Abstract: In one embodiment, a catheter alignment system includes a catheter to be inserted into a body part, and including catheter electrodes to contact tissue at respective locations within the body part, a display, and processing circuitry to receive signals provided by the catheter, assess respective levels of contact of ones of the catheter electrodes with the tissue of the body part responsively to the received signals, find a direction in which the catheter should be moved to improve at least one of the respective levels of contact of at least one of the catheter electrodes responsively to the respective levels of contact of the ones of the catheter electrodes, and render to the display a representation of the catheter responsively to the received signals, and a direction indicator indicating the direction in which the catheter should be moved responsively to the found direction.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a catheter alignment system includes a catheter to be inserted into a body part, and including catheter electrodes to contact tissue at respective locations within the body part, a display, and processing circuitry to receive signals provided by the catheter, assess respective levels of contact of ones of the catheter electrodes with the tissue of the body part responsively to the received signals, find a direction in which the catheter should be moved to improve at least one of the respective levels of contact of at least one of the catheter electrodes responsively to the respective levels of contact of the ones of the catheter electrodes, and render to the display a representation of the catheter responsively to the received signals, and a direction indicator indicating the direction in which the catheter should be moved responsively to the found direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for medical treatment includes a probe including multiple electrodes and configured to be inserted in a body cavity of a patient so as to bring the multiple electrodes into contact with tissue in the body cavity. A processor is configured to assess one or more individual contact quality indicators with respect to the contact between each of the multiple electrodes and the tissue, to compute one or more global contact quality measures based on the individual contact quality indicators of the multiple electrodes, to compare the one or more global contact quality measures to a predefined global contact quality criterion, and to display on a display screen an icon indicating whether the global contact quality measures satisfy the predefined global contact quality criterion.

Abstract: A method includes, using anatomical data, calculating multiple cross-sectional shapes of a lumen of an organ in a body of a patient at multiple respective positions on a medial axis of the lumen. One or more of the positions on the medial axis are identified, at which a given expandable frame of a catheter would fit the cross-sectional shapes. The one or more identified positions are presented to a user.

Abstract: A system includes a processor and an output device. The processor is configured to: (a) receive electrical signals indicative of measured positions of (i) one or more chest position sensors attached externally to a chest of a patient, and (ii) one or more back position sensors attached externally to a back of the patient; (b) compare between (i) a first shift between the measured positions and respective predefined positions of the one or more chest position sensors, and (ii) a second shift between the measured positions and respective predefined positions of the one or more back position sensors; and (c) produce an alert in response to detecting a discrepancy between the first and second shifts. The output device is configured to output the alert to a user.

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 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 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 for use with a balloon disposed at a distal end of an intrabody probe includes an output device, configured to produce an output indicating whether the balloon is elongated, and a processor. The processor is configured to calculate, based on respective locations of multiple elements disposed on a surface of the balloon, multiple values, over an interval, of a parameter indicative of a radius of the balloon. The processor is further configured to modify a state of the output based on at least one of the values. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A system and method for achieving linear alignment between elements in a procedure are disclosed. The system and method include determining the axis of a first element, such as the ostium, of a plurality of elements utilized in the procedure, determining the axis of a second element, such as a catheter, of the plurality of elements utilized in the procedure, and aligning the determined axis of the first element and the determined axis of the second element. The method may include further determining the axis of a third element, such as a sheath of the catheter, of the plurality of elements utilized in the procedure and aligning the determined axis of the third element with the aligned axis of the first element and the aligned axis of the second element.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a catheter alignment system includes a catheter to be inserted into a body part, and including catheter electrodes to contact tissue at respective locations within the body part, a display, and processing circuitry to receive signals provided by the catheter, assess respective levels of contact of ones of the catheter electrodes with the tissue of the body part responsively to the received signals, find a direction in which the catheter should be moved to improve at least one of the respective levels of contact of at least one of the catheter electrodes responsively to the respective levels of contact of the ones of the catheter electrodes, and render to the display a representation of the catheter responsively to the received signals, and a direction indicator indicating the direction in which the catheter should be moved responsively to the found direction.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a medical probe tracking system includes a first probe, a magnetic field generator to generate a magnetic field, and processing circuitry to measure first electrical currents between body surface electrodes and first probe electrodes, receive magnetic position signals from a magnetic field sensor of a second probe, compute first position coordinates of the first probe in a first coordinate frame responsively to distribution of the first electrical currents, render an initial 3D representation of the first probe in the first coordinate frame and then compute a current-position map with respect to a second coordinate frame defined by the magnetic field generator, find a transformation between the first and second coordinate frames, apply the transformation to the first position coordinates yielding second position coordinates, and render a modified 3D representation of the first probe according to the second position coordinates in the second coordinate frame.

