Abstract: An implantable device for delivering a drug includes a housing and a source of drug contained within the housing. An orifice mechanism is located at the housing and communicates with the source of drug. The orifice mechanism includes an inner member having a proximal end and a distal end and a winding helically wound around the inner member. The winding and the inner member define a first channel for carrying the drug therethrough. An inlet is at the proximal end of the winding and an outlet is at the distal end of the winding. The drug is carried by the orifice mechanism and dispensed outside of the housing.

Abstract: A method is provided for electrical mapping of a pulmonary vein of a heart, including introducing into the heart a catheter having a curved section and a base section, the base section having a distal end attached to a proximal end of the curved section. At a location on the curved section, a first position signal is generated having fewer than six dimensions of position and orientation information. At a vicinity of the distal end of the base section, a second position signal is generated having six dimensions of position and orientation information. The method also includes measuring, at one or more locations on the curved section, an electrical property of the pulmonary vein.

Abstract: A novel apparatus and method for rapidly generating an electrical map of a chamber of a heart utilizes a catheter including a body having a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end has a distal tip and an array of non-contact electrodes having a proximal end and a distal end and at least one location sensor. Preferably, two location sensors are utilized. The first location sensor is preferably proximate to the catheter distal tip and the second location sensor is preferably proximate to the proximal end of the non-contact electrode array. The catheter distal end further preferably includes a contact electrode at its distal tip. Preferably, at least one and preferably both of the location sensors provide six degrees of location information. The location sensor is preferably an electromagnetic location sensor. The catheter is used for rapidly generating an electrical map of the heart within at least one cardiac cycle and preferably includes cardiac ablation and post-ablation validation.

Abstract: A locating system for determining the location and orientation of an invasive medical instrument, for example a catheter or endoscope, relative to a reference frame, comprising: a plurality of field generators which generate known, distinguishable fields, preferably continuous AC magnetic fields, in response to drive signals; a plurality of sensors situated in the invasive medical instrument proximate distal end thereof which generate sensor signals in response to said fields; and a signal processor which has an input for a plurality of signals corresponding to said drive signals and said sensor signals and which produces the three location coordinates and three orientation coordinates of a point on the invasive medical instrument.

Abstract: Apparatus for mapping a surface of a cavity within a body of a subject includes an elongate probe, having a longitudinal axis and including a distal portion adapted for insertion into the cavity. A primary acoustic transducer on the distal portion of the probe is adapted to emit acoustic waves while the probe is in the cavity. A plurality of secondary acoustic transducers, distributed along the longitudinal axis over the distal portion of the probe, are adapted to receive the acoustic waves after reflection of the waves from the surface of the cavity and to generate, responsive to the received waves, electrical signals indicative of times of flight of the waves.

Abstract: Apparatus for mapping a surface of a cavity within a body of a subject includes an elongate probe, having a longitudinal axis and including a distal portion adapted for insertion into the cavity. A plurality of acoustic transducers are distributed along the longitudinal axis over the distal portion of the probe, which transducers are adapted to be actuated individually to emit acoustic waves while the probe is in the cavity, and are further adapted to receive the acoustic waves after reflection of the waves from the surface of the cavity and to generate, responsive to the received waves, electrical signals indicative of times of flight of the waves.

Abstract: Apparatus for intracardiac drug administration, including a catheter which is inserted into a chamber of the heart and brought into engagement with a site in the heart wall. The catheter includes at least one position sensor, which generates signals responsive to the position of the catheter within the heart, and a drug delivery device, which administers a desired dose of a therapeutic drug at the site determined responsive to the signals from the position sensor.

Abstract: A locating system for determining the location and orientation of an invasive medical instrument, for example a catheter (10) or endoscope, relative to a reference frame, comprising: a plurality of field generators (18, 20, 22) which generate known, distinguishable fields, preferably continuous AC magnetic fields, in response to drive signals; a plurality of sensors (30, 32, 34) situated in the invasive medical instrument (10) proximate the distal end thereof which generate sensor signals in response to said fields; and a signal processor (26) which has an input for a plurality of signals corresponding to said drive signals and said sensor signals and which produces the three location coordinates and three orientation coordinates of a point on the invasive medical instrument.

Abstract: A method for measuring near-field electrical activity at a location in a heart comprising introducing into the heart a catheter. The catheter comprises an elongated tubular body having a distal region and a circumferential recess along the length of the distal region, a first electrode mounted on the distal region in close proximity to the circumferential recess, and a second electrode mounted within the circumferential recess. The distal region is positioned at the location in the heart so that the first electrode is in direct contact with heart tissue and the second electrode is not in direct contact with heart tissue but is in contact with blood. A first signal is obtained with the first electrode, and a second signal is obtained with the second electrode. The first signal and the second signal are compared to obtain the near-field electrical activity at the location in the heart.

Abstract: A signal reading and charging device for use with an implantable telemetric medical sensor comprises a casing and a circuit within the casing comprising a logic control unit and a processing unit. The logic control unit sends a powering signal to the telemetric medical sensor for remotely powering the sensor. The logic control unit also receives a transmitted signal from the sensor. The processing unit is operatively connected to the control unit for converting the transmitted signal by the sensor into a measured parameter. An antenna coil is used for sending the powering signal and receiving the transmitted signal from the sensor. The device also includes a display for displaying the measured parameter.

