Abstract: A system includes, first and second circuitries and one or more devices. The first circuitry is configured to generate a stress signal for reducing an impedance of tissue of an organ. The second circuitry is configured to generate an irreversible electroporation (IRE) signal for producing a lesion in the tissue. The one or more devices are configured to apply to the tissue, the stress signal at a first time interval, and the IRE signal at a second time interval, subsequent to the first time interval.

Abstract: A method, system, and device for selective power saving may be used in medical procedures. The device may be configured to receive motion information from a detector and location information from a sensor. A processor may correlate the motion information and the location information to determine whether to maintain power to the sensor. The determination of whether to maintain power to the sensor may be based on the correlation of the motion information and the location information. The processor may determine whether the location of the device has changed and the degree of that change. The processor may also determine whether the motion information is less than a duration threshold. The duration threshold may be a user configurable threshold. The processor may power off the sensor if a duration threshold is met and/or the location of the wireless tool has not changed.

Abstract: A method for medical treatment includes providing a probe configured for insertion into a heart of a living subject and comprising at least one probe electrode configured to contact myocardial tissue in the heart. At least one body-surface electrode is configured to be fixed to skin of the living subject. Biphasic electrical pulses are applied between the at least one probe electrode and the at least one body-surface electrode with a peak-to-peak amplitude of at least 1 kV, a frequency of at least 500 kHz, and a current sufficient to cause irreversible electroporation of the myocardial tissue contacted by the at least one probe electrode.

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: A method includes receiving (i) a modeled surface of at least a portion of a heart and (ii) multiple EP values measured at multiple respective positions in the heart. Multiple regions are defined on the modeled surface and, for each region, a confidence level is estimated for the EP values whose positions fall in the region. The modeled surface is presented to a user, including (i) the EP values overlaid on the modeled surface, and (ii) the confidence level graphically visualized in each region of the modeled surface.

Abstract: A probe navigation methods and devices for use in medical diagnoses and procedures are provided. A probe that is inserted in a walled area within a subject has a distal end on which at least first and second opposing transducers are mounted. The transducers track movement of the probe end with respect to the walls of the walled area. The distal end of the probe may closely approach a wall to enter an area such that the first transducer is no longer able to properly sense it, commonly referred to as a blanking region. Tracking information of the movement of the probe away from an opposing wall generated by the second transducer is then used to provide tracking of the distal end of the probe relative to the wall the first transducer is no longer able to sense.

Abstract: A method of mapping includes receiving inputs measured by a probe at respective locations inside a body cavity of a subject. At each of the respective locations, a respective contact quality between the probe and a tissue in the body cavity is measured. The inputs for which the respective contact quality is outside a defined range are rejected, and a map of the body cavity is created using the inputs that are not rejected.

Abstract: A method of body tissue ablation includes generating an ablation signal and providing the ablation signal to an ablation probe that is in contact with tissue. Irrigation fluid is delivered to the ablation probe, for applying the irrigation fluid in a vicinity of the tissue while the ablation signal is applied to the tissue. Signals are received from the ablation probe, which are indicative of an estimated instantaneous contact force that is exerted by the ablation probe against the tissue. A flow rate of the irrigation fluid is adapted responsively to the estimated instantaneous contact force.

Abstract: A method for ablating tissue in a subject, including providing a probe, having an electrode, that is inserted into a lumen of the subject, so that the electrode is in proximity to the tissue to be ablated. An immobilizing signal is injected into the subject, via the electrode, that immobilizes the subject. When the subject is immobilized, an ablation signal is injected via the electrode into the subject, the ablation signal being configured to ablate the tissue of the subject by irreversible electroporation. The ablation signal has at least one train of first pulses, each of the first pulses in the at least one train having a first pulse absolute amplitude, and the immobilizing signal has one or more trains of second pulses, each of the second pulses in the one or more trains having a second pulse absolute amplitude less than the first pulse absolute amplitude.