Abstract: A method includes, using anatomical data, calculating multiple cross-sectional shapes of a lumen of an organ in a body of a patient at multiple respective positions on a medial axis of the lumen. One or more of the positions on the medial axis are identified, at which a given expandable frame of a catheter would fit the cross-sectional shapes. The one or more identified positions are presented to a user.

Abstract: A method uses multiple patches fixed to a surface of a body, the patches including respective electrodes in contact with the surface, and at least one of the patches configured to output a signal in response to a magnetic field applied to the body. Initially, the signal is processed to compute first magnetic and first electrical locations of the at least one of the patches. Subsequently, the signal is processed to compute second magnetic and second electrical locations of the at least one of the patches. A first relation is computed between the first magnetic and electrical locations, and a second relation is computed between the second magnetic and electrical locations. When there is a difference between the first and the second relations, a magnetic location correction is computed responsively to the difference, and the correction is applied in tracking a position of a magnetic tracking sensor inside the body.

Abstract: An ablation catheter with an expandable balloon or a basket, a plurality of electrodes disposed on the surface, and a graphical user interface (GUI) of a computer system is disclosed. The GUI includes a plurality of electrode representations, a first sector color coded plot of at least one of the plurality of electrodes, a second sector color coded plot of at least one of the plurality of electrodes, a third sector color coded plot of at least one of the plurality of electrodes, and a processor configured to receive data on the inputs based on at least one of the plurality of electrodes, change an appearance of at least one of the first, second sector, and the third sector based on the received data, and update the color coded plot of the first input.

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: In one embodiment, a medical probe tracking system includes a first probe, a magnetic field generator to generate a magnetic field, and processing circuitry to measure first electrical currents between body surface electrodes and first probe electrodes, receive magnetic position signals from a magnetic field sensor of a second probe, compute first position coordinates of the first probe in a first coordinate frame responsively to distribution of the first electrical currents, render an initial 3D representation of the first probe in the first coordinate frame and then compute a current-position map with respect to a second coordinate frame defined by the magnetic field generator, find a transformation between the first and second coordinate frames, apply the transformation to the first position coordinates yielding second position coordinates, and render a modified 3D representation of the first probe according to the second position coordinates in the second coordinate frame.

Abstract: A method includes, in a processor, receiving position signals that are indicative of positions of (i) multiple electrodes disposed on an inflatable balloon fitted at a distal end of a catheter, and (ii) first and second electrodes fitted on a shaft of the catheter, on either side of the balloon. The positions of the multiple electrodes disposed on the balloon are calculated based on the received position signals and based on a known distance between the first and second electrodes.

Abstract: A system includes a processor and an output device. The processor is configured to: (a) receive electrical signals indicative of measured positions of (i) one or more chest position sensors attached externally to a chest of a patient, and (ii) one or more back position sensors attached externally to a back of the patient; (b) compare between (i) a first shift between the measured positions and respective predefined positions of the one or more chest position sensors, and (ii) a second shift between the measured positions and respective predefined positions of the one or more back position sensors; and (c) produce an alert in response to detecting a discrepancy between the first and second shifts. The output device is configured to output the alert to a user.