Abstract: Described embodiments include a system that includes a radiofrequency-current (RF-current) generator and a processor. The processor is configured to cause the RF-current generator to generate a plurality of pulses of RF current for application to tissue of a subject, each of the pulses having a power whose maximum value is greater than 80 W and a duration that is less than 10 s, and an intermission between successive ones of the pulses being less than 10 s. The processor is further configured to, while each one of the pulses is applied to the tissue, receive at least one signal that indicates a measured temperature of the tissue, and, in response to the measured temperature, control the power of the pulse. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A system for electrophysiological measurement includes a probe having a distal end configured for insertion into a body cavity of a living subject and including an array of electrodes that are disposed along the distal end and are configured to contact tissue at multiple locations within the body cavity. A processor is configured to acquire signals from the electrodes over a period of time during which the probe moves within the body cavity, to compute, in response the signals, metrics that are indicative of a respective quality of contact between each of the electrodes and the tissue over the period of time, and to output an indication of the metrics to a user of the system.

Abstract: Apparatus, consisting of a probe configured to be inserted into contact with a myocardium, and an electrode attached to the probe. A temperature sensor, incorporated in the probe, is configured to output a temperature signal. A pump irrigates the myocardium, via the probe, with an irrigation fluid at a controllable rate, and a radiofrequency (RF) signal generator applies RF power via the electrode to the myocardium, so as to ablate the myocardium. The apparatus also has processing circuitry that measures a temperature of the probe, based on the temperature signal, while the RF power is applied and, when the measured temperature exceeds a preset target temperature, iteratively reduces the RF power applied by the signal generator and concurrently iteratively varies a rate of irrigation of the irrigation fluid provided by the pump, until the measured temperature is reduced to the preset target temperature.

Abstract: A medical probe includes a shaft, a camera, a hollow cutting tool, and an inflatable balloon. The shaft is configured for insertion through a cut in a body of a patient, whereas the shaft includes a working vacuum channel running therethrough. The camera is fitted at a distal end of the shaft and is configured to provide images of a target tissue site in the body. The hollow cutting tool is for insertion over a guidewire in the working vacuum channel of the shaft, whereas the hollow cutting tool is configured to pierce the target tissue site under guidance of images taken by the camera. The inflatable balloon is configured to stabilize the distal end of the shaft, whereas the inflatable balloon is located proximally to the camera so as not to obstruct the images of the target tissue site.

Abstract: Apparatus, consisting of a probe configured to be inserted into contact with a myocardium, and an electrode attached to the probe. A temperature sensor, incorporated in the probe, is configured to output a temperature signal. A pump irrigates the myocardium, via the probe, with an irrigation fluid at a controllable rate, and a radiofrequency (RF) signal generator applies RF power via the electrode to the myocardium, so as to ablate the myocardium. The apparatus also has processing circuitry that measures a temperature of the probe, based on the temperature signal, while the RF power is applied and, when the measured temperature exceeds a preset target temperature, iteratively reduces the RF power applied by the signal generator and concurrently iteratively varies a rate of irrigation of the irrigation fluid provided by the pump, until the measured temperature is reduced to the preset target temperature.

Abstract: Apparatus, consisting of a probe configured to be inserted into contact with a myocardium, and an electrode attached to the probe. A temperature sensor, incorporated in the probe, is configured to output a temperature signal. A pump irrigates the myocardium, via the probe, with an irrigation fluid at a controllable rate, and a radiofrequency (RF) signal generator applies RF power via the electrode to the myocardium, so as to ablate the myocardium. The apparatus also has processing circuitry that measures a temperature of the probe, based on the temperature signal, while the RF power is applied and, when the measured temperature exceeds a preset target temperature, iteratively reduces the RF power applied by the signal generator and concurrently iteratively varies a rate of irrigation of the irrigation fluid provided by the pump, until the measured temperature is reduced to the preset target temperature.

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.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for medical procedures are disclosed herein and include applying an ablation electrode of a catheter to a surface of a tissue area, providing a first energy to the ablation electrode applied on the surface of the tissue area to ablate the tissue area, inserting a catheter needle of the catheter to a first distance into the tissue area, through the surface of the tissue area, depositing, via the catheter needle, a first radioactive seed at the first distance, and damaging a second portion of the tissue area based on depositing the first radioactive seed at the first distance.

Abstract: Apparatus, consisting of a probe configured to be inserted into contact with a myocardium, and an electrode attached to the probe. A temperature sensor, incorporated in the probe, is configured to output a temperature signal. A pump irrigates the myocardium, via the probe, with an irrigation fluid at a controllable rate, and a radiofrequency (RF) signal generator applies RF power via the electrode to the myocardium, so as to ablate the myocardium. The apparatus also has processing circuitry that measures a temperature of the probe, based on the temperature signal, while the RF power is applied and, when the measured temperature exceeds a preset target temperature, iteratively reduces the RF power applied by the signal generator and concurrently iteratively varies a rate of irrigation of the irrigation fluid provided by the pump, until the measured temperature is reduced to the preset target temperature.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a plurality of data points including electrophysiological (EP) values measured at respective positions in at least a portion of an organ of a patient. Some of the EP values are classified as outlier values in accordance with a defined criterion. A visual representation of at least the portion of the organ is derived from the plurality of data points. The visual representation represents the EP values with respective colors, and visualizes less than all the outlier values, by performing one or both of (a) identifying outlier values that deviate from respective neighboring EP values by less than a defined deviation, and representing the outlier values using colors that match the neighboring EP values, and (b) setting for the visual representation a mapping, which maps the EP values to the colors and which excludes at least some of the outlier values.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an ablation system includes a probe to be inserted into a heart and including an electrode to apply radiofrequency (RF) power so as to ablate a myocardium, an RF signal generator, a tracking module to compute a relative location and orientation of the probe, and a processor to receive a signal from at least one user input device indicating an actuation of a serial ablation procedure including performing ablations at different locations of the myocardium, and control the serial ablation procedure so that for each ablation the processor is configured to check whether the relative location and orientation of the probe are steady, automatically compute an ablation duration, automatically control the RF signal generator to generate the RF power for the computed ablation duration, and render a user interface screen including a time indicator indicating a time remaining until an end of the ablation duration.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for medical procedures are disclosed herein. For example, a plurality of analog sensor signals and an analog reference signal are received by an analog-to-digital converter to produce respective digitized versions of the analog sensor signals. The respective digitized versions of the analog sensor signals are digital filtered to produce respective filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals. The filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals are output to a visualization system to provide real time display thereof. The filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals are communicated to a digital-to-analog converter to produce an analog version of the filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals. The analog version of the filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals along with the analog reference signal are output to a recordation system to provide supplemental processing and storage thereof.

