Abstract: A system includes a processor and an output device. The processor is configured to: (a) receive electrical signals indicative of measured positions of (i) one or more chest position sensors attached externally to a chest of a patient, and (ii) one or more back position sensors attached externally to a back of the patient; (b) compare between (i) a first shift between the measured positions and respective predefined positions of the one or more chest position sensors, and (ii) a second shift between the measured positions and respective predefined positions of the one or more back position sensors; and (c) produce an alert in response to detecting a discrepancy between the first and second shifts. The output device is configured to output the alert to a user.

Abstract: A catheter may be adapted to map a chamber of the heart. The catheter may include a magnetic and/or ultrasound sensor for navigation. The body of the catheter may be pliable and configured to form a predetermined shape upon exiting a catheter sheath. Upon exiting the catheter sheath, the catheter body may be configured to form one or more loops, and the loops may be non-overlapping loops. In some examples, the non-overlapping loops may be concentric loops. Alternatively, the catheter body may be configured to form one or more splines. The catheter body may include an embedded electrode assembly. The electrodes of the electrode assembly may be may be arranged in one or more rows and configured to detect a wave front. The electrode assembly may also be configured to generate and activation sequence and determine a direction of an activation source.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and computer software products implement embodiments of the present invention that include applying energy to a probe that is in contact with tissue in a body cavity so as to ablate the tissue. While applying the energy, signals are received from a location transducer in the probe, which are indicative of a location of the probe in the cavity. The signals are processed so as to derive 3D location coordinate points corresponding to the location of the probe at a sequence of times during which the energy was applied. While applying the energy, a 3D representation of the body cavity is rendered to a display, and visual indicators are superimposed on the 3D representation, the visual indicators corresponding to the 3D location coordinate points at the sequence of times. Finally, a linear trace connecting the coordinate points in accordance with the sequence is superimposed on the 3D representation.

Abstract: Shown and described is electrophysiology catheter end effector having a balloon with three expandable membranes attached to each other such that wiring (for the electrodes or other sensors on the membrane surfaces) no longer extend from inside the first membrane yet at the same time is captured between the first membrane and a second membrane.

Abstract: A system (11) includes a medical probe (36) for insertion into a cavity of an organ, which includes a position and direction sensor (60) and a camera (45), both operating in a sensor coordinate system (62). The system further includes a processor (44) configured to: receive, from an imaging system (21) operating in an image coordinate system (28), a three-dimensional image of the cavity including open space and tissue; receive, from the medical probe, signals indicating positions and respective directions of the medical probe inside the cavity; receive, from the camera, respective visualized locations inside the cavity; register the image coordinate system with the sensor coordinate system so as to identify one or more voxels in the image at the visualized locations, and when the identified voxels have density values in the received image that do not correspond to the open space, to update the density values of the identified voxels to correspond to the open space.

Abstract: A disposable dual-action reciprocating pump part includes a piston and a cylinder, and multiple silicone O-rings. The piston is configured to move bi-directionally inside the cylinder. The multiple silicone O-rings are configured to seal the piston against the cylinder.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a probe configured for insertion into a body of a patient and including three or more electrodes arrayed along a distal portion of the probe and configured to contact tissue within the body. An electrical signal generator is configured to apply between a selected pair of the electrodes signals having an amplitude sufficient to ablate the tissue contacted by the pair of the electrodes. A controller is configured to measure an electrical current flowing through at least one of the electrodes not included in the selected pair while applying the signals, and to issue a notification indicating that the tissue was inadequately ablated if the measured electrical current exceeds a preset threshold.

Abstract: A medical system includes a catheter including an insertion tube having a distal end, an elongated resilient distal section fixed to the distal end of the insertion tube, the distal section having an outer surface, and a plurality of electrode structures, each electrode structure being disposed on, and bulging above the outer surface of the distal section, each electrode structure including a respective primary electrode and at least one respective secondary electrode extending around the outer surface, and respective electrically insulating material disposed around the outer surface and between the respective primary electrode and the at least one respective secondary electrode, the respective primary electrode bulging further above the outer surface than the at least one respective secondary electrode and the electrically insulating material.

