Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a probe configured for insertion into a body of a patient and comprising a plurality of electrodes configured to contact tissue within the body. The medical apparatus further includes an electrical signal generator configured to apply between one or more pairs of the electrodes sinusoidal radio-frequency (RF) signals of first and second types in alternation. The signals of the first type have a first voltage sufficient to cause irreversible electrophoresis (IRE) in the tissue contacted by the electrodes and a first power that is insufficient to thermally ablate the tissue, and the signals of the second type have a second power sufficient to thermally ablate the tissue contacted by the electrodes and a second voltage that is insufficient to cause IRE in the tissue.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a medical system includes a catheter configured to be inserted into a body part of a living subject, and including a deflectable element having a distal end, an expandable distal end assembly disposed at the distal end of the deflectable element, and including a plurality of electrodes, and configured to expand from a collapsed form to an expanded deployed form, a proximal electrode disposed at the distal end of the deflectable element proximally to the expandable distal end assembly, and extending circumferentially around the deflectable element, and including irrigation holes through which to irrigate the body part, and an irrigation tube disposed in the deflectable element and configured to be in fluid communication with the irrigation holes of the proximal electrode.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an electrical activity measurement system includes a catheter to be inserted into a body part and including at least one electrode, signal processing circuitry coupled to receive an intracardiac electrogram (IEGM) signal from the at least one electrode and process the IEGM signal for output to a recording apparatus via a cable, which picks up surrounding electrical noise, and feedback circuitry configured to receive at least some of the electrical noise picked up by the cable, and provide a feedback signal indicative of the received electrical noise to the signal processing circuitry, which is configured to compensate at least partially for the electrical noise, which is not yet in the IEGM signal but will be added to the IEGM signal in the cable, responsively to the feedback signal to produce a noise-compensated IEGM signal for output to the recording apparatus via the cable.

Abstract: A system includes a catheter, a switching assembly, and a processor. The catheter including an expandable frame, which is coupled to a distal end of the catheter, and multiple electrodes, which are disposed on the expandable frame in a radial geometry. The switching assembly is electrically connected to the catheter, and is configured to electrically short between selected ones of the electrodes. The processor is configured, for first and second disjoint groups of the electrodes, to control the switching assembly to electrically short the electrodes within each of the first and second groups, for applying one or more bipolar ablation energy between the first and second groups when the electrodes are placed in contact with a target tissue of the organ.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, from a probe that includes electrodes and is positioned inside a cavity in an organ of a patient, (i) proximity signals indicative of proximity of the electrodes to a wall of the cavity, and (ii) position signals indicative of positions of the electrodes within the cavity. Based on the proximity signals and the position signals, at least a portion of a volume of the cavity is represented by a sphere model including multiple spheres. A direction is identified along which one or more spheres are larger than one or more surrounding spheres by at least a given factor. Based on the indicated direction, a location of an opening in the wall of the cavity is estimated and presented to a user.

Abstract: A catheter includes an insertion tube, first and second electrodes, and a contact-force sensor. The insertion tube is configured to insert the catheter into a patient body. The first and second electrodes are coupled to a distal-end of the catheter at a predefined distance from one another, and are configured to: (i) receive, via the insertion tube, one or more irreversible electroporation (IRE) pulses, and (ii) apply the IRE pulses, between the first and second electrodes, to tissue of the patient body. The contact-force sensor is disposed between the first and second electrodes and is configured to produce an electrical signal indicative of a contact force applied between the distal-end and the tissue.

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: 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: In one embodiment, an ophthalmic curette device includes a handle having a distal end, a tube having a proximal end connected to the distal end of the handle, and having a distal end, and configured to be inserted through a cataract incision into a chamber of an eye of a living subject, and a pressure sensor disposed inside the tube at the distal end of the tube, and configured to provide a signal responsively to pressure inside the chamber of the eye.

Abstract: A method for applying bipolar ablation pulses, the method includes positioning multiple electrodes of a catheter in contact with tissue of an organ. The tissue is ablated using the multiple electrodes in accordance with a predefined pattern including a periodic set of time slots. Each of the time slots defines (i) an electrode-pair (EP), (ii) a waveform of one or more bipolar ablation pulses (BAPs) applied to the tissue by the EP, and (iii) a duration of the time slot. The time slots are applied sequentially, and the pattern further includes at least one time slot that is empty.

Abstract: A method includes receiving (a) multiple electrophysiological (EP) signals acquired by multiple catheter electrodes in contact with tissue in cardiac chamber region, and (b) respective tissue locations at which the EP signals acquired. Selecting first and second electrodes, positioned at first and second respective tissue locations of first and second respective sections of the region. Based on the acquired EP signals, calculating: (i) local activation time (LAT) values for the first and second respective tissue locations, (ii) first and second average LAT values for the first and second sections, respectively, and comparing the first and second average LAT values. Determining first and second representative locations are within the first and second sections, respectively.

Abstract: Methods and systems treat abnormal cardiac electrical activity employing a probe having first and second ablation electrodes disposed on a distal portion of the probe and a sensing electrode disposed between the first and second ablation electrodes, bringing the probe into contact with cardiac tissue, and applying energy through the first and second ablation electrodes to ablate target tissue along an ablation path, monitoring cardiac electrical activity using the sensing electrode to detect the cardiac electrical activity. After making an observation that the cardiac electrical activity is no longer detectable by the sensing electrode, energy application is terminated.

Abstract: A method includes, coupling, to a target tissue, at least a pair of electrodes of an ablation catheter; at a first stage of an ablation procedure, a first bipolar signal having a first amplitude, is received from the pair of electrodes; at a second stage of the ablation procedure, a second bipolar signal having a second amplitude, is received from the pair of electrodes; based on the first and second amplitudes, at least a parameter indicative of a progress of the ablation procedure is estimated.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a probe, which includes an insertion tube configured for insertion into a body cavity of a patient, a distal structure connected distally to the insertion tube and including a plurality of electrodes, which are configured to contact tissue within the body, and temperature sensors fixed to the distal structure and configured to output signals indicative of a temperature of the tissue contacted by the electrodes. The apparatus further includes an electrical signal generator configured to apply between one or more pairs of the electrodes bipolar pulses having an amplitude sufficient to cause irreversible electroporation (IRE) in the tissue contacted by the spines, and a controller configured to control a timing of the bipolar pulses applied by the electrical signal generator responsively to the signals output by the temperature sensors.

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: Apparatus, consisting of a probe having a distal end that is configured to be inserted into contact with tissue. An electrode is attached to the distal end, and there is a temperature sensor incorporated in the distal end and configured to output a temperature signal. A radiofrequency (RF) signal generator is configured to apply a pulse of RF electrical energy via the electrode to the tissue, so as to heat the tissue. The apparatus includes processing circuitry that is configured to compute, based on the temperature signal, a rate of temperature change of the distal end following termination of the pulse, and to estimate a thickness of the tissue in response to the rate of temperature change.

Abstract: A method that includes selectively positioning an ablation catheter system at a treatment site; and ablating tissue at the treatment site with the ablation catheter system using a power setting of approximately 90 W applied to tissue for approximately four (4) second increments with a break period of approximately 4 seconds between applications.