Abstract: A catheter adapted to slidably receive a hollow shaft through its lumen. An expandable balloon is attached to the distal portion of the hollow shaft. A nose piece disposed at the front face of the balloon forms a connection between the balloon and the distal portion of the hollow shaft. When the balloon is expanded the nose piece does not protrude beyond the front face of the balloon.

Abstract: A medical instrument includes a shaft, multiple flexible spines and multiple electrodes. The shaft is configured for insertion into a body of a patient. The multiple flexible spines have respective first ends that are connected to a distal end of the shaft and respective second ends that are free-standing and unanchored. The spines are bent proximally such that the second ends are more proximal than the first ends. Each of the flexible spines includes a tensile layer configured to cause the flexible spine to bend proximally. The multiple electrodes are disposed over the flexible spines.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a catheter includes a shaft assembly having a proximal and distal end, which comprises a deflectable segment including lumens running longitudinally therein, electrodes disposed at the distal end, a connector disposed at the proximal end for coupling to processing circuitry, cables disposed in first respective ones of the lumens, each cable electrically coupled to the connector and a respective group of the electrodes, wherein each cable includes a bundle of wires, each wire connected to a respective one of the electrodes in the respective group, an electrical shielding surrounding the bundle, and an electrically insulating jacket surrounding the shielding and sized to allow longitudinal movement of the respective cable within the respective lumen, respective elongated members disposed in second respective ones of the lumens, and connected to the distal end, and a manipulator connected to the elongated members to actuate the distal end via the elongated members.

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 system includes a shaft, an inflatable balloon, a radial array of ultrasound transducers and a processor. The shaft is configured for insertion into a body of a patient. The inflatable balloon is coupled to a distal end of the shaft and configured to perform a treatment to surrounding anatomy. The ultrasound transducers are distributed circumferentially around the distal end of the shaft inside the balloon, and configured to transmit ultrasound waves at respective radial directions and receive respective ultrasound reflections. The processor is configured to estimate and output to a user, based on the ultrasound reflections received from the ultrasound transducers, an extent of mechanical contact between the balloon and the surrounding anatomy.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a probe apparatus includes a shaft having a distal end, a tube containing separate powder granules of a ferrite, the tube being fixed to the distal end of the shaft, a coil disposed around the tube, and electrical wires connected to the coil so as to read out a signal generated across the coil due to an externally-applied magnetic field.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a balloon catheter configured to be inserted into a body-part of a living subject, the balloon catheter comprising an insertion tube having a distal tip, a force sensor connected to the distal tip, and an inflatable balloon including a proximal portion connected to the force sensor so that the force sensor is disposed between the distal tip of the insertion tube and the inflatable balloon, and multiple electrodes disposed around an outer surface of the balloon, and configured, when the balloon is inflated, to contact tissue at respective locations in the body-part, wherein the force sensor is configured to output at least one force signal indicative of a magnitude and a direction of a force applied by the balloon on the tissue when the balloon is inflated.

Abstract: A catheter adapted for greater mapping resolution and location precision has a basket-shaped, high density electrode assembly for large-area mapping, and an integrated distal tip providing an array of ultra-high density microelectrodes for acute focal mapping. The basket-shaped electrode assembly 18 has a plurality of electrode-carrying spines and the distal tip has a nonmetallic, electrically insulating substrate body with indentations in which microelectrodes are positioned in a manner that the outer surface is generally flush with the outer surface of the substrate body to present a generally smooth, atraumatic distal tip profile.

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: The subject of this disclosure includes an apparatus for visually supporting a tissue ablation procedure, including a display comprising a user interface; and at least one processor in communication with the display, the at least one processor configured to control one or more of a plurality of electrodes of a radiofrequency balloon catheter to ablate organ tissues of one or more targeted pulmonary veins; determine a characteristic, based on ablation parameters of the radiofrequency balloon catheter, of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) success rate; and present, on the display, visual information corresponding to each electrode for an indication, based on the characteristic, for PVI success rate.

Abstract: A medical system includes a probe, an electro-optical measurement unit, and a processor. The probe is configured for insertion into a blood vessel of a brain, and includes two optical fibers, which include each an optical diffuser at distal ends thereof. One fiber is configured to guide an optical signal to a location along the blood vessel and to diffuse the optical signal so as to interact with a brain clot in the blood vessel. The other fiber is configured to collect the diffused optical signal that interacted with the brain clot at another location along the blood vessel. The electro-optical measurement unit is configured to transmit the optical signal to one optical fiber, and to receive and measure the diffused optical signal from the other optical fiber. The processor is configured to identify a composition of the brain clot by analyzing the measured diffused optical signal.

