Cardiac map segmentation

1. A cardiac ablation system, comprising:

an ablation probe including at least one ablation application element configured to ablate tissue in a chamber of a heart of a living subject;

a tracking module configured to track a position of the at least one ablation application element within the heart;

a memory configured to store a map of the chamber of the heart and to store a different, respective default ablation-parameter set for each of a plurality of different regions of the chamber, each default ablation-parameter set corresponding to at least one of the plurality of regions and comprising a plurality of ablation-parameters; and

processing circuitry configured to:

segment, prior to ablation, the map of the chamber into the plurality of different regions, each region having an assigned regional designation;

assign each of the default ablation-parameter sets to each of the plurality of different regions respectively based upon the regional designation of the identified region;

receive a user input indicative of commencement of an ablation procedure;

identify, responsively to the tracked position, one of the plurality of regions with which the at least one ablation application element is in contact;

responsively to the user input, retrieve the respective stored default ablation-parameter set assigned to the identified region based upon the regional designation of the identified region; and

apply the retrieved stored default ablation-parameter set corresponding to the regional designation of the identified region in controlling the ablation procedure in the identified region.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to apply a segmented model of a heart chamber to the map of the chamber yielding a segmented map of the chamber.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

receive at least one user correction to a segmentation of the segmented map; and responsively to the received at least one user correction, amend the segmented map.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

receive a user markup of the map of the chamber dividing the map into the different regions; and

responsively to the received user markup, segment the map of the chamber into the different regions.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

receive user-defined default ablation-parameter sets for each of the different regions; and

responsively to a regional designation of each of the received user-defined default ablation-parameter sets, assign the user-defined default ablation-parameter sets to the different regions.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control ablation by the ablation probe of the tissue at the identified region according to the retrieved default ablation-parameter set.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

receive a user update to the retrieved default ablation-parameter set yielding an updated ablation-parameter set; and

control ablation by the ablation probe of the tissue at the identified region according to the updated ablation-parameter set.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

assign a probe-specific default ablation-parameter set to each of the different regions for a plurality of different probe-types; and

responsively to the user input, retrieve the probe-specific default ablation-parameter set assigned to the identified region for a probe-type of the ablation probe.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the ablation probe includes a multiplicity of ablation application elements; and

the processing circuitry is configured to:

identify, responsively to the tracked position, a first region of the chamber with which at least a first one of the multiplicity of ablation application elements is in contact;

identify, responsively to the tracked position, a second region of the chamber with which at least a second one of the multiplicity of ablation application elements is in contact;

retrieve the default ablation-parameter set assigned to the first region and the default ablation-parameter set assigned to the second region; and

apply the retrieved default ablation-parameter set of the first and second region to perform the ablation procedure at the first and second region using the first one and the second one of the multiplicity of ablation application elements, respectively.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the default ablation-parameter set for one region of the different regions includes any one or more of the following: a tissue thickness of the one region; whether to track temperature during the ablation procedure; an ablation mode to use during the ablation procedure; an irrigation rate to use during the ablation procedure; a power level to apply during the ablation procedure; a force to apply during the ablation procedure; an ablation duration of the ablation procedure; an ablation index to use during the ablation procedure; a target power; and a target temperature.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the ablation mode is selected from any one or more of the following: ablation index mode; controlling ablation power according to a measured temperature; applying an alternating current to the at least one ablation application element; applying a direct current to the at least one ablation application element; laser ablation; electroporation; cryoablation; radio-frequency power ablation.

