Abstract: A monocrystalline SiC substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface. The first surface comprises pinning regions and a device region. Each of the pinning regions is configured to provide a potential well which is capable to attract dislocations from a region surrounding said pinning region. The device region is configured to provide a part of the monocrystalline SiC substrate for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The device region is surrounded by the pinning regions, and a density of dislocations in a central portion of the device region is smaller than a density of dislocations in an edge of the device region due to the pinning regions. The pinning regions surrounding the device region attracts dislocations of the device region into the edge portion, so that the density of dislocations in the central portion is reduced. A yield of the semiconductor devices is improved.

Abstract: A method and a pulsed electric field (PEF) ablation instrument are provided. According to one aspect, a method in a PFA generator includes receiving electrical responses for each of at least one non-therapeutic waveform. The process also includes determining an electric field distribution based at least in part on the received electrical responses. The process further includes selecting a non-therapeutic waveform that produces an electric field distribution that satisfies criteria. The process also includes mapping the selected non-therapeutic waveform to an ablative waveform.

Abstract: An example method includes establishing a communications link between an electrophysiology (EP) monitoring system and an implantable medical device (IMD). IMD electrical data is received at the monitoring system via the communications link. The IMD electrical data may be synchronized with EP measurement data to provide synchronized electrical data based on timing of a synchronization signal sensed by an IMD electrode and/or EP electrodes. The method also includes computing reconstructed electrical signals for locations on a surface of interest within the patient's body based on the synchronized electrical data and geometry data. The geometry data represents locations of the EP electrodes, a location of the IMD electrode within the patient's body and the surface of interest.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes accessing electrophysiological data and generating an electroanatomic map for a surface of interest based on the electrophysiological data acquired during or after application of a first intervention to temporarily perturb electrical properties of a region of interest on or within the patient’s heart. The method also includes determining changes in the map or information derived from the map responsive to application of a first intervention. The first intervention can include including applying a non-lethal energy and/or a bioactive agent to induce or inhibit conduction of electrical activity for the region of interest. The method also includes controlling a second intervention to permanently alter the electrical properties of the region of interest based on the determination indicating a desired change in cardiac electrical activity responsive to the first intervention.

Abstract: An example method includes establishing a communications link between an electrophysiology (EP) monitoring system and an implantable medical device (IMD). IMD electrical data is received at the monitoring system via the communications link. The IMD electrical data may be synchronized with EP measurement data to provide synchronized electrical data based on timing of a synchronization signal sensed by an IMD electrode and/or EP electrodes. The method also includes computing reconstructed electrical signals for locations on a surface of interest within the patient's body based on the synchronized electrical data and geometry data. The geometry data represents locations of the EP electrodes, a location of the IMD electrode within the patient's body and the surface of interest.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes identifying respective heartbeat intervals based on electrophysiological data representative of cardiac electrophysiological signals measured over a time interval. The method includes analyzing the cardiac electrophysiological signals over at least a portion of the time interval. The method also includes generating a map on a surface of interest and/or performing automated signal processing based on the cardiac electrophysiological signals for heartbeat intervals, in which the map is generated and/or the automated signal processing is performed automatically responsive to the analysis of the cardiac electrophysiological signals.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system that includes an arrangement of body surface electrodes on one or more patches adapted to be placed an outer surface of a patient's body. A computing apparatus includes non-transitory memory to store data and instructions executable by a processor thereof. The data includes anatomical geometry data, electrode geometry data and electrical data. The instructions can be programmed to register the anatomical geometry data and the electrode geometry data to provide co-registered geometry data representing the anatomy of the patient and the locations of the body surface electrodes in a common three-dimensional space. Electrophysiological signals can be reconstructed on a cardiac envelope of the heart based on the co-registered geometry data and the electrical data.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes storing location data for at least one invasive electrode that is movable within a patient’s body. The method also includes storing electrophysiological measurement data representing the electrophysiological signals measured at the outer surface of a patient’s body by body surface electrodes and within the patient’s body by the at least one invasive electrode. The method also includes storing geometry data representing anatomy of the patient spatially, and locations of the respective body surface electrodes and the at least one invasive electrode in three-dimensional space. The geometry data for the at least one invasive electrode can vary based on movement of the at least one invasive electrode within the patient’s body. The method also includes reconstructing electrophysiological signals on a surface of interest within the patient’s body based on the electrophysiological measurement data and the geometry data.

Abstract: In an example, a signal segment evaluator can be programmed to evaluate a morphology of at least one electrophysiological signal to identify a signal segment of interest. The morphology of the signal segment of interest can be indicative of an electrophysiological event of a patient during a respective time interval. A reconstruction engine can be programmed to reconstruct electrophysiological signals on a surface of interest within a body of the patient based on the electrophysiological signals measured from an outer surface of the patient and geometry data representing an anatomy of the patient. A map generator can be programmed to generate a map representing the reconstructed electrophysiological signals on the surface of interest for the respective time interval of the signal segment of interest. A target generator can be programmed to identify a target site within the patient's body based on the map for the electrophysiological event.

Abstract: In a described example, a method includes identifying, by a processor, negative deflections of at least one unipolar signal representing cardiac electrical activity on a surface of interest during a respective interval of the at least one signal. The method also includes determining, by a processor, an activation time for a last identified negative deflection in the respective interval. The method also includes detecting, by the processor, an instance of late activation based on comparing the activation time to a temporal threshold.