Abstract: A method for telemetrically measuring a parameter in a patient's heart comprises the steps of imaging the heart and identifying an implantation site in the heart. An opening is created in the tissue at the implantation site. A sensor comprising a housing, a membrane at one end of the housing wherein the membrane is deformable in response to the parameter, and a microchip positioned within the housing and operatively communicating with the membrane for transmitting a signal indicative of the parameter is provided. The sensor is placed in the opening and the parameter is telemetrically measured from outside of the patient's body based on the transmitted signal by the sensor. The sensor is also telemetrically powered from outside of the patient's body. A signal charging and reading device is placed outside of the patient's body for telemetric powering and signal reading with respect to the sensor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for mapping a structure in a body of a subject includes capturing a three-dimensional (3D) image of the structure comprising diagnostic information, and generating a 3D geometrical map of the structure using a probe inserted into the structure. The image is registered with the map, such that each of a plurality of image points in the image is identified with a corresponding map point in the map. The map is displayed such that the diagnostic information associated with each of the image points is displayed at the corresponding map point.

Abstract: A telemetric medical sensor for implantation in a patient's body for measuring a parameter therein is provided. The sensor comprises a housing and a membrane at one end of the housing. The membrane is deformable in response to the parameter being measured. A microchip is positioned within the housing and operatively communicates with the membrane for transmitting a digital signal indicative of the parameter. The microchip comprises an array of photoelectric cells for use with an LED for transmitting light at the photoelectric cells. A shutter is connected to the membrane and moveable between the photoelectric cells and the LED in response to deforming of the membrane.

Abstract: A telemetric medical system comprises a telemetric medical sensor for implantation in a patient's body for measuring a parameter therein. The sensor comprises a housing and a membrane at one end of the housing. The membrane is deformable in response to the parameter. A microchip is positioned within the housing and operatively communicates with the membrane for transmitting a signal indicative of the parameter. The system also includes a signal reading and charging device locatable outside of a patient's body for communication with the sensor. The signal reading and charging device comprises a casing and a circuit within the casing. The circuit includes a logic control unit and a processing unit. The logic control unit sends a powering signal to the sensor for remotely powering the sensor.

Abstract: A method is provided for generating a three-dimensional reconstruction of a portion of a surface of an organ, and, in particular, a portion of the surface of a chamber of the heart. The reconstruction is generated from location data of a plurality of acquisition points on the organ surface. The method comprises computing a two-dimensional reference plane based on the location data. A function that describes the surface is computed, wherein each point on the surface may be described as a function of the reference plane. The function is then bounded to a constrained region. Tessellation of the function facilitates computer display of the reconstruction. If the location data is accompanied by physiologic property data characteristic of the tissue, the method may be used to generate a reconstruction of the tissue property as a function of the tissue geometry.

Abstract: A system for determining the disposition of a probe within the body of a patient includes a probe having probe field transducers and a plurality of reference field transducers. The reference field transducers are independently movable with respect to one another to desired, customizable positions close to the body of the patient. Calibration transducers determine the relative positions of the field transducers with respect to one another after they are located in their desired positions. Non-ionizing fields are transmitted and detected between the probe and reference field transducers. From the detected fields, the relative disposition of the probe with respect to the reference field transducers is determined.

Abstract: An apparatus for stenting a vessel comprises a stent having a lattice of interconnecting elements defining a substantially cylindrical configuration having a first open end and a second open end wherein the lattice is movable between a closed configuration and an open configuration. In one embodiment, the stent includes a plurality of interlocking bridges. In a second embodiment, the stent includes a plurality of interlocking struts. The apparatus further includes a catheter having an inner sleeve and an expandable member on the inner sleeve wherein the expandable member is movable between a collapsed state and an expanded state. For either embodiment, the stent is secured to the catheter over the expandable member when the expandable member is in the collapsed state and the stent is in the locked configuration. The stent is separated from the catheter when the expandable member is in the expanded state and the stent is in the open configuration.

Abstract: An elongate probe apparatus (20) for insertion into the body of a subject, comprising: a structure (24) having a substantially rigid configuration; a plurality of physiological sensors (26, 28, 30), which generate signals responsive to a physiological activity, said sensors (24, 28, 30) having substantially fixed positions on said structure (24) in said configuration; and one or more devices that generate position signals indicative of the positions of the physiological sensors on said structure in said configuration.

Abstract: A method for treating tissue comprising the steps of providing a probe including a body having a distal tip, a position sensor for determining a position of the distal tip and a hollow needle movable from the distal tip of the body. The probe is brought into contact with a tissue portion and the hollow needle is moved out of the distal tip of the body and into the tissue portion whereby a therapeutic agent is injected into the tissue portion through the hollow needle.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring electrical signals emanating from a body of a patient, and, in particular, from the patient's heart, comprises a catheter having an electrode array, preferably on its distal end. The apparatus of the invention further comprises a first amplifier for measuring a voltage from a first electrode of the array, and a cascade of differential amplifiers, each of which measures a voltage difference between two successive electrodes in the array.