Illustrating error in a temperature distribution map

Abstract

An apparatus acquires signals from thermal sensors on a probe and performs a first interpolation or a first extrapolation between temperatures determined from the signals based on the spatial locations of the thermal sensors to produce a temperature spatial distribution map, determines there is at least one malfunctioning thermal sensor, and assigns the malfunctioning thermal sensors a first arbitrary temperature and the correctly operating thermal sensors a second arbitrary temperature. The apparatus performs a second interpolation or a second extrapolation between the first arbitrary temperature and the second arbitrary temperatures based on the spatial locations of the thermal sensors so as to produce a spatial distribution of arbitrary temperatures, selects a section of the spatial distribution of arbitrary temperatures as having erroneous results to produce an error distribution map and superimposes graphically the error distribution map on the displayed temperature distribution map displayed on the screen.

We claim: 
     
         1 . Apparatus, comprising:
 a probe, in contact with a biological tissue and comprising a plurality of thermal sensors; and   a processor configured to:
 acquire signals, indicative of temperatures at respective spatial locations in the biological tissue, from the plurality of thermal sensors, 
 perform a first interpolation or a first extrapolation between temperatures determined from the signals based on the spatial locations of the thermal sensors so as to produce a temperature spatial distribution map, 
 display the temperature spatial distribution map on a screen, 
 determine that there is at least one malfunctioning thermal sensor of the plurality of thermal sensors, and that remaining thermal sensors of the plurality of thermal sensors are correctly operating thermal sensors, 
 assign the at least one malfunctioning thermal sensor a first arbitrary temperature and each of the correctly operating thermal sensors a second arbitrary temperature, 
 in the case of performing the first interpolation, perform a second interpolation between the first arbitrary temperature and the second arbitrary temperatures based on the spatial locations of the thermal sensors so as to produce a spatial distribution of arbitrary temperatures, 
 in the case of performing the first extrapolation, perform a second extrapolation between the first arbitrary temperature and the second arbitrary temperatures based on the spatial locations of the thermal sensors so as to produce a spatial distribution of arbitrary temperatures, 
 select a section of the spatial distribution of arbitrary temperatures as having erroneous results to produce an error distribution map, and 
 superimpose graphically the error distribution map on the displayed temperature distribution map displayed on the screen. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the spatial distribution of arbitrary temperatures is a continuous distribution of temperatures. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the second interpolation produces the continuous distribution of temperatures between the first and second arbitrary temperatures. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the second extrapolation produces the continuous distribution of temperatures outside the first and second arbitrary temperatures. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the error distribution map comprises a region enclosed by an isotherm. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the error distribution map is produced as a two dimensional map and the temperature distribution map is produced as a two dimensional map. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the error distribution map is produced as a three dimensional map and the temperature distribution map is produced as a three dimensional map. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the error distribution map is at least partially transparent so that a region of the temperature distribution map underlying the error distribution map is visible. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the error distribution map is differentiated visually from the temperature distribution map. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein determining that there is at least one malfunctioning thermal sensor comprises registering that a temperature indicated by at least one of the plurality of thermal sensors is outside a preset acceptable range of temperatures. 
     
     
         11 . A computer implemented method, comprising:
 acquiring signals, indicative of temperatures at respective spatial locations in the biological tissue, from a plurality of thermal sensors,   performing a first interpolation or a first extrapolation between temperatures determined from the signals based on the spatial locations of the thermal sensors so as to produce a temperature spatial distribution map,   displaying the temperature spatial distribution map on a screen,   determining that there is at least one malfunctioning thermal sensor of the plurality of thermal sensors, and that remaining thermal sensors of the plurality of thermal sensors are correctly operating thermal sensors,   assigning the at least one malfunctioning thermal sensor a first arbitrary temperature and each of the correctly operating thermal sensors a second arbitrary temperature,   in the case of performing the first interpolation, performing a second interpolation between the first arbitrary temperature and the second arbitrary temperatures based on the spatial locations of the thermal sensors so as to produce a spatial distribution of arbitrary temperatures,   in the case of performing the first extrapolation, performing a second extrapolation between the first arbitrary temperature and the second arbitrary temperatures based on the spatial locations of the thermal sensors so as to produce a spatial distribution of arbitrary temperatures,   selecting a section of the spatial distribution of arbitrary temperatures as having erroneous results to produce an error distribution map, and   superimposing graphically the error distribution map on the displayed temperature distribution map displayed on the screen.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the spatial distribution of arbitrary temperatures is a continuous distribution of temperatures. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the second interpolation produces the continuous distribution of temperatures between the first and second arbitrary temperatures. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the second extrapolation produces the continuous distribution of temperatures outside the first and second arbitrary temperatures. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the error distribution map comprises a region enclosed by an isotherm. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the error distribution map is produced as a two dimensional map and the temperature distribution map is produced as a two dimensional map. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the error distribution map is produced as a three dimensional map and the temperature distribution map is produced as a three dimensional map. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the error distribution map is at least partially transparent so that a region of the temperature distribution map underlying the error distribution map is visible. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the error distribution map is differentiated visually from the temperature distribution map. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein determining that there is at least one malfunctioning thermal sensor comprises registering that a temperature indicated by at least one of the plurality of thermal sensors is outside a preset acceptable range of temperatures.