Research at 成人大片Use of a novel signal processing technique during atrial fibrillation to provide clinically relevant information for ablation therapy
Background
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia and a primary cause of stroke, it occurs in approximately 1-2% of the general population. AF prevalence is predicted to at least double over the next 50 years. Catheter ablation is a common method for treatment of symptomatic AF and is increasingly seen as a therapeutic option in heart failure patients with AF. AF is characterized by wavefront propagation through cardiac tissue that results in complex signal formation and signal fragmentation. The information collected from intracardiac electrograms (IEGMs) from the atria are used to create a 3-dimensional (3-D) map. This map is then used to guide an ablation catheter to eliminate sites of AF formation. However, the underlying mechanisms of AF are poorly understood, and outcomes remain suboptimal. There is a need to better understand the perpetuating sources of AF as the success of ablation therapy depends on accurately identifying and targeting these sources.
Technology Overview
Queen鈥檚 researchers have developed a novel approach of sequential mapping using catheters with a higher density of electrodes to inspect regions of the atria. This technique allows for the identification of 鈥渟ignatures鈥 of an AF source or rotor. The approach investigates the relationship between simultaneously recorded IEGMs during AF. They identify and characterize wavefront characteristics of a region through analysis of short-term change in regional dominant frequency (RDF). The researchers have created several algorithms to identify and quantify regional wavefront discontinuities, or wave breaks, for characterization of AF patterns and they have created a color-coded three-dimensional map of the atria to be used in the ablation therapy. They show that this novel RDF concept can be used to identify and quantify discontinuities in wavefront activation providing insightful information that can be used for catheter ablation therapy.
Bipolar intracardiac electrograms (IEGMs) collected from a patient with persistent AF. The average of the preprocessed signals and the low pass filtered average are plotted on the 11th axis, and the 12th axis shows the dominant frequency (DF) of the low pass filtered signal.
Two examples of three-dimensional atrial maps shaded based on the regional dominant frequency (RDF) and wave break rate (WBR); also shown is a plot of four bipolar IEGMs of the catheter at a site with high RDF (7 Hz) and low WBR.
Further Detail
Benefits
- The proposed method is designed to be more robust and efficient than phase mapping.
- The use of the WBR to quantify the qualities of wavefront propagation at each site; it can be color-coded and shown on electroanatomic mapping systems and employed to characterize and differentiate signal complexity potentially leading to a more informed choice of ablation.
- The data is collected sequentially but used regionally providing improved endocardial resolution over panoramic surface ECG and current balloon-based technologies.
Opportunity
Queen鈥檚 University is seeking an exclusive licensee or research collaborator to further validate and subsequently commercialize this asset.
Patents
- US Patent 11,284,826 B2 鈥淢ethods for identifying wave break during atrial fibrillation鈥
- Pending Canadian Patent Application serial No. 3,016,658 鈥淢ethods for identifying wave break during atrial fibrillation鈥
IP Status
Patented
Seeking
- Development partner
- Commercial partner
- Seeking investment
- Licensing
Posted
September 19, 2023