Patent · US Expired

Method for positioning esophageal catheter for determining pressures associated with the left atrium

US5570671A · kind A · utility

149Cited by
15References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 7, 1995
Grant dateNov 5, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 7, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B5/037
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for positioning an esophageal catheter for determining a pressure associated with the left atrium. As a bi-polar electrode is moved up the esophagus, an electrogram is obtained at each of a series of incremental depths. The length of the negative portion of the largest absolute value segment of the respective P wave is determined for at least one P wave in each of the incremental electrograms. The depth of the left atrium is selected to be that which corresponds to the incremental electrode depth at which the electrogram therefor shows the greatest negative portion length. A balloon for determining a pressure associated with the left atrium is positioned at the selected depth.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.