Abstract: An irreversible electroporation (IRE) method includes placing multiple electrodes of a catheter in contact with tissue of an organ. Bipolar IRE pulses are generated. The tissue is ablated by applying the bipolar IRE pulses to pairs of the electrodes, in accordance with an order in which successive activations of a given electrode-pair are interleaved with activation of at least one other electrode-pair, and are spaced in time by at least a predefined duration.

Abstract: A method includes monitoring impedances of the plurality of the functional electrodes relative to a reference electrode while maneuvering a catheter within a cavity of an organ, the catheter comprising (i) a shaft having a distal end, and (ii) an expandable distal-end assembly coupled to the distal end of the shaft and comprising a plurality of functional electrodes. A direction vector is estimated from the monitored impedances, along which the catheter is free to advance within the cavity of the organ without obstruction by the tissue wall. The direction vector is displayed to a user.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a probe, which includes an insertion tube configured for insertion into a body cavity of a patient, and a distal assembly, which is connected distally to the insertion tube and includes a plurality of electrodes, which are configured to contact tissue within the body cavity. The apparatus further includes an electrical signal generator, which is configured to apply electrical pulses to a group of two or more of the electrodes with an amplitude sufficient to irreversibly electroporate the tissue contacted by the electrodes in the group, and a controller, which is coupled to measure a change in an electrical impedance between an electrode in the group and a further electrode as a result of application of the electrical pulses and to output a measure of ablation of the tissue responsively to the measured change in the electrical impedance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for unipolar Pulse-Field Ablation (PFA) are disclosed for reducing spasm and/or other adverse nerves stimulation effects during delivery of PFA pulses. The system includes or is connected to one or more motion sensors to be placed at one or more regions of a patient's body for monitoring spasm thereat. The system includes a signal switch capable of selectively connecting a PFA energy generator to selected one or more of return electrode patches for delivery of PFA pulses and/or pacing signals through the selected electrode patches; and a processor that monitors motion sensed by the motion sensor(s) during delivery of the PFA pulses or pacing signals to identify nerve stimulation effects, such as spasm, to facilitate, based on the monitoring, selection of certain electrode patches by which the PFA pulses may be delivered without, or with reduced spasm or other adverse effects of excessive nerves stimulation.

Abstract: Medical systems and methods are provided in which a processor receives the 3D ultrasound images and receives position signals from a position tracking device, indicating the position of a corresponding probe relative to the 3D ultrasound images. Based on the probe position, a region of interest is selected that contains the position the medical probe within the 3D ultrasound images, and the selected region of interest is rendered to a display together with a representation of the medical probe superimposed on the region of interest.

Abstract: A phacoemulsification system and a corresponding method are described. The system having a handpiece having a needle and a sleeve at a distal end to emulsify a lens of an eye; an irrigation module configured to supply irrigation fluid into the eye; an aspiration module configured for aspiring eye fluid; a priming cover for fitting over the distal end of the handpiece during a priming process; external pressure sensors coupled with the priming cover; one or more sensors for monitoring at least one of an irrigation pressure and an aspiration pressure; and a processor configured to operate in a priming process. The priming process includes operating the irrigation module to fill the irrigation channel with fluid and remove air bubbles. The one or more processors are configured for obtaining calibration pressure data from the external pressure sensors and for calibrating the sensors of the system.

Abstract: A method includes providing a pre-assembled cable assembly including a plurality of wires and a circuit board. The pre-assembled cable assembly has a first end and a second end, and the wires are connected to the circuit board at the second end. The pre-assembled cable assembly is gripped at the first end and at the second end. While the pre-assembled cable assembly is gripped, an electromagnetic shield is applied around the wires.

Abstract: A phacoemulsification system and method, the system having a probe with a needle at its distal end, the needle configured to be inserted into a patient's eye, the probe having an ultrasonic transducer; an aspiration line fluidly coupled with the needle; an AVS system configured to control fluid flow in the aspiration line; and a processor, configured to: obtain a first set of images having a first image depicting a part of the needle and a particle of a lens of the eye occluding an aspiration line of the needle; obtain a second image depicting the part of the needle, the second image captured later than the first image; determine based on the first image and the second image whether an aspiration-stopping criteria is met; and subject to the aspiration-stopping criteria being met, control the AVS system to restrict fluid flow along the aspiration line.

Abstract: A system includes a display device and a processor. The processor is configured to (i) present, on the display device, intracardiac electrograms recorded over tissue of a portion of a cardiac chamber, (ii) identify a subset of the electrograms that show arrhythmogenic activity, (iii) analyze one or more characteristics of the arrhythmogenic activity, and (iv) graphically interconnect the electrograms in the subset to present the one or more characteristics of the arrhythmogenic activity to a user.

Abstract: A system includes a processor and a display. The processor is configured to: (i) produce an electroanatomic (EA) map of a surface of the organ, the EA map specifying a propagation vector-field (PVF) indicative of propagation of an electrophysiological (EP) wave over at least the surface, (ii) select at least a region of the organ, (iii) calculate a gaussian integral of the PVF along a perimeter of at least a closed contour indicative of the selected region, and (iii) produce at the region, a tag indicative of the LAS, in case the calculated gaussian integral meets a criterion. The display is configured to display the EA map and at least the tag over the EA map.

