Abstract: A technique is described herein. The technique includes receiving endpoint location data in a geometry shader; processing the endpoint location data to calculate Bezier curve control points; and based on the Bezier curve control points, determining estimated electrode positions for the catheter.

Abstract: A medical procedure system, including a medical instrument to be inserted into a body part, and including position-tracking transducers to provide position signals, a distal end, and at least one radiopaque marker, a position tracking sub-system to compute a position including at least one location and orientation of the distal end in a position-tracking sub-system coordinate frame responsively to the position signals, a fluoroscope to capture fluoroscopic images of an interior of the body part and the radiopaque marker(s), and a registration sub-system to render, to a display, the captured fluoroscopic images including at least one marker-image of the radiopaque marker(s), and at least one graphical representation indicative of the computed position of the distal end, receive user-alignment input aligning the graphical representation(s) with the marker-image(s), and register the position-tracking sub-system coordinate frame with a coordinate frame of the fluoroscope responsively to the received user-alignmen

Abstract: A surgical instrument and related method includes an instrument body, a guide shaft distally projecting from the instrument body, and a first surgical tool. The guide shaft has a guide sidewall, a guide lumen, and a clearance opening radially extending through the guide sidewall in communication with the guide lumen. The first surgical tool has an elongate body and a distal head configured to deflect relative to the elongate body from a first position to a second position. The distal head in the first position is positioned within the guide lumen along the central axis. The distal head in the second position is deflected from the central axis and extends at least partially through the clearance opening thereby vacating at least a portion of the guide lumen for introducing a second surgical tool through the guide lumen.

Abstract: A method, consisting of modeling physical parameters representative of a probe in proximity to body tissue during an ablation procedure performed by the probe. The method also includes measuring a subgroup of the physical parameters during a non-ablation stage of the ablation procedure so as to generate measured non-ablative values of the subgroup, and measuring the subgroup of the physical parameters during an ablation stage of the ablation procedure so as to generate measured ablative values of the subgroup. In response to the modeling, the method includes generating calculated non-ablative values of the subgroup for the non-ablation stage, and generating calculated ablative values of the subgroup for the ablation stage. The method compares the measured non-ablative values with the calculated non-ablative values, and compares the measured ablative values with the calculated ablative values, so as generate optimal values of the physical parameters.

Abstract: A method includes receiving multiple electrophysiological (EP) signals acquired by multiple electrodes of a multi-electrode catheter that are in contact with tissue in a region of a cardiac chamber, and respective tissue locations at which the electrodes acquired the EP signals. The region is divided into two sections. Using the EP signals acquired by the electrodes, local activation times (LAT) are calculated for the respective tissue locations, and found are: a first section of the two sections having a smaller average LAT value, and a second section of the two sections having a higher average value. Determined are a first representative location in the first section, and a second representative location in the second section. A propagation vector is calculated between the first and second representative locations, that is indicative of propagation of an EP wave that has generated the EP signals. The propagation vector is presented to a user.

Abstract: A catheter is disclosed comprising: a connector including a plurality of first contacts and one or more second contacts; a shaft including a plurality of electrodes, each electrode being coupled to a different one of the plurality of first contacts; a memory coupled to at least one of the second contacts, wherein the memory is configured to: store a pinout map identifying an order in which the plurality of electrodes is coupled to the plurality of first contacts; and provide the pinout map to an external device via one or more of the second contacts after the connector is coupled to the external device.

Abstract: A medical probe includes a shaft, an expandable membrane and a probe maneuvering assembly (PMA). The shaft is configured for insertion into a cavity of an organ of a patient. The PMA is located inside the expandable membrane and includes a first elastic element, which is fitted along a longitudinal axis of the PMA and is configured to expand the membrane by shortening the PMA, and to collapse the membrane by elongating the PMA. The PMA further includes a second elastic element, which surrounds at least a portion of the first elastic element and is configured to deflect the membrane relative to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured for exchanging signals with: (i) a probe, which is inserted into a body of a patient and includes a flexible distal-end assembly, wherein the distal-end assembly comprises a magnetic position sensor and two or more intra-body electrodes, and, (ii) multiple body-surface electrodes attached externally to the body of the patient. The processor is configured to estimate, based on the signals exchanged with the probe, a spatial displacement of the magnetic sensor between consecutive measurements, and to estimate a position of the distal-end assembly in the body based on (i) the signals exchanged with the intra-body electrodes and the body-surface electrodes, (ii) a-priori known spatial relationships between two or more of the intra-body electrodes of the probe and (iii) the estimated spatial displacement of the magnetic sensor.

Abstract: A spring assembly usable with an intravascular catheter can include a tubular body, two mounting surfaces, and a compressible framework. The tubular body extends along a longitudinal axis and is sized to traverse vasculature. Each mounting surface can be configured to engage a substantially planar electrical circuit and is positioned in the tubular body each in a respective plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The mounting surfaces face toward each other in opposite directions. The compressible framework extends between the first and second mounting surfaces. The spring assembly can further include a pair of electrical circuits mounted to the pair mounting surfaces. Each electrical circuit can include an inductive coil such that the pair of electrical circuits is a distance transducer. A change in distance between the pair of electrical circuits can be detected when the compressible framework is compressed and/or bent.

Abstract: A catheter with a variable circular loop is responsive to a contraction wire for increasing the coiling of the circular loop. The shape of the loop is supported by an elongated member, wherein a radially constrictive sleeve confines the contraction wire to extends immediately alongside the length of elongated member so as to improve uniformity and minimize misshaping of the loop during contraction.

