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EP-4477149-B1 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SIGNAL ACQUISITION AND VISUALIZATION

EP4477149B1EP 4477149 B1EP4477149 B1EP 4477149B1EP-4477149-B1

Inventors

  • DRAKULIC, BUDIMIR S.
  • FAKHAR, Sina
  • FOXALL, THOMAS G.
  • VLAJINIC, Branislav

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20190509

Claims (15)

  1. A system (2600) for visualization of biomedical signals, comprising: a memory comprising: an input module (2604) configured to receive and store signal samples of a first signal and a second signal; a packetizer module (2606) configured to: select, and store into a first packet, a portion of the signal samples of the first signal for a first time period, wherein the first packet comprises a first tag corresponding to the first time period; and select, and store into a second packet, a portion of signal samples of the second signal for the first time period, wherein the second packet comprises a second tag corresponding to the first time period; a first signal module (2614-1) comprising a first digital signal processor (DSP) configured to process the first packet associated with the first signal, wherein the processing of the first packet incurs a first processing delay; a second signal module (2614-2) comprising a second DSP configured to process the second packet associated with the second signal, wherein the processing of the second packet incurs a second processing delay; a configuration path module (2620) configured to equalize the first processing delay of the first DSP with the second processing delay of the second DSP, wherein the equalizing causes the first DSP to complete processing of the first packet approximately simultaneously with the second DSP completing processing of the second packet; and a display module (2618) coupled to the first signal module (2614-1) and the second signal module (2614-2) and configured to display the processed first packet and the processed second packet, wherein the display module (2618) is configured to display the processed first packet approximately simultaneously with the processed second packet; and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the input module (2604), the packetizer module (2606), the first signal module (2614-1), the second signal module (2614-2), the configuration path module (2620), and the display module (2618).
  2. The system (2600) of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises a queuing module (2608) configured to: store the first packet in a first queue associated with the first signal, wherein the first queue enables the first packet to be processed independently; and store the second packet in a second queue associated with the second signal, wherein the second queue enables the second packet to be processed independently; and wherein the memory further comprises a packet dispatcher module (2610) configured to: dispatch the first packet from the first queue to the first signal module (2614-1) based on a global signals table (2612); and dispatch the second packet from the second queue to the second signal module (2614-2) based on the global signals table (2612).
  3. The system (2600) of claim 1, wherein the first DSP is further configured to process the first packet based on the first tag that corresponds to the first time period; and wherein the second DSP is further configured to process the second packet based on the second tag that corresponds to the first time period, wherein signal samples in the first packet are time aligned with signal samples in the second packet.
  4. The system (2600) of claim 1, wherein the configuration path module (2620) is further configured to: create the first signal module (2614-1) based on a first signal processing specification, and the second signal module (2614-2) based on a second signal processing specification, wherein the first signal module (2614-1) comprises a first input packet queue and a first output packet queue, and the second signal module (2614-2) comprises a second input packet queue and a second output packet queue; and add the first signal module (2614-1) and the second signal module (2641-2) to a global signals table (2612), wherein the adding enables the first signal module (2614-1) to be dynamically assigned to a first set of signals and the second signal module (2614-2) to be dynamically assigned to a second set of signals, and wherein a first assignment of the first signal module (2614-1) to the first set of signals enables the first signal module (2614-1) to process the first set of signals based on the first signal processing specification, and a second assignment of the second signal module (2614-2) to the second set of signals enables the second signal module (2614-2) to process the second set of signals based on the second signal processing specification.
  5. The system (2600) of claim 4, wherein the first DSP is further configured to: process the first packet using a first digital signal processing function associated with the first signal processing specification; and output the processed first packet to the first output packet queue; wherein the second DSP is further configured to: process the second packet using a second digital signal processing function associated with the second signal processing specification; and output the processed second packet to the second output packet queue, wherein the second DSP is configured to output the processed second packet to the second output packet queue approximately simultaneously with the first DSP outputting the processed first packet to the first output packet queue.
  6. The system (2600) of claim 5, wherein the display module (2618) is further configured to: receive the processed first packet from the first output packet queue of the first signal module (2614-1) based on the first tag that corresponds to the first time period; receive the processed second packet from the second output packet queue of the second signal module (2614-2) based on the second tag that corresponds to the first time period; and display the processed first packet and the processed second packet simultaneously and in a non-overlapping format.