Abstract: A method, including performing an ablation of tissue using a first high RF power for a short duration, suspending RF power for a predetermined period, and using a second high RF power for a short duration forming lesions with greater surface area and greater depth through resistive heating and thermal latency. High RF power may range between 75-95 W and short duration may range between 4-5 seconds.

Abstract: A system includes an irreversible electroporation (IRE) pulse generator, a switching assembly, and a processor. The IRE pulse generator is configured to generate IRE pluses. The switching assembly is configured to deliver the IRE pulses to multiple electrodes that are disposed on an expandable distal end of a catheter that is placed in contact with tissue in an organ, for applying the IRE pulses to the tissue. The processor is configured to (a) receive one or more prespecified orientations along which electric fields in the tissue are to be generated by the IRE pulses, (b) select one or more pairs of the electrodes that would apply the IRE pulses at the prespecified orientations, and (c) connect the IRE pulse generator, using the switching assembly, to the selected pairs of the electrodes.

Abstract: A pulsed field ablation (PFA) system includes a composite electrode, a body-surface electrode, a PFA generator, and a processor. The composite electrode is coupled to a distal end of a catheter configured for insertion into an organ of a patient. The body-surface electrode is configured to be attached to a skin of the patient. The PFA generator is configured to be electrically connected to the composite electrode of the catheter and to the body-surface electrode, and to generate Direct-Current (DC) PFA pulses. The processor is configured to control the PFA generator to apply the DC PFA pulses between the composite electrode and the body-surface electrode while the composite electrode is placed in contact with target tissue of the organ and the body-surface electrode is in contact with the skin of the patient.

Abstract: An electroporation ablation system includes a probe to be inserted into a body part of a living subject, and including a distal end including at least one electrode, body-surface patches to be applied to a skin surface, an ablation power generator to apply at least one first electrical pulse train between the electrode(s) and first one(s) of the body-surface patches, and a processor to provide a measurement of movement of the living subject responsively to applying the first electrical pulse train(s) between the electrode(s) and the first one(s) of the body-surface patches, and select second one(s) of the body-surface patches responsively to the measurement of movement, and wherein the ablation power generator is configured to apply at least one second electrical pulse train between the electrode(s) and the second one(s) of the body-surface patches.

Abstract: A method includes inserting an array of multiple electrodes, fitted at a distal end of a catheter, into a cavity in an organ of a patient. The array is brought into contact with an inner surface of the cavity. An input is received from a user, the input specifying one or more tissue segments to be ablated on the inner surface. In response to the input, using a processor, one or more pairs of the electrodes in the array are selected that, when driven with irreversible electroporation (IRE) signals, would ablate the specified tissue segments. The specified tissue segments are ablated by applying the IRE signals to the pairs of the electrodes.

Abstract: A method of electrically connecting a wire to a connection pad of a flexible circuit strip using a joining tool, which method comprising: receiving the flexible circuit strip on a support surface, wherein the flexible circuit strip includes a plurality of electrodes, a plurality of connection pads and conductive traces connecting each of the plurality of electrodes to a connection pad of the plurality of connection pads; positioning a joining tool over a first connection pad of the flexible circuit strip; monitoring a first capacitance between said joining tool and a conductive layer positioned under the connection pads, wherein said conductive layer is sized, shaped, and positioned to extend over a footprint of said plurality of connection pads; controllably lowering said joining tool toward said first connection pad until the first capacitance reaches a first predefined capacitance threshold, wherein said first predefined capacitance threshold defines a first height of said joining tool with respect to said

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 method for estimating a thickness of cardiac tissue undergoing ablation includes the steps of (a) applying a sequence of ablation pulses to a region of the cardiac tissue, so as to create a lesion, and (b) for a given ablation pulse in the sequence, an incremental depth added to the lesion due to the given ablation pulse is estimated. A cumulative depth of the lesion is estimated based on the cumulative depth prior to the given pulse, and on the incremental depth. An amplitude of an electrogram signal at the region is assessed after applying the given ablation pulse, and, if the amplitude exceeds a predefined threshold, an estimate of the thickness is set to be at least the cumulative depth.

Abstract: A methods and systems are disclosed to determine positions of one or more distal end portions of a catheter. In embodiments, the method includes processing location signals that are transmitted by a transmitter-receiver utility having a first clock, and received by a position sensor at a catheter's distal-end portion. The processing may be performed by a signal processor having a second clock not synchronized with the first clock of the transmitter-receiver utility. The processing includes: determining a clock-rate-ratio between clock-rates of the first and second clocks; determining a time-lag between the first and second clocks; and determining the relative phases of the received signals while compensating for the clock-rate-ratio and for the time-lag between the clocks, such that determined phases are adjusted relative to the first signal clock of the transmitter receiver utility. Accordingly, the position of the catheter's distal-end portion can be determined based on the relative phases.

Abstract: Medical apparatus includes one or more magnetic field generators, which are configured to generate magnetic fields within a body of a patient. An invasive probe includes an insertion tube having a distal end, which is configured for insertion into the body, and a plurality of flexible splines configured to be deployed from the distal end of the insertion tube. Each spline includes a flexible, multilayer circuit board and a conductive trace that is formed in at least one layer of the circuit board and is configured to define one or more coils, which are disposed along a length of the spline and output electrical signals in response to the magnetic fields. A processor is coupled to receive and process the electrical signals output by the coils in order to derive respective positions of the flexible splines in the body.