Abstract: A surgical tool, consisting of a handle and a flexible insertion tube, having a proximal end coupled to the handle and a distal end configured to be inserted into an orifice of a living subject. The tool has an inner tube, which is bendable without breaking over a range of angles in response to a bending force, and which retains the bent shape after the bending force has been removed. The inner tube is located within the insertion tube. A flexible tubing defines a lumen and is contained within the inner tube. A tool working tip is configured to contact tissue in the subject and to mate with a distal termination of the inner tube. A rigid outer tube grips outer surfaces of the working tip and of the inner tube so as to maintain an opening of the working tip in communication with the flexible tubing lumen.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a flexible electrically-insulating substrate including an inner surface and an outer surface. The substrate is shaped to define multiple channels passing between the inner surface and the outer surface, at least some of the channels being concave channels. The apparatus further includes an outer layer of an electrically-conducting metal covering at least part of the outer surface, an inner layer of the electrically-conducting metal covering at least part of the inner surface, and respective columns of the electrically-conducting metal that fill the channels such as to connect the outer layer to the inner layer.

Abstract: A method includes, in a processor, receiving signals from (i) a first position sensor disposed on a shaft of a catheter, and (ii) a second position sensor disposed on a distal end of a sheath of the catheter. Based on the signals received from the first position sensor and the second position sensor, an event is detected in which an expandable distal-end assembly of the catheter is being withdrawn into the sheath while still at least partially expanded. A responsive action is initiated in response to detecting the event.

Abstract: The subject of this disclosure is devices, systems, and uses thereof to treat a plurality of patients for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The solution can include delivering a multi-electrode radiofrequency balloon catheter and a multi-electrode diagnostic catheter to one or more targeted pulmonary veins; ablating tissue of the one or more targeted pulmonary veins using the multi-electrode radiofrequency balloon catheter; diagnosing the one or more targeted pulmonary veins using the multi-electrode diagnostic catheter; and achieving at least one of a predetermined clinical effectiveness and acute effectiveness of the method or use based on use of the multi-electrode radiofrequency balloon catheter and the multi-electrode diagnostic catheter in the isolation of the one or more targeted pulmonary veins.

Abstract: Medical apparatus includes a flexible insertion tube, which has a first outer diameter and has a distal end configured for insertion into a cavity within a body of a patient. A rigid cylindrical electrode is fixed to the distal end of the flexible insertion tube and is configured to contact tissue within the cavity, and which has a second outer diameter that is at least 10% greater than the first outer diameter.

Abstract: A catheter includes a shaft, a distal-end assembly, and a plurality of electrodes mounted on the distal-end assembly. The shaft is configured for insertion into an organ of a patient. The distal-end assembly is coupled to a distal end of the shaft and configured to make contact with tissue in the organ. At least an electrode among the electrodes is (i) electrically exposed on at least a portion of a surface of the electrode that makes contact with the tissue and (ii) electrically insulated on at least a portion of the surface of the electrode that faces away from the tissue.

Abstract: A catheter is made by coextruding first and second molten polymers, wherein the second molten polymer forms a flexible inner core and the first molten polymer forms exactly two bands on opposite sides of the inner core. The inner core is braided, and a third molten polymer extruded onto the braid to form a flexible jacket that encloses the braid, the bands and the inner core. The bands are more rigid than the inner core, and they provide preferential in-plane bending.

Abstract: A method for tissue assessment includes ablating tissue at a site within a body of a living subject using an invasive probe applied to the site. At a first stage in ablation of the tissue, first measurements are made of scattered light intensities from the site at a plurality of different wavelengths. At a second stage in the ablation of the tissue, subsequent to the first stage, second measurements are made of the scattered light intensities from the site at the plurality of different wavelengths. Progress of the ablation is assessed by computing different, respective measures of change in the scattered light intensities at the different wavelengths occurring between the first and second measurements, and comparing the respective measures.

Abstract: A medical tool for use with an electromagnetic navigation system includes a catheter configured to be navigated within patient anatomy and at least one electromagnetic sensor, disposed at the catheter, configured to generate electrical signals indicative of a location of the catheter in response to receiving at least one magnetic field. The medical tool also includes a sheath configured to receive the catheter, a first electromagnetic sensor and a second electromagnetic sensor, disposed at a first region of the sheath, each configured to generate electrical signals indicative of a location of the sheath in response to receiving the at least one magnetic field and a third electromagnetic sensor, disposed at a second region of the sheath spaced from the first region, configured to generate electrical signals indicative of a location of the sheath in response to receiving the at least one magnetic field.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a tube configured for insertion into a body of a subject, the tube comprising a plurality of strips, which are angled obliquely with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tube, by virtue of the tube being shaped to define a plurality of slits having respective oblique proximal ends and respective oblique distal ends. The distal end of each of the slits is nested between the proximal end of a first other one of the slits and the proximal end of a second other one of the slits such that (i) one of the strips is disposed between the distal end of the slit and the proximal end of the first other one of the slits, and (ii) another one of the strips is disposed between the distal end of the slit and the proximal end of the second other one of the slits.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a shaft for insertion into an organ of a patient, an expandable frame, a plurality of diagnostic electrodes, a respective plurality of reference electrodes, and a processor. The expandable frame is coupled to a distal end of the shaft, extending along a longitudinal axis and including a plurality of expandable spines disposed about the longitudinal axis. The plurality of diagnostic electrodes, disposed on external surfaces of the expandable spines, are configured to sense diagnostic signals when in contact with tissue. The respective plurality of reference electrodes, disposed on internal surfaces of the expandable spines directly opposite the diagnostic electrodes, is electrically insulated from the tissue and is configured to sense interfering signals.

