The effect of elastic modulus on ablation catheter contact area

Jon J. Camp, Cristian A. Linte, Maryam E. Rettmann, Deyu Sun, Douglas L. Packer, Richard A. Robb, David R. Holmes

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cardiac ablation consists of navigating a catheter into the heart and delivering RF energy to electrically isolate tissue regions that generate or propagate arrhythmia. Besides the challenges of accurate and precise targeting of the arrhythmic sites within the beating heart, limited information is currently available to the cardiologist regarding intricate electrodetissue contact, which directly impacts the quality of produced lesions. Recent advances in ablation catheter design provide intra-procedural estimates of tissue-catheter contact force, but the most direct indicator of lesion quality for any particular energy level and duration is the tissue-catheter contact area, and that is a function of not only force, but catheter pose and material elasticity as well. In this experiment, we have employed real-time ultrasound (US) imaging to determine the complete interaction between the ablation electrode and tissue to accurately estimate contact, which will help to better understand the effect of catheter pose and position relative to the tissue. By simultaneously recording tracked position, force reading and US image of the ablation catheter, the differing material properties of polyvinyl alcohol cryogel[1] phantoms are shown to produce varying amounts of tissue depression and contact area (implying varying lesion quality) for equivalent force readings. We have shown that the elastic modulus significantly affects the surface-contact area between the catheter and tissue at any level of contact force. Thus we provide evidence that a prescribed level of catheter force may not always provide sufficient contact area to produce an effective ablation lesion in the prescribed ablation time.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationMedical Imaging 2015
Subtitle of host publicationImage-Guided Procedures, Robotic Interventions, and Modeling
EditorsRobert J. Webster, Ziv R. Yaniv
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781628415056
DOIs
StatePublished - 2015
EventMedical Imaging 2015: Image-Guided Procedures, Robotic Interventions, and Modeling - Orlando, United States
Duration: Feb 22 2015Feb 24 2015

Publication series

NameProgress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE
Volume9415
ISSN (Print)1605-7422

Other

OtherMedical Imaging 2015: Image-Guided Procedures, Robotic Interventions, and Modeling
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityOrlando
Period2/22/152/24/15

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Biomaterials
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The effect of elastic modulus on ablation catheter contact area'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this