Abstract: In one embodiment, a medical system includes a medical instrument having a grasper head including first and second complementary grasping jaws, and first and second conducting surfaces disposed on respective distal portions of the first and second grasping jaws, the conducting surfaces being electrically isolated from each other in the grasper head, an actuator configured to close the grasping jaws so as to bring the conducting surfaces into contact with a tissue of a body part of a living subject, and a proximity sensor configured to output at least one proximity signal responsive to a displacement between the grasping jaws, and processing circuitry coupled to sense the displacement between the first and second grasping jaws responsively to the at least one proximity signal, and apply an electrical current between the first and second conducting surfaces of the grasping jaws when the sensed displacement is less than a given threshold displacement.

Abstract: Described embodiments include a catheter tip that includes an outer layer of a thermally-conducting metal; an inner layer of a thermally-conducting metal; a polymer layer between the inner and outer layer; and a plurality of thermal bridges selectively positioned between the inner and outer layers and through the polymer layer thereby significantly increasing the heat transfer of the catheter tip through the polymer layer. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, an automated probe system includes a probe configured to be reversibly inserted into a live body part, a robotic arm attached to the probe and configured to manipulate the probe, a first sensor configured to track movement of the probe during an insertion and a reinsertion of the probe in the live body part, a second sensor configured to track movement of the live body part, and a controller configured to calculate an insertion path of the probe in the live body part based on the tracked movement of the probe during the insertion, and calculate a reinsertion path of the probe based on the calculated insertion path while compensating for the tracked movement of the live body part, and send control commands to the robotic arm to reinsert the probe in the live body part according to the calculated reinsertion path.

Abstract: A method includes, using a probe, applying irreversible electroporation (IRE) pulses to tissue over a time period to form a lesion in the tissue. A contact force applied to the tissue by the probe is measured over the time period. An IRE index is calculated based on the measured contact force and on a power level of the IRE pulses. Application of the IRE pulses to the tissue is ceased in response to the calculated IRE index reaching a prespecified target IRE index value.

Abstract: A jig includes a base and one or more movable blocks. The base has an upper surface, which is configured to receive a substrate shaped as a flattened polyhedron having multiple facets. The one or more movable blocks are configured to move on the base so as to fold respective ones of the multiple facets, and to hold the substrate in a folded three-dimensional configuration.

Abstract: A medical display processing device and a method of reusing data includes acquiring, over time via electrodes, electrical signals each acquired via one of the electrodes and indicating electrical activity at a location of a portion of patient anatomy in a 3D space. Electrical signal data, corresponding to the electrical signals, is filtered according to first filter parameter settings and first mapping information is generated for displaying a map of the portion of patient anatomy and the filtered electrical signal data. An indication of a region of the portion of patient anatomy on the map is received and second mapping information is generated for displaying, at the region on the map, a portion of the electrical signal data previously filtered from display.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a catheter tip by electroplating a conductive material over an insert comprising a negative to a domelike shape thereby forming a shape of the catheter tip comprising a dome with the domelike shape, selectively positioning a plurality of irrigation holes between outer and inner surfaces of the catheter tip, removing the insert thereby leaving the catheter tip and the plurality of irrigation holes, and electropolishing the catheter tip. In other examples, the insert is not removed and instead the step of electroplating causes the insert to be encapsulated with the conductive material thereby forming the catheter tip.

Abstract: Apparatus, including a catheter configured to be inserted into an organ of a human body. A plurality of electrodes are deployed on the catheter, the electrodes being configured to transfer radiofrequency (RF) ablation energy to tissue of the organ. The apparatus also includes a power supply configured to supply the RF ablation energy at a level of up to 100 W to each of the plurality of electrodes simultaneously, so as to ablate respective sections of the tissue of the organ in contact with the electrodes.

Abstract: A catheter includes: a shaft for insertion into an organ of a patient, and first and second position sensors. The shaft includes: (a) an inner shaft, which is configured to be deflected relative to an axis of the shaft, and (b) an outer shaft, which is coupled to a distal tip of the catheter and is configured to be: (i) coaxially disposed around the inner shaft, (ii) deflected together with the inner shaft, and (iii) rotated about the axis relative to the inner shaft. The first position sensor is coupled to the distal tip and is configured to produce a first signal, and the second position sensor is coupled to the inner shaft, and is configured to produce a second signal.

Abstract: A pump device includes a rotary motor, a compartment for insertion of a disposable pump part, and one or more pulsation-reduction elements. The disposable pump part includes an input port, an output port, and a dual-action reciprocating assembly. The input port is configured for intaking fluid. The output port is configured for outputting the fluid. The dual-action reciprocating assembly is configured for pumping the fluid. The assembly includes a single piston and a rod configured to be coupled to the rotary motor, so as to drive the piston. The one or more pulsation-reduction elements are configured to reduce a pulsation in the outputted fluid, caused by the single-piston dual-action reciprocating assembly.