Abstract: A medical probe, consisting of a flexible insertion tube, having a distal end for insertion into a body cavity of a patient, and a distal tip, which is disposed at the distal end of the flexible insertion tube is configured to be brought into contact with tissue in the body cavity. The probe also includes a coupling member, which couples the distal tip to the distal end of the insertion tube and which consists of a tubular piece of an elastic material having a plurality of intertwined helical cuts therethrough along a portion of a length of the piece.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes generator coils to generate respective magnetic fields, a catheter including a distal end, which includes magnetic coil sensors to output electrical signals based on detection of the respective magnetic fields, and processing circuitry to receive the electrical signals from the magnetic coil sensors, select at least one of magnetic fields having a magnetic field gradient as a function of at least one of the received electrical signals, compute a difference between magnetic field magnitudes of the at least one selected magnetic field detected by the first magnetic coil sensor and the second magnetic coil sensor as a function of the electrical signals, and compute a dimension of the distal end, based on the difference between the magnetic field magnitudes of the at least one selected magnetic field and the magnetic field gradient of the at least one selected magnetic field.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a shaft, configured for insertion into a body of a subject, an inflatable balloon disposed over the shaft, a plurality of leaf electrodes coupled to the balloon and shaped to define one or more leaf-electrode apertures, a tip electrode disposed at a distal end of the balloon, coupled to a distal end of the shaft, and shaped to define one or more tip-electrode apertures, a first fluid-delivery tube passing through the shaft and configured to deliver a fluid into the balloon via at least one shaft aperture in the shaft, such that the fluid passes through the leaf-electrode apertures, and a second fluid-delivery tube passing through the shaft and configured to deliver the fluid to the tip electrode, such that the fluid passes through the tip-electrode apertures. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Medical catheterization is carried out by introducing a catheter into a heart, sliding the catheter through a sheath that encloses a multi-electrode probe into a chamber of the heart. The sheath is retracted to expose the probe. As the sheath is retracted the exposed probe expands into a spiral configuration, and the electrodes contact the endocardial surface of the chamber at multiple contact points.

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 90W applied to tissue for approximately four (4) second increments with a break period of approximately 4 seconds between applications.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a probe, which includes an insertion tube configured for insertion into a body cavity. A balloon is connected distally to the insertion tube and is inflated within the body with a fluid that flows into the balloon through the insertion tube. Electrodes are disposed at different respective locations on a surface of the balloon and configured to contact tissue within the body cavity, each electrode being divided into multiple segments, including at least two segments having different respective areas. An electrical signal generator applies radio-frequency (RF) signals simultaneously in parallel to the multiple segments of each electrode with an amplitude sufficient to ablate the tissue contacted by the electrode. Sensing circuitry acquires electrophysiological signals from at least one of the multiple segments of each electrode separately and independently of the other segments of the electrode.

Abstract: A flexible probe has an assembly in its distal end that includes a transmitter and a receiver that receives signals from the transmitter for sensing a position of the receiver relative to the transmitter. A resilient element disposed between the transmitter and the receiver is configured to deform in response to pressure exerted on the distal tip when the distal tip engages a wall of a body cavity.

Abstract: A flexible probe has an assembly in its distal end that includes a compressible spring, the compressible spring arranged in a helix having flat surfaces with at least one leg at each end of the spring. The compressible spring is configured to deform in response to a compressive force acting against the legs at the ends of the spring from pressure exerted on the distal tip when engaging a wall of the body cavity. The compressible spring further includes at least one flexible transmitter coil disposed on the flat surface at one end of the spring and at least one flexible receiver coil on the flat surface at the other end of the spring. The at least one of flexible receiver coil is configured to receive signals from the at least one flexible transmitter coil for sensing a position of the coils relative to each other.

Abstract: A flexible probe has an assembly in its distal end that includes a nitinol spring disposed in the distal end. The nitinol spring is configured to deform in response to pressure exerted on the distal tip when the distal tip engages a wall of the body cavity. The assembly also includes within the nitinol spring, a transmitter, receiver and single coil between the transmitter and receiver. The receiver is configured to receive signals from the transmitter for sensing a position of the receiver relative to the transmitter. The single coil spring is configured to deform commensurate with the nitinol spring in response to pressure exerted on the distal tip when the distal tip engages a wall of the body cavity and reduce the distance between the transmitter and the receiver as the nitinol spring and single coil spring deform.