Patent Document ID: 9078567
Application ID: 10569958
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of visually supporting an electrophysiology catheter application in the heart, comprising: recording 3D image data of the area to be treated using a tomographical 3D imaging device before the catheter application; segmenting the 3D image data to extract a 3D surface profile of objects in an area to be treated from the 3D image data by segmentation; and correlating electroanatomical 3D mapping data and 3D image data representing the 3D surface profile by surface matching, in at least one stage of registration, the 3D surface profile from the 3D image data to a 3D surface profile from the 3D mapping data; displaying the correlated electroanatomical 3D mapping data and 3D image data representing at least the 3D surface profile, the displayed electroanatomical 3D mapping data and 3D image data representing at least the registered 3D surface profile with correct position and dimension, wherein, the at least one stage of registration includes a first stage of the performance of the catheter application and a later, second stage of the performance of the catheter application, the correlating in the first stage includes registering using the electroanatomical 3D mapping data captured during the first stage, and the correlating in the second stage includes registering using the registration obtained in the first stage and the electroanatomical 3D mapping data captured during the second stage, the first stage uses at least one of distinct anatomical points and artificial markers and the second stage refines the registration obtained in the first stage by the surface matching, and the displaying includes, displaying at least a part of a catheter in real time in the representation of the 3D image data representing at least the 3D surface profile, calculating an instantaneous distance of a tip of the catheter from a picture element of the 3D image data, and indicating the calculated distance by color coding the catheter.