with a plurality of focal ablations.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising removing the sensor system from its position inside the heart prior to performing the at least one focal ablation procedure.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 9, 2018
From: BUNCH, T. JARED
To: IHC HEALTH SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 046298/0627 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 9, 2018
From: DAY, JOHN D.
To: IHC HEALTH SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 046298/0646 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 9, 2018
From: IHC HEALTH SERVICES, INC.
To: INTERMOUNTAIN INVENTION MANAGEMENT, LLC
Reel/Frame 046298/0654 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 9, 2018
From: INTERMOUNTAIN INVENTION MANAGEMENT, LLC
To: INTERMOUNTAIN INTELLECTUAL ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
Reel/Frame 046512/0471 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 15047670 · Feb 19, 2016
Continuation 13923348 · Jun 20, 2013
Provisional Application 61798456 · Mar 15, 2013
Provisional Application 61662323 · Jun 20, 2012
Provisional Application 61799242 · Mar 15, 2013
Related Publication 20190008405A1 · Jan 10, 2019