Abstract: A trocar for insertion into an organ of a patient includes a cannula, an obturator body, and two or more interchangeable obturator heads. The cannula has a longitudinal axis. The obturator body is configured to be inserted into the cannula. The two or more interchangeable obturator heads are each configured to be detachably fitted at a distal end of the obturator body.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a registration tool, which includes a position sensor, A position-tracking system is configured to acquire position coordinates of the sensor in a first frame of reference defined by the position-tracking system. A processing unit is configured to receive 3D image data with respect to the body of the patient in a second frame of reference, to generate a 2D image of the surface of the patient based on the 3D image data, to render the 2D image to a display screen, and to superimpose onto the 2D image icons indicating locations of respective landmarks. The processing unit receives the position coordinates acquired by the position-tracking system while the registration tool contacts the locations on the patient corresponding to the icons on the display, and registers the first and second frames of reference by comparing the position coordinates to the three-dimensional image data.

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 method is provided. The method includes pacing, by electrodes of a catheter, a heart tissue with pulses. The method includes observing, by the electrodes, a period of electrophysiological repolarization for the heart tissue. The period of electrophysiological repolarization is caused by the pacing. The method also includes measuring, by the electrodes, an electrical signal within the heart tissue after the period of electrophysiological repolarization.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a catheter, a sensor, a first pair of wire segments, an artifact reduction feature, and a correction module. The sensor is positioned at a distal end of the catheter and is configured to generate a sensor signal. The first pair of wire segments is coupled with the sensor and extends along the length of the catheter. The artifact reduction feature is positioned proximate to the sensor and includes a second pair of wire segments. The correction module is configured to subtract motion-induced artifacts from signals received from the first pair of wire segments, based on motion-induced artifacts from signals received from the second pair of wire segments, to thereby provide a corrected sensor signal.

Abstract: A method of ablation includes storing in a memory a pre-determined relation between lesion size and amount of ablative energy, for each of one or more selected temperatures. Using a processor, user input is received, that indicates a lesion size and a tissue temperature. Based on the relation, an amount of energy is determined, that matches the lesion size and the tissue temperature. An ablation probe is controlled to apply the amount of ablative energy that matches the selected lesion size.

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: A catheter calibration system includes a calibration chamber, a receiver and a processor. The calibration chamber is configured to generate a calibration magnetic field that oscillates at a first frequency. The calibration chamber includes a cavity for inserting a distal end of a catheter having one or more magnetic-field sensors. The receiver is configured to be connected to the catheter, to receive from the catheter one or more signals, which are generated by the one or more magnetic-field sensors in response to the calibration magnetic field, and to convert the one or more signals into one or more respective intermediate frequency (IF) signals having a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency. The processor is configured to receive the one or more IF signals from the receiver and to calculate catheter navigation calibration data from the one or more IF signals.

Abstract: A system and method of identifying focal sources is presented. The method can comprise detecting, via sensors, electro-cardiogram (ECG) signals over time, each ECG signal detected via one of the sensors having a location in a heart and indicating electrical activity of the heart, each signal comprising at least an R wave and an S wave; creating an R-S map comprising an R-to-S ratio for each of the ECG signals, the R-to-S ratio comprising a ratio of absolute magnitude of the R wave to absolute magnitude of the S wave; identifying, for each of the ECG signals, local activation times (LATs); and correlating the R-to-S ratios for the ECG signals on the R-S map and the identified LATs and using the correlation to identify the focal sources.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a catheter apparatus is configured to be inserted into a body part of a living subject, and including an elongated deflectable element including a distal end, an expandable basket assembly disposed at the distal end and comprising a plurality of splines and a plurality of electrodes disposed on the splines, an irrigation channel disposed in the elongated deflectable element, and an inflatable balloon disposed in the expandable basket assembly and including a plurality of irrigation holes in fluid connection with the irrigation channel.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for mapping and displaying three dimensional surgical pathways within imaging of cranial structures derived from voxels of a cranial scan. Entry voxel and target voxel are selected as pathway endpoints. A series of respective neighbor voxels are mapped between the entry voxel and the target voxel to define a pathway. For each voxel Vxi,yi,zi in the series, an immediately succeeding voxel of voxel Vxi,yi,zi is selected from among the group of neighbor voxel of voxel Vxi,yi,zi which excludes neighbor voxels of the immediately preceding voxel of voxel Vxi,yi,zi. The selection is made by comparing selection weights determined based on relative distances with respect to the endpoint voxels and relative distance from voxels within a predetermined distance that represent at least a threshold density. The voxels of the pathway are then selectively highlighted in a displayed view to provide a visualization of the 3D surgical pathway.