12. A cardiac ablation method, comprising:

tracking a position of at least one ablation application element of an ablation probe configured to ablate tissue in a chamber of a heart of a living subject;

storing a map of the chamber of the heart;

storing a different, respective default ablation-parameter set for each of a plurality of different regions of the chamber, each default ablation-parameter set corresponding to at least one of the plurality of regions and comprising a plurality of ablation-parameters;

segmenting, prior to ablation, the map of the chamber into the plurality of different regions, each region having a regional designation;

assigning each of the default ablation-parameter sets to each of the plurality of different regions respectively based upon the regional designation of the identified region;

receiving a user input indicative of commencement of an ablation procedure;

identifying, responsively to the tracked position, one of the plurality of regions with which the at least one ablation application element is in contact;

responsively to the user input, retrieve the respective stored default ablation-parameter set assigned to the identified region based upon the regional designation of the identified region; and

applying the retrieved stored default ablation-parameter set corresponding to the regional designation of the identified region in controlling the ablation procedure in the identified region.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising applying a segmented model of a heart chamber to the map of the chamber yielding a segmented map of the chamber.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving at least one user correction to a segmentation of the segmented map; and

responsively to the receiving the at least one user correction, amending the segmented map.

15. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving a user markup of the map of the chamber dividing the map into the different regions; and

responsively to the receiving the user markup, segmenting the map of the chamber into the different regions.

16. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving user-defined default ablation-parameter sets for each of the different regions; and

responsively to a regional designation of each of the received user-defined default ablation-parameter sets, assigning the user-defined default ablation-parameter sets to the different regions.

17. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising controlling ablation by the ablation probe of the tissue at the identified region according to the retrieved default ablation-parameter set.

18. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving a user update to the retrieved default ablation-parameter set yielding an updated ablation-parameter set; and

controlling ablation by the ablation probe of the tissue at the identified region according to the updated ablation-parameter set.

19. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

assigning a probe-specific default ablation-parameter set to each of the different regions for a plurality of different probe-types; and

responsively to the user input, retrieving the probe-specific default ablation-parameter set assigned to the identified region for a probe-type of the ablation probe.

20. The method according to claim 12 , wherein:

the ablation probe includes a multiplicity of ablation application elements; and the method further comprises:

identifying, responsively to the tracked position, a first region of the chamber with which at least a first one of the multiplicity of ablation application elements is in contact;

identifying, responsively to the tracked position, a second region of the chamber with which at least a second one of the multiplicity of ablation application elements is in contact;

retrieving the default ablation-parameter set assigned to the first region and the default ablation-parameter set assigned to the second region; and

applying the retrieved default ablation-parameter set of the first and second region to perform the ablation procedure at the first and second region using the first one and the second one of the multiplicity of ablation application elements, respectively.

21. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the default ablation-parameter set for one region of the different regions includes any one or more of the following: a tissue thickness of the one region; whether to track temperature during the ablation procedure; an ablation mode to use during the ablation procedure; an irrigation rate to use during the ablation procedure; a power level to apply during the ablation procedure; a force to apply during the ablation procedure; an ablation duration of the ablation procedure; an ablation index to use during the ablation procedure; a target power; and a target temperature.

22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the ablation mode is selected from any one or more of the following: ablation index mode; controlling ablation power according to a measured temperature; applying an alternating current to the at least one ablation application element; applying a direct current to the at least one ablation application element; laser ablation; electroporation; cryoablation; radio-frequency power ablation.

23. A software product, comprising a non-transient computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a central processing unit (CPU), cause the CPU to:

track a position of at least one ablation application element of an ablation probe configured to ablate tissue in a chamber of a heart of a living subject;

store a map of the chamber of the heart;

store a different, respective default ablation-parameter set for each of a plurality of different regions of the chamber, each default ablation-parameter set corresponding to at least one of the plurality of regions and comprising a plurality of ablation-parameters;

segment, prior to ablation, the map of the chamber into the plurality of different regions, each region having a regional designation;

assign each of the default ablation-parameter sets to each of the plurality of different regions respectively based upon the regional designation of the identified region;

receive a user input indicative of commencement of an ablation procedure;

identify, responsively to the tracked position, one of the plurality of regions with which the at least one ablation application element is in contact;

responsively to the user input, retrieve the respective stored default ablation-parameter set assigned to the identified region based upon the regional designation of the identified region; and

apply the retrieved stored default ablation-parameter set corresponding to the regional designation of the identified region in controlling the ablation procedure in the identified region.