System and method for navigating an ultrasound catheter to image a beating heart
Catheter navigation is coupled with ultrasound imaging to yield a context map showing the location on a heart of the ultrasonically imaged frame.
1. A system for processing data for use in imaging a heart, comprising:
a signal processing system configured to:
receive ultrasound data and position data from a catheter, the ultrasound data including an ultrasonic image of a first portion of an interior surface of the heart and the position data including data associated with a location of the catheter 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 display the ultrasound image of the first portion of the interior surface of the heart and a three-dimensional context map of the heart and simultaneously highlight a first surface on the context map corresponding to the first portion of the interior surface of the heart and 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.
2. The system of claim 1 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.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the position data includes a location of a first sensor element disposed on the catheter and an orientation of the first sensor element.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal processing system includes:
an ultrasound processor configured to calculate a distance from an ultrasound transducer disposed on the catheter to the first portion of the interior surface of the heart responsive to the ultrasound data; and,
a computer system configured to identify the first surface on the context map responsive to the position data and the distance.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second portions partially overlap.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the context map displays a section of the heart that includes the first portion and additional portions of the heart adjacent to the first portion.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein highlight a first surface on the context map and a second surface on the context map comprises animating the first and second surfaces.
8. A system for processing data for use in imaging a heart, comprising:
a signal processing system including:
means for receiving ultrasound data from an ultrasonic transducer disposed on a catheter, the ultrasound data including an ultrasonic image of a first portion of an interior surface of the heart;
means for receiving position data from a first sensor element disposed on the catheter, the position data including data associated with a location of the catheter within the heart; and,
means for transmitting imaging data to a display responsive to the ultrasound data and the position data, the imaging data configured to cause the display to simultaneously display the ultrasound image of the first portion of the interior surface of the heart and a three-dimensional context map of the heart and simultaneously highlight a first surface on the context map corresponding to the first portion of the interior surface of the heart and 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.
9. A system for processing data for use in imaging a heart, comprising:
a signal processing system including:
means for receiving ultrasound data from an ultrasonic transducer disposed on a catheter, the ultrasound data including an ultrasonic image of a first portion of an interior surface of the heart;
means for receiving position data from a first sensor element and a second sensor element disposed on the catheter, the position data including data associated with a location of the catheter within the heart; and,
means for transmitting imaging data to a display responsive to the ultrasound data and the position data, the imaging data configured to cause the display to simultaneously display the ultrasound image of the first portion of the interior surface of the heart and a three-dimensional context map of the heart and simultaneously highlight a first surface on the context map corresponding to the first portion of the interior surface of the heart and 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.
10. The system of claim 8 wherein the position data includes a location of the first sensor element disposed on the catheter and an orientation of the first sensor element.
11. The system of claim 8 wherein the first and second portions partially overlap.
12. The system of claim 8 wherein the context map displays a section of the heart that includes the first portion and additional portions of the heart adjacent to the first portion.
13. The system of claim 8 wherein highlight a first surface on the context map and a second surface on the context map comprises animating the first and second surfaces.
14. A system for processing data for use in imaging a heart, comprising:
a signal processing system including:
an ultrasound processor configured to receive ultrasound data from an ultrasonic transducer disposed on a catheter, the ultrasound data including an ultrasonic image of a first portion of an interior surface of the heart and to calculate a distance from an ultrasound transducer disposed on the catheter to the first portion of the interior surface of the heart responsive to the ultrasound data;
means for receiving position data from a first sensor element disposed on the catheter, the position data including data associated with a location of the catheter within the heart; and,
a computer system configured to 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 display the ultrasound image of the first portion of the interior surface of the heart and a three-dimensional context map of the heart and simultaneously highlight a first surface on the context map corresponding to the first portion of the interior surface of the heart and 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 and to identify the first surface on the context map responsive to the position data and the distance.
15. A method for processing data for use in displaying images of a heart, comprising:
receiving a first set of ultrasound data and a first set of position data from a catheter, the first set of ultrasound data including an ultrasound image of a first portion of an interior surface of the heart and the first set of position data including data associated with a location of the catheter within the heart; and,
transmitting a first set of imaging data to a display responsive to the first set of ultrasound data and the first set of position data, the first set of imaging data configured to cause the display to simultaneously display the ultrasound image of the first portion of the interior surface of the heart and a three-dimensional context map of the heart and simultaneously highlight a first surface on the context map corresponding to the first portion of the interior surface of the heart and 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.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the catheter includes a first sensor element and wherein the first set of position data includes a location of the first sensor element and an orientation of the first sensor element.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
calculating a distance from an ultrasound transducer disposed on the catheter to the first portion of the interior surface of the heart responsive to the first set of ultrasound data; and
identifying the first surface on the context map responsive to the first set of position data and the distance.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein the first and second portions partially overlap.
19. The method of claim 15 wherein the context map displays a section of the heart that includes the first portion and additional portions of the heart adjacent to the first portion.
20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving a second set of ultrasound data and a second set of position data from the catheter corresponding to a third portion of the interior surface of the heart;
transmitting a second set of imaging data to the display responsive to the second set of ultrasound data and the second set of position data, the second set of imaging data configured to cause the display to simultaneously display an ultrasound image of the third portion of the interior surface of the heart and a three-dimensional context map of the heart and simultaneously highlight a third surface on the context map corresponding to the third portion of the interior surface of the heart and the first surface on the context map.