Abstract: An example method includes establishing a communications link between an electrophysiology (EP) monitoring system and an implantable medical device (IMD). IMD electrical data is received at the monitoring system via the communications link. The IMD electrical data may be synchronized with EP measurement data to provide synchronized electrical data based on timing of a synchronization signal sensed by an IMD electrode and/or EP electrodes. The method also includes computing reconstructed electrical signals for locations on a surface of interest within the patient's body based on the synchronized electrical data and geometry data. The geometry data represents locations of the EP electrodes, a location of the IMD electrode within the patient's body and the surface of interest.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for estimating and filtering electrophysiological signals. In some examples, a noise filtering system can be employed to receive at least one electrophysiological signal. A signal segment extractor of the system can extract a signal segment of interest from the electrophysiological signal. The system employs a signal segment noise calculator to evaluate the extracted signal segment of interest to estimate a noise in the signal segment of interest. The estimated noise can be provided to a signal segment filter of the system to determine a surrogate noise estimate for at least one remaining signal segment of the electrophysiological signal for noise filtering the at least one remaining signal segment. The signal segment noise calculator can be configured to filter the signal segment of interest based on the estimated noise and the filtered signal segments can be combined to provide a filtered electrophysiological signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for cardiac fast firing (e.g., atrial fast firing) detection perform frequency analysis on channels of collected cardiac waveform data and test the data for outlier frequency complex content that is of higher frequency than baseline frequency complex content associated with cardiac fibrillation (e.g., atrial fibrillation) or other arrhythmogenic activity. Anatomical regions from whence the cardiac fast firing originates can be displayed in real time on an epicardial surface map via a graphical display, aiding administration of therapy. Prior to such detection, QRST complex removal can be performed to ensure that ventricular activity does not infect the atrial fast firing analysis. A frequency-based method for QRST complex removal is also disclosed.

Abstract: An example method includes analyzing morphology and/or amplitude of each of a plurality of electrophysiological signals across a surface of a patient's body to identify candidate segments of each signal satisfying predetermined conduction pattern criteria. The method also includes determining a conduction timing parameter for each candidate segment in each of the electrophysiological signals.

Abstract: Systems and methods for cardiac fast firing (e.g., atrial fast firing) detection perform frequency analysis on channels of collected cardiac waveform data and test the data for outlier frequency complex content that is of higher frequency than baseline frequency complex content associated with cardiac fibrillation (e.g., atrial fibrillation) or other arrhythmogenic activity. Anatomical regions from whence the cardiac fast firing originates can be displayed in real time on an epicardial surface map via a graphical display, aiding administration of therapy. Prior to such detection, QRST complex removal can be performed to ensure that ventricular activity does not infect the atrial fast firing analysis. A frequency-based method for QRST complex removal is also disclosed.

Abstract: In an example, an n-dimensional method of fundamental solution (MFS) is used to compute reconstructed electrical activity on a cardiac envelope based on geometry data and electrical data, where n is a positive integer greater than three. The electrical data represents electrical activity measured non-invasively from a plurality of locations distributed on a body surface of a patient, and the geometry data represents three-dimensional body surface geometry for the locations distributed on the body surface where the electrical activity is measured and three-dimensional heart geometry for the cardiac envelope.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to localization and tracking of an object. As one example, measurement data can be stored in memory to represent measured electrical signals at each of a plurality of known measurement locations in a given coordinate system in response to an applied signal at an unknown location in the given coordinate system. A dipole model cost function has parameters representing a dipole location and moment corresponding to the applied signal. A boundary condition can be imposed on the dipole model cost function. The unknown location in the given coordinate system, corresponding to the dipole location, can then be determined based on the stored measurement data and the dipole model cost function with the boundary condition imposed thereon.

Abstract: This disclosure provides one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing a method. The method includes storing geometry data representing a primary geometry of a cardiac envelope that includes nodes distributed across the cardiac envelope and geometry of a body surface that includes locations where electrical signals are measured. The body surface is spaced apart from the cardiac envelope. The method also includes perturbing the primary geometry of the cardiac envelope a given distance and direction to define the perturbed geometry of the cardiac envelope including nodes spaced from the nodes of the primary geometry. The method also includes computing reconstructed bipolar electrical signals on the nodes of the primary cardiac envelope based on the electrical signals measured from the body surface and the geometry data, including the primary and perturbed geometries of the cardiac envelope.

Abstract: This disclosure provides one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing a method. The method includes storing geometry data representing a primary geometry of a cardiac envelope that includes nodes distributed across the cardiac envelope and geometry of a body surface that includes locations where electrical signals are measured. The body surface is spaced apart from the cardiac envelope. The method also includes perturbing the primary geometry of the cardiac envelope a given distance and direction to define the perturbed geometry of the cardiac envelope including nodes spaced from the nodes of the primary geometry. The method also includes computing reconstructed bipolar electrical signals on the nodes of the primary cardiac envelope based on the electrical signals measured from the body surface and the geometry data, including the primary and perturbed geometries of the cardiac envelope.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to integrated channel integrity detection and to reconstruction of electrophysiological signals. An example system includes a input channels configured to receive respective electrical signals from respective electrodes. An amplifier stage includes a plurality of differential amplifiers, each of the differential amplifiers being configured to provide an amplifier output signal based on a difference between a respective pair of the electrical signals. Channel detection logic is configured to provide channel data indicating an acceptability of each of the input channels based on an analysis of a common mode rejection of the amplifier output signals.