Abstract: A method for assembling a catheter is disclosed. The method includes printing conductive traces on at least one flexible substrate and encapsulating the at least one flexible substrate to provide for environmental protection. The at least one encapsulated flexible substrate is inserted into a shaft of a catheter. Then, connectors are attached to each end of the at least one encapsulated flexible substrate. One set of the connectors are further attached to sensors located at a distal end of the catheter and another set of the connectors are further attached to electronics in a handle of the catheter.

Abstract: A catheter comprising an elongated catheter body, an electrode array distal of the catheter body, the array having a mounting member and at least first and second spine supports. Each spine support includes a base having a planar configuration, and a plurality of spines extending from the base, wherein the first base extends in a first plane and the second base extends in a second plane different from the first plane in the mounting member.

Abstract: A method includes, in a processor, receiving example representations of geometrical shapes of a given type of organ. In a training phase, a neural network model is trained using the example representations. In a modeling phase, the trained neural network model is applied to a set of location measurements acquired in an organ of the given type, to produce a three-dimensional model of the organ.

Abstract: A method, including receiving a bipolar signal from a pair of electrodes in proximity to a myocardium of a human subject, and receiving a unipolar signal from a selected one of the pair of electrodes. The method further includes delineating a window of interest (WOI) for the unipolar and bipolar signals, within the WOI computing local unipolar minimum derivatives of the unipolar signal, and times of occurrence of the local unipolar minimum derivatives, and within the WOI computing bipolar derivatives of the bipolar signal at the times of occurrence. The method also includes evaluating ratios of the bipolar derivatives to the local unipolar minimum derivatives, and when the ratios are greater than a preset threshold ratio value, assigning the times of occurrence as times of activation of the myocardium, counting a number of the times of activation; and classifying the unipolar signal according to the number.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for generating a three-dimensional (3D) anatomical map, including applying a trained artificial neural network to (a) a set of two-dimensional (2D) fluoroscopic images of a body part of a living subject, and (b) respective first 3D coordinates of the set of 2D fluoroscopic images, yielding second 3D coordinates of the 3D anatomical map, and rendering to a display the 3D anatomical map responsively to the second 3D coordinates.

Abstract: Apparatus, including a catheter configured to be inserted into an organ of a human body. A plurality of electrodes are deployed on the catheter, the electrodes being configured to transfer radiofrequency (RF) ablation energy to tissue of the organ. The apparatus also includes a power supply configured to supply the RF ablation energy at a level of up to 100 W to each of the plurality of electrodes simultaneously, so as to ablate respective sections of the tissue of the organ in contact with the electrodes.

Abstract: Apparatus, including a catheter configured to be inserted into an organ of a human body. A plurality of electrodes are deployed on the catheter, the electrodes being configured to transfer radiofrequency (RF) ablation energy to tissue of the organ. The apparatus also includes a power supply configured to supply the RF ablation energy at a level of up to 100 W to each of the plurality of electrodes simultaneously, so as to ablate respective sections of the tissue of the organ in contact with the electrodes.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a probe configured for insertion into a body of a patient. The probe includes electrodes configured to contact tissue of a region within the body. The apparatus further includes a display screen, a position-tracking system configured to acquire position coordinates of the electrodes within the body, and a processor. The processor is configured to acquire electrophysiological signals from the electrodes while they are held stationary in the region, extract electrophysiological parameters from the signals, compute a measure of consistency of the parameters, and render to the display screen a three-dimensional (3D) map of the tissue while superimposing on the map, responsively to the position coordinates, a visual indication of the extracted parameters at the locations for which the measure of consistency satisfied a consistency criterion, and automatically discarding from the map the parameters for which the measure of consistency did not satisfy the consistency criterion.

Abstract: A method includes manipulating a catheter, which includes an ultrasound transducer array, inside an organ of a patient so as to acquire ultrasound images of at least part of the organ. One or more reference positions are identified of one or more respective reference anatomical structures in or near the organ. The ultrasound images are annotated with annotations indicating the identified reference anatomical structures.

Abstract: A system includes (a) a catheter for insertion into an organ of a patient, a distal end of the catheter, the distal end including: (i) one or more ultrasound transducers (UT), which are configured to apply ultrasound (US) waves to the organ and to produce one or more US signals indicative of a surface topography of the organ, and (ii) a position sensor, which is configured to produce one or more position signals indicative of one or more respective positions of the distal end inside the organ, and (b) a processor, which is configured, based on the US signals and the position signals, to: (i) produce an anatomical map of the surface topography, and (ii) visualize a change in a slope of the surface topography.