Computer Assisted Localization of a Heart Arrhythmia

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel optimization-based method for real-time localization of heart arrhythmias using catheter data, achieving fast and robust source detection without prior anatomical knowledge.

Contribution

It presents a new nonconvex feasibility model and a fast algorithm for online arrhythmia source localization from catheter arrival times.

Findings

Robust and quick arrhythmia source localization in simulations.

No prior heart anatomy knowledge required.

Effective in real-time diagnostic scenarios.

Abstract

We consider the problem of locating a point-source heart arrhythmia using data from a standard diagnostic procedure, where a reference catheter is placed in the heart, and arrival times from a second diagnostic catheter are recorded as the diagnostic catheter moves around within the heart. We model this situation as a nonconvex feasibility problem, where given a set of arrival times, we look for a source location that is consistent with the available data. We develop a new optimization approach and fast algorithm to obtain online proposals for the next location to suggest to the operator as she collects data. We validate the procedure using a Monte Carlo simulation based on patients' electrophysiological data. The proposed procedure robustly and quickly locates the source of arrhythmias without any prior knowledge of heart anatomy.