  7. A computer-implemented method for visualizing biomedical signals, comprising: receiving and storing, by at least one processor executing an input module (2604), signal samples of a first signal and a second signal; selecting, and storing into a first packet, by the at least one processor executing a packetizer module (2606), a portion of the signal samples of the first signal for a first time period, wherein the first packet comprises a first tag corresponding to the first time period; selecting, and storing into a second packet, by the at least one processor executing the packetizer module (2606), a portion of signal samples of the second signal for the first time period, wherein the second packet comprises a second tag corresponding to the first time period; processing, by the at least one processor executing a first digital signal processor (DSP) of a first signal module (2614-1) the first packet associated with the first signal, wherein the processing of the first packet incurs a first processing delay; processing, by the at least one processor executing a second DSP of a second signal module (2614-2), the second packet associated with the second signal, wherein the processing of the second packet incurs a second processing delay; equalizing, by the at least one processor executing a configuration path module (2620), the first processing delay of the first DSP with the second processing delay of the second DSP, wherein the equalizing causes the first DSP to complete processing of the first packet approximately simultaneously with the second DSP completing processing of the second packet; and displaying, by the at least one processor executing a display module (2618) coupled to the first signal module (2614-1) and the second signal module (2614-2), the processed first packet and the processed second packet, wherein the processed first packet is displayed approximately simultaneously with the processed second packet being displayed.
  8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising: storing, by the at least one processor executing a queueing module (2608), the first packet in a first queue associated with the first signal, wherein the first queue enables the first packet to be processed independently; storing, by the at least one processor executing the queueing module (2608) the second packet in a second queue associated with the second signal, wherein the second queue enables the second packet to be processed independently; dispatching, by the at least one processor executing a packet dispatcher module (2610), the first packet from the first queue to the first signal module (2614-1) based on a global signals table; and dispatching, by the at least one processor executing the packet dispatcher module (2610), the second packet from the second queue to the second signal module (2614-2) based on the global signals table (2612).
  9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising: processing, by the at least one processor executing the first DSP, the first packet based on the first tag that corresponds to the first time period; and processing, by the at least one processor executing the second DSP, the second packet based on the second tag that corresponds to the first time period, wherein signal samples in the first packet are time aligned with signal samples in the second packet.
  10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising: creating, by the at least one processor executing the configuration path module (2620), the first signal module (2614-1) based on a first signal processing specification, and the second signal module (2614-2) based on a second signal processing specification, wherein the first signal module (2614-1) comprises a first input packet queue and a first output packet queue, and the second signal module (2614-2) comprises a second input packet queue and a second output packet queue; and adding, by the at least one processor executing the configuration path module (2620), the first signal module (2614-1) and the second signal module (2614-2) to a global signals table (2612), wherein the adding enables the first signal module (2614-1) to be dynamically assigned to a first set of signals and the second signal module (2614-2) to be dynamically assigned to a second set of signals, and wherein a first assignment of the first signal module (2614-1) to the first set of signals enables the first signal module (2614-1) to process the first set of signals based on the first signal processing specification, and a second assignment of the second signal module (2614-2) to the second set of signals enables the second signal module (2614-2) to process the second set of signals based on the second signal processing specification.
  11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising: processing, by the at least one processor executing the first DSP, the first packet using a first digital signal processing function associated with the first signal processing specification; outputting, by the at least one processor executing the first DSP, the processed first packet to the first output packet queue; processing, by the at least one processor executing the second DSP, the second packet using a second digital signal processing function associated with the second signal processing specification; and outputting, by the at least one processor executing the second DSP, the processed second packet to the second output packet queue, wherein the second DSP is configured to output the processed second packet to the second output packet queue approximately simultaneously with the first DSP outputting the processed first packet to the first output packet queue.
  12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein signal samples in the processed first packet in the first output packet queue are time aligned with signal samples in the second packet in the second output packet queue.
  13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving, by the at least one processor executing the display module (2618), the processed first packet from the first output packet queue of the first signal module (2614-1) based on the first tag that corresponds to the first time period; receiving, by the at least one processor executing the display module (2618), the processed second packet from the second output packet queue of the second signal module (2614-2) based on the second tag that corresponds to the first time period; and displaying, by the at least one processor executing the display module (2618), the processed first packet and the processed second packet simultaneously and in a non-overlapping format.
