Importance

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Abstract

A method for navigating a catheter within a navigational domain includes providing a catheter including locatable electrode elements distributed along and affixed to a length of the catheter. The locatable electrode elements include at least two navigated electrode elements and one or more virtually navigable electrode elements located relative to the at least two navigated electrode elements. Location data is; provided for the at least two navigated electrode elements and location data for the one or more virtually navigable electrode elements is determined as a function of the location data for the at least two navigated electrode elements. A system for navigating a catheter within a navigational domain includes a catheter having locatable electrode elements distributed along and affixed to a length of the catheter. The locatable electrode elements includes at least two navigated electrode elements and one or more virtually navigable electrode elements located along or near an intervening portion of the length between the at least two navigated electrode elements. The system further includes one or more transmitters to project magnetic fields into the navigational domain sufficient to induce signal values within the at least two navigated electrode elements representative of the location of the at least two navigated electrode elements within the navigational domain. A controller generates location data from the induced signal values for the at least two navigated electrode elements and determines location data for the one or more virtually navigable electrode elements as a function of the location data for the at least two navigated electrode elements.

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First Claim