Navigational reference dislodgement detection method and system

1. A method of tracking a position of a catheter within a patient's body comprising:

securing a navigational reference at an initial reference location within a patient's body;

defining the initial reference location as a reference point for a coordinate system for locating positions of points in space;

providing a moving electrode within the patient's body;

determining a location of the moving electrode and providing location information data for the moving electrode, said location information data comprising position information that defines the location of the moving electrode in the coordinate system that uses the initial reference location as its reference point;

monitoring a rate of change in a position of the navigational reference for an indication of a dislodgement of the navigational reference from the initial reference location; and

generating a signal indicating that the navigational reference has dislodged from the initial reference location.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing guidance to a user to help re-position and secure the navigational reference to the initial reference location.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using a computer to control a servo-controlled catheter to re-position and secure the navigational reference to the initial reference location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a location of the navigational reference after it has dislodged from the initial reference location;

calculating a reference adjustment to compensate for the navigational reference having changed positions from the initial reference location to the post dislodgement location of the navigational reference;

determining a location of the moving electrode after dislodgement of the navigational reference; and

using the reference adjustment to generate location information data for the moving electrode, the location information data comprising position information that defines the location of the moving electrode with reference to the coordinate system that uses the initial reference location as its reference point.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the moving electrode includes a first measurement electrode to measure electrophysiology information and wherein the navigational reference includes a second measurement electrode to measure electrophysiology information, the method further comprising:

simultaneously taking electrophysiology measurements using each of the first and second measurement electrodes and adjusting the output of the first measurement electrode by compensating for at least one signal that is common to each of the first and second measurement electrodes.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring step comprises:

monitoring a velocity of the navigational reference and generating a signal indicating dislodgement when the velocity of the navigational reference exceeds a preset dislodgement threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring step comprises:

coupling the navigational reference to a circuit to generate an output signal;

monitoring the output signal for an increase above a threshold indicative of the navigational reference having dislodged from the initial reference location.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a far field reference outside the patient's body;

wherein the monitoring step comprises:

monitoring a rate of change in a location of the navigational reference relative to the far field reference and generating a signal indicating dislodgement when the rate of change in the location of the navigational reference relative to the far field reference exceeds a preset threshold.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a far field reference outside the patient's body;

wherein the monitoring step comprises:

coupling the navigational reference and the far field reference to a circuit to generate an output signal;

filtering the output signal with a high pass filter and a low pass filter to create a filtered output signal; and

monitoring the filtered output signal for a signal that is indicative of the navigational reference having dislodged from the initial reference location.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the filtering step is accomplished using digital signal processing to block signal components with frequencies below about 0.001 Hz and to block signal components with frequencies above about 0.15 Hz, and wherein the step of monitoring the filtered output signal comprises:

monitoring the filtered output signal for a signal with an absolute amplitude that is above a dislodgement threshold.

11. A method of tracking a position of a catheter within a patient's body comprising:

securing a navigational reference at an initial reference location within a patient's body;

providing a moving electrode within the patient's body;

determining a location of the moving electrode and providing location information data for the moving electrode, said location information data comprising position information that defines the location of the moving electrode in a coordinate system that uses the initial reference location as a reference point;

monitoring for a dislodgement of the navigational reference from the initial reference location;

generating a signal indicating that the navigational reference has dislodged from the initial reference location;

measuring a dislodged reference location of the navigational reference; and

calculating an adjustment to compensate for a change in location of the navigational reference between the initial reference location and the dislodged reference location.