Abstract: A disposable single-piston dual-action reciprocating pump part includes a single piston, an output port, and a balloon damper. The output port is configured for outputting fluid pumped by the single piston. The balloon damper is fitted in the output port, and the balloon damper is configured to suppress a pulsation in a flow rate of the outputted fluid.

Abstract: A system includes two or more pairs of electrodes and a processor. The electrodes are disposed over a distal end of a catheter for insertion into a heart of a patient. The electrodes in each pair are parallel with one another, and the pairs are not parallel with one another. The processor is configured to receive electrophysiological (EP) signals acquired by the pairs of electrodes, and, based on a timing of the received EP signals, calculate a local direction at which the received EP signals propagate in the heart.

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: In one embodiment, a system includes a catheter including an insertion tube and a first position sensor, a pusher including a second position sensor, and an expandable assembly including flexible strips disposed circumferentially around a distal portion of the pusher, with first ends of the strips connected to the distal end of the insertion tube and second ends of the strips connected to the distal portion of the pusher, the flexible strips bowing radially outward when the pusher is retracted, processing circuitry to receive a respective position signal from the first and second position sensors, compute location and orientation coordinates for the position sensors subject to a constraint that the position sensors are coaxial and have a same orientation, compute a distance between the computed location coordinates of the position sensors, and find position coordinates of the flexible strips responsively to at least the computed distance.

Abstract: A phacoemulsification probe includes a needle, an ultrasound transducer, a sensing element, and a microcontroller. The needle is configured for insertion into an eye of a patient. The ultrasound transducer is configured to vibrate the needle. The sensing element is configured to output an indication indicative of physical contact between the needle and a lens of the eye. The microcontroller is configured to receive the indication, and to activate and deactivate the ultrasound transducer according to the indication.

Abstract: A phacoemulsification system includes a phacoemulsification handpiece, an irrigation line and an aspiration line connected to the phacoemulsification handpiece, an Anti-Vacuum Surge (AVS) module inserted at least in the aspiration line, and a processor. The processor is configured to automatically detect whether an extension tubing is present in the aspiration line between the phacoemulsification handpiece and the AVS module, to set a first parameter setting, for detecting vacuum surges in the aspiration line, in response to detecting that the extension tubing is present, and, in response to detecting that the extension tubing is not present, to set a second parameter setting, different from the first parameter setting, for detecting the vacuum surges in the aspiration line.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a 3D image of a portion of an organ including a cavity, the image comprising voxels having respective values. A wall of the cavity is identified in the image, by (i) positioning virtual solid objects inside respective sub-volumes of the cavity, (ii) moving the virtual solid objects inside the cavity according to a predefined rule of motion, (iii) while the virtual solid objects move inside the cavity, adapting the traversed voxels to predefined value indicative of the interior of the cavity, (iv) responsively to detecting that a virtual solid object comes into contact with the wall, rolling the virtual solid object over the wall, and adapting a surface of the virtual solid object with the values of the voxels over which the surface rolls, and (v) converting adapted voxel values that are lower than a threshold voxel value into the predefined value indicative of the interior.

Abstract: A sinuplasty tool, consisting of a handle, and a rigid tube, containing a rigid tube lumen, having a rigid tube distal end and a rigid tube proximal end connected to the handle. The tool also has a resilient tube, containing a resilient tube lumen, having a resilient tube distal end and a resilient tube proximal end fixed to the rigid tube distal end so that the lumens align. The resilient tube has a multiplicity of separated openings partially encircling the resilient tube so as to form ribs in the resilient tube and permitting the resilient tube to bend. The resilient tube distal end may be inserted into a sinus of a living subject. The tool also has a wire, traversing the aligned lumens, connected to the resilient tube distal end and coupled to the handle, so that applying tension to the wire causes the resilient tube to bend.

Abstract: A system includes an expandable distal-end assembly, a proximal position sensor, a distal position sensor, and a processor. The expandable distal-end assembly is coupled to a distal end of a shaft for insertion into a cavity of an organ of a patient. The proximal and distal position sensors are located at a proximal end and a distal end of the distal-end assembly, respectively. The processor is configured to estimate a position and a longitudinal direction of the proximal sensor, and a position of the distal sensor, all in a coordinate system used by the processor. The processor is further configured to project the estimated position of the distal sensor on an axis defined by the estimated longitudinal direction, and calculate an elongation of the distal-end assembly by calculating a distance between the estimated position of the proximal sensor and the projected position of the distal sensor.

Abstract: A system includes a probe, a processor, and a bubble detector. The probe is configured for insertion into a lumen of a patient and is coupled to an irrigation pump. The processor is configured to control delivery of irrigation fluid to the probe by turning on and controlling the irrigation pump. The bubble detector is coupled to a proximal portion of the probe. In response to the irrigation pump being turned on, the bubble detector is configured to automatically start detection of gas bubbles in the irrigated fluid, and transmit fail-safe signals indicating fail-safe bubble detection is operational. The processor is further configured to monitor the fail-safe signals and, in absence of fail-safe signals, to automatically disable delivery of the irrigation fluid.

