Detection and mapping of phrenic nerve by pacing

Abstract

An apparatus includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive one or more magnetic-positioning signals from one or more position sensors coupled to one or more body-surface patches attached to a body of a patient, the magnetic-positioning signals indicative of respective positions of the position sensors. The processor is configured to (i) detect an inadvertent stimulation of a phrenic nerve of the patient, which occurs due to cardiac pacing applied by an intra-cardiac electrode in a heart of the patient, (ii) estimate, based on the magnetic-positioning signals, a motion of one or more of the body-surface patches occurring during the detected stimulation of the phrenic nerve, (iii) estimate, based on the estimated motion of the body-surface patches, a distance between the pacing electrode and the phrenic nerve, and (iv) send an output derived from the estimated distance to the output device.