Abstract: An electrode assembly for use with an electrophysiological catheter has a plurality of independently controlled ablation electrodes distributed radially around the electrode assembly. Two ablation electrodes may be positioned in opposition to each other. The electrode assembly may also have microelectrodes for sensing tissue and/or temperature. Methods for using a catheter equipped with such an electrode assembly may include preferentially emitting energy in a radial direction.

Abstract: A system for visualizing catheter irrigation, the system includes a fluid container, a pump, a schlieren imaging assembly and a processor. The fluid container is configured to: (i) contain a first fluid, which is at least partially transparent and has a first temperature, and (ii) receive into the first fluid a catheter having one or more irrigation holes. The pump is configured to inject, through the one or more irrigation holes, a second fluid, which is at least partially transparent and has a second different temperature. The schlieren imaging assembly is configured to acquire schlieren images of turbulence occurring in the first fluid when injecting the second fluid, and the processor is configured to visualize the irrigation using the schlieren images.

Abstract: A device for removing a clot from a vessel can have dual layers where an inner expandable body runs within an outer expandable body. The device can have a collapsed delivery configuration, an expanded deployed configuration, and a clot pinching configuration. The inner and outer bodies can be a plurality of cells formed by a network of struts. The openings of the cells align when the device is deployed within the clot, where the radial force from the expanding bodies urges portions of the clot through the openings. The inner and outer bodies can be configured to be selectively translatable relative to each other, so that the portions of the clot in the cell openings can be compressed and gripped when the translation transitions the device to the clot pinching configuration. The translation can be maintained to pinch the clot as it is retrieved from the patient.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a catheter alignment system includes a catheter to be inserted into a body part, and including catheter electrodes to contact tissue at respective locations within the body part, a display, and processing circuitry to receive signals provided by the catheter, assess respective levels of contact of ones of the catheter electrodes with the tissue of the body part responsively to the received signals, find a direction in which the catheter should be moved to improve at least one of the respective levels of contact of at least one of the catheter electrodes responsively to the respective levels of contact of the ones of the catheter electrodes, and render to the display a representation of the catheter responsively to the received signals, and a direction indicator indicating the direction in which the catheter should be moved responsively to the found direction.

Abstract: A medical probe, including a flexible insertion tube having a proximal segment and a deflectable distal segment, and containing first and second proximal tubular structures, first and second distal lumens, and first and second wires. The first and second proximal tubular structures are twisted around each other in the proximal segment. The first and lumens are parallel to each other in the deflectable distal segment. The first and second wires run respectively through the first and second proximal tubular structures and the first and second distal lumens. The first and second wires have respective first and second proximal ends which deflect the deflectable distal segment when the respective proximal ends are pulled.

Abstract: A flexible circuit including a first segment including a base section of the flexible circuit; a second segment including a lateral wall section; a transition section between the base and lateral wall sections, the transition section being at least partially positioned adjacent a shared region of the base and lateral wall sections; and one or more electrode regions including a respective electrode, the one or more electrode regions being positioned at least partially in the transition section and the second segment.

Abstract: A probe generates location signals, and has an electrode at a distal end that acquires from heart chamber surface positions electrical signals due to a conduction wave traversing the surface. A processor derives LATs from the electrical signals, calculates a first time difference between LATs at a first pair of positions and a second time difference between LATs at a second pair of positions. The processor calculates first and second LAT-derived distances as products of the first and second time differences with a conduction wave velocity, identifies an arrhythmia origin at a surface location where a first difference in distances from the location to the first pair of the positions is equal to the first LAT-derived distance, and a second difference in distances from the location to the second pair of the positions is equal to the second LAT-derived distance, and marks the origin on a surface representation.

Abstract: A plurality of control-signal generators are configured to generate respective control signals having respective control-signal amplitudes and different respective control-signal frequencies, and a plurality of signal adders are configured to produce respective composite signals for application to a subject, by adding the control signals to respective ablation signals having respective ablation-signal amplitudes. The control-signal generators are configured to generate the control signals such that respective ratios between the control-signal amplitudes and the ablation-signal amplitudes are constant during the application of the composite signals to the subject.

Abstract: A stabilized coronary sinus catheter system having a proximal section and a distal section with a memory shape portion, and a tip, distal of the memory shape portion. A handle having a body, a tip deflection actuator, a memory shape portion deployment actuator, and an axis. The tip is in line with the axis and the tip deflection actuator is at a first position. The tip is deflected out of alignment with the axis when the tip deflection actuator is at a second position. A third position is a delivery configuration where the memory shape portion and the tip are in line with the axis. The memory shape portion deployment actuator is at a first location. A deployed configuration allows the memory shape portion to form a predetermined shape conforming to the shape of the coronary sinus when the memory shape portion deployment actuator is at a second location.

Abstract: A medical system includes a catheter, a light source, a detector, a circulator, and a processor. The catheter includes a distal-end assembly for performing a medical operation on tissue in a cavity of an organ of a patient, the distal-end assembly including an optical fiber configured to guide transmitted light to interact with the tissue of the cavity, and to guide returned light that interacted with the tissue. The light source is configured to produce the transmitted light. The detector is configured to measure the returned light. The circulator is configured to couple the transmitted light from the light source to the optical fiber, and to couple the returned light from the optical fiber to the detector. The processor is configured to identify a contact of the distal-end assembly with the tissue based on the returned light measured by the detector, and to indicate the identified contact to a user.