Abstract: A system for electrophysiological measurement includes a probe having a distal end configured for insertion into a body cavity of a living subject and including an array of electrodes that are disposed along the distal end and are configured to contact tissue at multiple locations within the body cavity. A processor is configured to acquire signals from the electrodes over a period of time during which the probe moves within the body cavity, to compute, in response the signals, metrics that are indicative of a respective quality of contact between each of the electrodes and the tissue over the period of time, and to output an indication of the metrics to a user of the system.

Abstract: A system for electrophysiological measurement includes a probe having a distal end configured for insertion into a body cavity of a patient and including electrodes that are disposed along the distal end and are configured to contact tissue at multiple locations within the body cavity while an operator manipulates the probe. A processor is configured to acquire electrophysiological (EP) signals from the electrodes within the body cavity, to apply one or more filtering criteria to the EP signals in order to select a first set of the EP signals while rejecting a second set of the EP signals, to render an image to a display based on the EP signals in the first set, and to output to the operator an indication of a reason for the rejection of the EP signals in the second set.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for medical procedures are disclosed herein and include receiving a first set of biometric data for a first portion of a body part and determining a first range of values in the first set of biometric data, determining first visual characteristics based on the first range of values and rendering a global view of the first portion of the body part rendered with the first visual characteristics. A second range of values in a second set of biometric data for a second portion of the body part may be determined and the second portion of the body part may be a subset of the first portion of the body part. Second visual characteristics may be determined based on the second range of values and a local view including the second portion of the body part rendered with the second visual characteristics may be rendered.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for medical procedures are disclosed herein. For example, a plurality of analog sensor signals and an analog reference signal are received by an analog-to-digital converter to produce respective digitized versions of the analog sensor signals. The respective digitized versions of the analog sensor signals are digital filtered to produce respective filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals. The filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals are output to a visualization system to provide real time display thereof. The filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals are communicated to a digital-to-analog converter to produce an analog version of the filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals. The analog version of the filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals along with the analog reference signal are output to a recordation system to provide supplemental processing and storage thereof.

Abstract: A system includes an electrical interface for communicating with a probe, and a processor. The electrical interface is configured to be inserted into a heart of a patient. The processor is configured to (A) receive from the probe, via the electrical interface, (i) position-signals indicative of a position of a distal tip of the probe in the heart, (ii) a contact-force indication indicative of a contact force exerted on the distal tip, and (iii) an electrophysiological (EP) measurement acquired by the distal tip at the position, (B) calculate a contact-force vector based on the contact-force indication received from the distal tip, and (C) based on the position-signals and on the contact-force vector, estimate a location, on an electro-anatomical map of the heart, at which the distal tip touches tissue, and to update the electro-anatomical map with the EP measurement, associated with the estimated location.

Abstract: A method includes, coupling, to a target tissue, at least a pair of electrodes of an ablation catheter; at a first stage of an ablation procedure, a first bipolar signal having a first amplitude, is received from the pair of electrodes; at a second stage of the ablation procedure, a second bipolar signal having a second amplitude, is received from the pair of electrodes; based on the first and second amplitudes, at least a parameter indicative of a progress of the ablation procedure is estimated.

Abstract: Apparatus, consisting of a probe having a distal end that is configured to be inserted into contact with tissue. An electrode is attached to the distal end, and there is a temperature sensor incorporated in the distal end and configured to output a temperature signal. A radiofrequency (RF) signal generator is configured to apply a pulse of RF electrical energy via the electrode to the tissue, so as to heat the tissue. The apparatus includes processing circuitry that is configured to compute, based on the temperature signal, a rate of temperature change of the distal end following termination of the pulse, and to estimate a thickness of the tissue in response to the rate of temperature change.

Abstract: Apparatus, consisting of a probe with a temperature sensor and a transducer in contact with a living subject's tissue. A power supply delivers electrical power to the transducer for tissue ablation. A controller receives a signal from the temperature sensor and in response outputs a tissue temperature. During a first time period the power supply delivers no more than a first target power to the transducer, and reduces the power when a first maximum allowable temperature of the tissue is exceeded. During a transition time period the power supply delivers no more than a second target power, while reducing the delivered power when the first maximum allowable temperature of the tissue is exceeded. During a second time period the power supply delivers no more than the second target power, while reducing the delivered power when a second maximum allowable temperature, less than the first maximum allowable temperature, is exceeded.