Abstract: A medical tool includes a rotatable hollow tube and one or more electrical wires. The rotatable hollow tube is defining a working channel therein for insertion of a medical instrument into a cavity of a patient body. The one or more electrical wires traverse the working channel for exchanging electrical signals with one or more electronic devices located at a distal end of the rotatable hollow tube. The working channel has a non-circular cross section for passing both the medical instrument and the one or more electrical wires, and for allowing rotation of the rotatable hollow tube relative to the medical instrument located inside the working channel in the presence of the one or more electrical wires.

Abstract: A method includes receiving multiple electrophysiological (EP) signals acquired by multiple electrodes of a multi-electrode catheter that are in contact with tissue in a region of a cardiac chamber, and respective tissue locations at which the electrodes acquired the EP signals. The region is divided into two sections. Using the EP signals acquired by the electrodes, local activation times (LAT) are calculated for the respective tissue locations, and found are: a first section of the two sections having a smaller average LAT value, and a second section of the two sections having a higher average value. Determined are a first representative location in the first section, and a second representative location in the second section. A propagation vector is calculated between the first and second representative locations, that is indicative of propagation of an EP wave that has generated the EP signals. The propagation vector is presented to a user.

Abstract: A dual-action pump includes a cylinder, a piston and a controller. The cylinder includes first and second inlet-outlet ports, each of the first and second inlet-outlet ports is configured to alternately intake a fluid to the cylinder and output the fluid from the cylinder. The piston is configured to be moved within the cylinder in a periodic cycle that alternately reverses a direction of movement of the piston, so as to pump the fluid through the first and second inlet-outlet ports. The controller is configured to control the movement of the piston within the cylinder, including setting to the piston: (a) a first speed, during a first predefined interval that precedes reversing the direction of movement, (b) a second speed, larger than the first speed, during a second predefined interval that follows reversing the direction, and (c) a baseline speed, smaller than the first speed, outside the first and second intervals.

Abstract: A medical instrument includes a shaft, a distal-end assembly and a puller-wire. The shaft is configured for insertion into a body of a patient. The distal-end assembly, which is coupled to the shaft, includes a telescopic assembly, configured to elongate so as to collapse the distal-end assembly, and to compress so as to expand the distal-end assembly. The distal-end assembly further includes an elastic element, coupled to self-elongate and thus elongate the telescopic assembly. The distal-end assembly also includes an inflatable balloon, which is coupled to the telescopic assembly and is configured to collapse by the telescopic assembly elongating, and to expand by the telescopic assembly compressing. The puller-wire runs through the shaft and is connected to a distal end of the telescopic assembly, and is configured, when pulled, to compress the telescopic assembly.

Abstract: A phacoemulsification system includes a pump and a processor. The pump includes: (i) a first chamber having a first volume and configured to flow a first fluid at a first flow rate, between a first reservoir and an eye of a patient, and (ii) a second chamber having a second volume and configured to flow a second fluid at a second flow rate, between a second reservoir and the eye. The processor is configured to control the pump to: (i) set a first flow rate of the first fluid in the first volume, so as to obtain a predefined intra-ocular pressure (IOP) in the eye, (ii) based on the first and second volumes and on the first flow rate, calculate a second flow rate of the second fluid that maintains the predefined IOP constant, and (iii) set the calculated second flow rate to the second fluid.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a shaft, an expandable frame, a membrane, a diagnostic electrode, a reference electrode, and a processor. The shaft is configured for insertion into an organ of a patient. The expandable frame is coupled to a distal end of the shaft. The diagnostic electrode, which is disposed on an external surface of the expandable frame, is configured to sense diagnostic signals when in contact with tissue. The reference electrode is disposed on a surface of the expandable frame directly opposite the diagnostic electrode, wherein the reference electrode is electrically insulated from the tissue and is configured to sense interfering signals.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting the actual tip or tip type being used on a handpiece of an ophthalmic instrument. By detecting the tip type being used, the correct system settings can be used during the surgical procedure, and the surgical system may operate safely.

Abstract: A sealing assembly for a progressive cavity pump and a progressive cavity pump assembly having a retaining sleeve, a ring, and an elastic diaphragm terminating in a first end of the diaphragm in a first opening, and in a second end of the diaphragm, opposite the first end, in a second opening larger than the first opening. The second opening is held in contact with the retaining sleeve by the ring, and the first opening is configured to grip a rotor of the progressive cavity pump, and the ring is configured to hold the second opening fixed with respect to a stator of the progressive cavity pump.

Abstract: A medical device having a housing, an annular fixture contained in the housing and having a central opening, a needle having a proximal end contained within the central opening of the annular fixture and a distal end protruding out of the housing, a motion assembly, which is configured to move the needle longitudinally back and forth relative to the annular fixture and the housing, and a flexible diaphragm comprising a peripheral part that seals externally around the annular fixture and an inner sleeve that seals around the proximal end of the needle, whereby movement of the needle back and forth causes the sleeve to evert and invert within the central opening while maintaining a vacuum seal between the annular fixture and the needle.

Abstract: A power line interference (PLI) suppression method includes receiving an input analog signal superimposed with PLI, and digitally estimating one or more harmonics of the PLI in real-time. Responsively to the one or more digitally estimated harmonics, one or more analog harmonic waveforms are outputted, that match the respective one or more harmonics of the PLI. The input analog signal and the one or more analog harmonic waveforms are received, and the superimposed PLI in the input analog signal is suppressed using the one or more analog harmonic waveforms. An analog output signal is outputted, that corresponds to the input analog signal having the suppressed PLI.