MRI-conditional catheter sensor for contact force and temperature monitoring during cardiac electrophysiological procedures

Background MR-guided cardiac electrophysiological (EP) ablations has drawn increasing attention from both the MRI and EP communities, as high-contrast MR images provide images that couple anatomical information with lesion efficacy [1]. Catheter manipulation can be challenging for cardiac electrophysiologists as conventional electroanatomical maps, frequently include false space. Perforation of heart vessels and chambers by catheters is an uncommon, but devastating, complication during EP procedures arising from either excessive force or vaporization of tissue. Ultimately, these complications arise from an inability to adequately determine catheter-tissue Contact Force (CF) at the catheter tip [2]. Accurate catheter temperature control is of importance during EP Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for determining lesion efficacy. We hypothesized that a novel optical sensor design, attachable to a conventional ablation catheter, could allow simultaneous CF and temperature monitoring, providing useful information to the EP physician during the procedure. Methods