METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING AND MAPPING TISSUE INTERFACES

摘要

A device for measuring a spatial location of a tissue surface (e.g., interface between different tissue types or tissue body fluid interface, generally includes an elongate catheter (13) body having a distal end portion (60), a plurality of localization elements (52, 54, 56) carried by the distal end portion (60), and pulse-echo acoustic element(s) carried by the distal end portion (60). The localization elements (52, 54, 56) allow the catheter (13) to be localized (e.g., position, orientation) within a localization field, while the acoustic element(s) provides detection of tissue surfaces where incoming acoustic energy reflects toward the acoustic element(s). A controller determines location of detected tissue surface or interface from the localization of the distal end portion (60) of the catheter (13). Tissue thicknesses can be derived from the detected locations of multiple (e.g., near and far) tissue surfaces. Maps and models of tissue thickness can also be generated and/or registered to electroanatomical model(s).