NU 2011-162 

Inventor 

Jason Ng 

Abstract

A Northwestern inventor has developed a novel method to analyze contact electrograms during atrial fibrillation. The invention is a new iterative threshold algorithm that detects atrial complexes based on the assumption that AF cycle lengths have a distribution where mean and median cycle lengths are approximately equal. One of the main limitations of existing activation rate mapping approaches is the technical difficulty involved in obtaining reliable measurements. The complexity of AF electrograms can make detection of deflections and the calculation of the cycle lengths and activation rates difficult in both the time and frequency domains. While manual measurement of intervals within AF cycle lengths may be performed to improve calculations, such work is arduous and may be limited to subjectivity. This novel iterative technique from Northwestern allows for accurate detection of activation rates and may ultimately improve the ability to localize targets for ablation, which is considered superior to medicinal treatments in many cases. 

Applications

• Analysis of electrograms allows for enhanced determination of ablation targets during surgery

Advantages

• Enhanced reliability over existing methods for signal analysis
• Fully integrates with existing EP systems
• Individualized ablation better than non-individualized ablation

IP Status

Issued US Patents Nos. 9,642,550 and 9,901,277