Apparatus and method for in situ detection of areas of cardiac electrical activity

US5678550A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services · US

Inventors

• Howard Bassen · Bethesda, US
• Victor Krauthamer · Wheaton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 11, 1995
• Grant date: Oct 21, 1997
• Expiry date: Aug 11, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B5/0071
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An apparatus and method for detecting electrical activity in areas of tissue. The apparatus (1) includes a main catheter (5), multifibered endoscope (10), light filtering means (30, 42, 52), photodetectors (40, 50) and a signal processor (60). The apparatus is used to detect electrical activity by first infusing both an electrically sensitive dye and an electrically insensitive reference dye into the subject tissue and then detecting the intensity of light emitted from both dyes. The wavelength of light emitted from each dye is different. The intensity of light emitted from each dye is similar for non-electrically active tissue and moving tissue but different for electrically active tissue. The intensity of light from the two dyes as separately recorded by the photodetectors is compared by a signal processor to eliminate noise attributable to movement within the area of tissue and arrive at a accurate calculation of electrical activity within the area of tissue.