Abstract: An automatic method of categorizing the contact force of a catheter tip against a portion of a patient's heart based on motion of the catheter tip, the method comprising (a) capturing a series of 3D-coordinate data points of the catheter tip as a function of discrete times with a 3D medical imaging system, the 3D coordinates corresponding to an orthogonal 3-axis spatial coordinate system, (b) using a programmable computing system, computing a set of measures based on the series of 3D-coordinate data points, (c) categorizing each measure by a respective set of predetermined threshold values; and (d) combining the categorized measures to yield a relative quality of the contact force.

Abstract: An automatic method of categorizing the contact force of a catheter tip against a portion of a patient's heart based on motion of the catheter tip, the method comprising (a) capturing a series of 3D-coordinate data points of the catheter tip as a function of discrete times with a 3D medical imaging system, the 3D coordinates corresponding to an orthogonal 3-axis spatial coordinate system, (b) using a programmable computing system, computing a set of measures based on the series of 3D-coordinate data points, (c) categorizing each measure by a respective set of predetermined threshold values; and (d) combining the categorized measures to yield a relative quality of the contact force.

Abstract: A method for 3D reconstruction of the positions of a catheter as it is moved within a human body, comprising: (a) ascertaining the 3D position of a point on a catheter for insertion into the body; (b) acquiring fixed-angle, single-plane fluoroscopic image data of the body and catheter; (c) transferring the image data and catheter-point position to a computer; (d) determining 2D image coordinates of the point on the catheter; (e) changing the insertion length of catheter by a measured amount; (f) acquiring additional single-plane fluoroscopic image data of the body and catheter from the same angle, transferring the length change and image data to the computer, and determining image coordinates of the point on the catheter; (g) computing the 3D position of the catheter point; and (h) repeating steps e-g. A 3D model is constructed by assembling the plural 3D positions of the catheter point.

Abstract: A method for 3D reconstruction of the positions of a catheter as it is moved within a region of the human body, comprising: (a) ascertaining the 3D position of a point on a catheter for insertion in the body region; (b) acquiring a fixed angle, single-plane fluoroscopic image of the body region and of the catheter; (c) transferring the image data and catheter-point position to a computer; (d) determining the 2D image coordinates of the point on the catheter; (e) changing the length of catheter insertion by a measured amount; (f) thereafter acquiring a further single-plane fluoroscopic image of the body region and the catheter from the same angle, transferring the length change and additional image data to the computer, and determining the 2D image coordinates of the point on the catheter; (g) computing the 3D position of the catheter point; and (h) repeating steps e-g plural times.