Abstract: A catheter has a multifunctional “virtual” tip electrode with a porous substrate and a multitude of surface microelectrodes. The surface microelectrodes are in close proximity to each other and in a variety of configurations so as to sense tissue for highly localized intracardiac signal detection, and high density local electrograms and mapping. The porous substrate allows for flow of conductive fluid for ablating tissue. The surface microelectrodes can be formed via a metallization process that allows for any shape or size and close proximity, and the fluid “weeping” from the porous substrate provides more uniform irrigation in the form of a thin layer of saline. The delivery of RF power to the catheter tip is based on the principle of “virtual electrode,” where the conductive saline flowing through the porous tip acts as the electrical connection between the tip electrode and the heart surface.

Abstract: A method includes receiving two or more surface representations of at least a portion of an organ of a patient. The two or more received surface representations are registered one with the other. One of the surface representations is selected as a base map. A draggable geodesic region is generated for at least one of the two or more surface representations not selected as a base map, wherein the geodesic region is configured to follow varying anatomy as the region is dragged over the base map. The draggable geodesic region is overlaid on the base map to generate a mixed multilayer representation, and the mixed multilayer representation is presented to a user.

Abstract: Medical apparatus includes one or more magnetic field generators, which are configured to generate magnetic fields within a body of a patient. An invasive probe includes an insertion tube having a distal end, which is configured for insertion into the body, and a plurality of flexible splines configured to be deployed from the distal end of the insertion tube. Each spline includes a flexible, multilayer circuit board and a conductive trace that is formed in at least one layer of the circuit board and is configured to define one or more coils, which are disposed along a length of the spline and output electrical signals in response to the magnetic fields. A processor is coupled to receive and process the electrical signals output by the coils in order to derive respective positions of the flexible splines in the body.

Abstract: An improved thermocouple includes a drawn coaxial thermocouple wire pair having a more precise “hot” junction at which a first and second metallic material electrically connect with each other for measuring temperature. Adapted for use with an electrophysiologic catheter, the improved thermocouple comprising an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end. The body includes a core of a first metallic material, a first coaxial layer of ceramic material, and a second coaxial layer of a second metallic material. The thermocouple further includes a solder cap on the distal end, the solder cap electrically connecting the core and the second layer at the distal end. A method of manufacturing includes drawing the body through a die, and applying solder on a distal end of the body to electrically connect the two metallic materials at the distal end.

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 catheter includes an insertion tube, a flexible substrate and one or more electrical devices. The insertion tube is configured for insertion into a patient body. The flexible substrate is configured to wrap around a distal end of the insertion tube and includes electrical interconnections. The electrical devices are coupled to the flexible substrate and are connected to the electrical interconnections.

Abstract: A distal-end assembly of a medical device, the distal-end assembly includes a flexible substrate and electrical conductors. The flexible substrate is configured to be coupled to a distal end of an insertion tube. The electrical conductors are disposed on the flexible substrate and are shaped to form: (i) one or more electrodes, configured to exchange electrical signals with a proximal end of the medical device, and (ii) one or more printed filters shaped to form at least a resistor, which are disposed adjacently to at least one of the electrodes and are configured to filter signals in a predefined frequency range from the electrical signals exchanged between the at least one of the electrodes and the proximal end.

Abstract: A method for displaying information, including receiving measurements, with respect to an invasive probe inside a body of a subject, of probe parameters consisting of a force exerted by the probe on tissue of the subject and temperatures measured by sensors of the probe. The method further includes, responsively to the measurements, displaying in a single map on a display screen a graphical representation of a distribution of the temperatures in a vicinity of the probe and superimposing thereon a vector representation of the force.

Abstract: A method for producing a distal-end assembly of a medical device, the method includes disposing a first layer on at least part of a given section among one or more sections of a flexible substrate. At one or more selected locations on the given section, which are to serve as electrodes on the distal-end assembly of the medical device, a second layer is disposed so that, when brought into contact with tissue, the second layer has a reduced impedance for transferring electrical signals to or from the tissue at a predefined frequency range, relative to the first layer. The given section is shaped to form the distal-end assembly.