Abstract: A method of body tissue ablation includes defining a target amount of ablation energy needed to create a specified lesion in tissue in a body of a patient. Contact is made between an ablation probe and the tissue. Using the ablation probe, an ablation signal is applied to the tissue, which delivers the target amount of ablation energy during a smallest time duration permitted within a defined maximum-power constraint.

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 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 comprises a plurality of electrodes, which are configured to contact tissue within the body cavity. An electrical signal generator is configured to apply biphasic electrical pulses simultaneously to at least one group of two or more of the electrodes with energy sufficient to irreversibly electroporate the tissue contacted by the electrodes in the at least one group. A controller is coupled to measure time-varying voltage differences between the electrodes in the at least one group and to adjust the biphasic electrical pulses applied to the electrodes in the at least one group so that the voltage differences do not exceed a predetermined threshold at any time during application of the biphasic electrical pulses.

Abstract: A method for radiographic imaging of a body cavity includes imaging the body cavity using computerized tomography (CT) to form a CT image, registering a tracking system with the CT image, inserting into the body cavity a guidewire, including a position sensor, operating in the tracking system, attached to a distal end of the guidewire, in response to signals from the position sensor acquired by the tracking system, displaying a position of the distal end of the guidewire on the CT image. The method further includes assigning voxels within a predefined imaging volume relative to the distal end and having a radiodensity less than a predetermined threshold to have a uniform radiodensity of a predefined default value, incorporating the voxels with the assigned predefined default value into the CT image so as to form an updated CT image, and displaying the updated CT image.

Abstract: A guidewire includes a metal wire, a first electrically-insulating layer, and a second electrically-insulating layer. The metal wire has a distal end. The first electrically-insulating layer covers the wire. The second electrically-insulating layer covers the distal end of the guidewire, wherein a breakdown voltage of the second electrically-insulating layer is larger than that of the first electrically-insulating layer.

Abstract: Body tissue ablation is carried out by inserting a probe into a body of a living subject, urging the probe into contact with a tissue in the body, generating energy at a power output level, and transmitting the generated energy into the tissue via the probe. While transmitting the generated energy the ablation is further carried out by determining a measured temperature of the tissue and a measured power level of the transmitted energy, and controlling the power output level responsively to a function of the measured temperature and the measured power level. Related apparatus for carrying out the ablation is also described.

Abstract: A method includes receiving (i) a modeled surface of at least a portion of a heart and (ii) multiple EP values measured at multiple respective positions in the heart. Multiple regions are defined on the modeled surface and, for each region, a confidence level is estimated for the EP values whose positions fall in the region. The modeled surface is presented to a user, including (i) the EP values overlaid on the modeled surface, and (ii) the confidence level graphically visualized in each region of the modeled surface.

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. An electrical signal generator is configured to apply radio frequency (RF) signals simultaneously to the plurality of electrodes with energy sufficient to ablate the tissue contacted by the electrodes. A controller is coupled to measure time-varying voltage differences between the electrodes and to adjust the RF signals applied to the electrodes responsively to the measured time-varying voltage differences.

Abstract: A method of mapping includes receiving inputs measured by a probe at respective locations inside a body cavity of a subject. At each of the respective locations, a respective contact quality between the probe and a tissue in the body cavity is measured. The inputs for which the respective contact quality is outside a defined range are rejected, and a map of the body cavity is created using the inputs that are not rejected.

Abstract: A method includes inserting into an organ a catheter having multiple electrodes, and placing the electrodes in contact with tissue for ablation. A selection from among the electrodes is received, including (i) first and second electrodes defining a first section of the catheter having a plurality of the electrodes, and (ii) third and fourth electrodes defining a second section of the catheter having at least two of the electrodes. Identifying whether the first and second sections jointly form a single contiguous ablation line or two disjoint ablation lines. A first set of ablation pulses is applied to the electrodes of the first and second sections, in case the first and second sections form the single contiguous ablation line, or a second different set of ablation pulses is applied to the electrodes of the first and second sections, in case the first and second sections form the two disjoint ablation lines.