  14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising: determining, by the at least one processor executing a queue monitor module (3102), at a periodic interval, a first error status of the first input packet queue of the first signal module (2614-1) or a second error status of the second input packet queue of the second signal module (2614-2), wherein the first error status or the second error status indicates a queue length violation; and displaying, by the at least one processor executing a reporting module, the first error status of the first input packet queue of the first signal module (2614-1) or the second error status of the second input packet queue of the second signal module (2614-2), wherein the display of the first error status or the second error status enables a user to reset the input module, the global signals table (2612), the configuration path module (2620), or an output module (2616).
  15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to carry out the computer-implemented method of claims 7-14.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments included herein generally relate to cardiac electrophysiology (EP) signal acquisition and recording systems. More particularly, system, apparatus, and method embodiments are disclosed for conveying biomedical signals between a patient and monitoring and treatment devices. BACKGROUND Catheter ablation is a procedure to treat arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, a disease of the heart muscle characterized by abnormal conduction. Depending on the severity of the problem, multiple ablation procedures may be necessary to achieve effective results. This is because current electrophysiology (EP) technology has limitations in precisely locating the tissue to ablate that is the source of the abnormality. The conventional diagnostic process starts with an electrocardiogram (ECG) taken from electrodes attached to the surface of the skin of a subject (e.g., a patient). A medical team evaluates the ECG signal and determines whether medication and/or ablation are/is indicated. If ablation is indicated, an EP study is performed. A catheter is inserted into the heart via the patient's neck or groin and the electrical activity of the heart is recorded. Based on this EP study, ablation is performed on the area(s) of the heart that the medical team suspects is causing the abnormal heart rhythm(s). An ablation catheter is inserted into the patient's blood vessel and guided to the site of the tissue that is causing the abnormal electrical propagation in the heart. The catheter may use different energy sources (the most common being heat or cold) to scar the tissue, reducing its ability to initiate and/or transmit abnormal electrical impulses, which eliminates the abnormal heart rhythm. ECG signals are recorded from a surface electrode on a patient's skin, and intracardiac (IC) signals may be obtained from catheters inside the patient's heart and recorded as an electrogram (EGM). Both ECG and IC (EGM) signals are small signals that require conditioning and amplification to be accurately evaluated. In conventional EP systems, to confirm whether the ablation treatment of a certain tissue site is successful, the medical team must often stop the ablation process and collect physiologic signals (e.g., cardiac) from a monitoring device (e.g., ECG monitor). This is because current systems do not allow accurate simultaneous detection, acquisition, and isolation of small cardiac signals (on the order of 0.1-5 mV over a range of frequencies) in near real-time during the application of large ablation signals (on the order of a few hundred volts at frequencies around 450 kHz). Specifically, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2006/0142753A1 to Francischelli, et al. propose a system and method for ablation and assessing their completeness or transmurality by monitoring the depolarization ECG signals from electrodes adjacent to the tissue to be ablated. Francischelli, et al. point out that, to minimize noise-sensing problems during measurements of the ECG signals from the electrodes on the ablation device, the measurements are preferably made during interruptions in the delivery of ablation energy to the ablation electrodes. Generally, some current EP recording systems can effectively support treatment of arrhythmias such as atrial flutter and supra ventricular tachycardia, which show up as large-amplitude, low-frequency signals. However, more complex and prevalent arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia, which are characterized by low-amplitude, high-frequency signals, have not found effective evaluation of all relevant signals. This signal detection, acquisition, and isolation can be further complicated by equipment line noise and pacing signals. To remove noise and artifacts from the various electrical signal information, current EP recorders use low-pass, high-pass, and notch filters. Unfortunately, conventional filtering techniques can alter signals and make it difficult or impossible to see low-amplitude, high-frequency signals that can be inherent in cardiac monitoring, the visualization of which signals could help treat atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. It has been recently recognized that the assurance of waveform integrity, such as for noise-free acquisition of IC and ECG signals in an EP environment, had not been previously accomplished due to contamination of various signals by artifacts and noise. Specifically, in an article titled Waveform Integrity in Atrial Fibrillation: The Forgotten Issue of Cardiac Electrophysiology (Annals of Biomedical Engineering, April 18, 2017), Martinez-Iniesta, et al. point out that high-frequency and broadband equipment noise is "unavoidably recorded" during signal acquisition, and that further complications of acquisition result from a variety of other signals, including 50 or 60 Hz electrical mains, high-frequency patient muscle activity, and low-frequency baseline wander from respiratory or catheter movements or un