Abstract: A catheter assembly comprises a sheath, which includes a side wall enclosing an interior bore, a distal region, and an opening in the sidewall. The assembly also comprises a bendable catheter tube, which is carried for sliding movement in the interior bore. The catheter tube has a distal portion. The assembly further comprises a coupling, which joins the distal region of the sheath and the distal portion of the catheter tube. The coupling causes bending of the catheter tube outwardly through the opening, in response to sliding movement of the catheter tube within the interior bore toward the distal region of the sheath.

Abstract: A catheter assembly comprises a sheath, which includes a side wall enclosing an interior bore, a distal region, and an opening in the sidewall. The assembly also comprises a bendable catheter tube, which is carried for sliding movement in the interior bore. The catheter tube has a distal portion. The assembly further comprises a coupling, which joins the distal region of the sheath and the distal portion of the catheter tube. The coupling causes bending of the catheter tube outwardly through the opening, in response to sliding movement of the catheter tube within the interior bore toward the distal region of the sheath.

Abstract: A method of ablating tissue in the heart to treat atrial fibrillation introduces into a selected atrium an energy emitting element. The method exposes the element to a region of the atrial wall and applies ablating energy to the element to thermally destroy tissue. The method forms a convoluted lesion pattern comprising elongated straight lesions and elongated curvilinear lesions. The lesion pattern directs electrical impulses within the atrial myocardium along a path that activates the atrial myocardium while interrupting reentry circuits that, if not interrupted, would cause fibrillation. The method emulates the surgical maze procedure, but lends itself to catheter-based procedures that do not require open heart surgical techniques. A composite structure for performing the method is formed using a template that displays in planar view a desired lesion pattern for the tissue. An array of spaced apart element is laid on the template.

Abstract: A diagnostic apparatus including a catheter carrying a first ultrasonic transducer adapted to be inserted into a patient, a second ultrasonic transducer adapted to be placed in spaced relation to the catheter at either a known location within the patient's body or a known location associated with the exterior surface of the patient's body, a processing device operably connected to at least the first ultrasonic transducer, and a display device.

Abstract: A method of ablating tissue in the heart to treat atrial fibrillation introduces into a selected atrium an energy emitting element. The method exposes the element to a region of the atrial wall and applies ablating energy to the element to thermally destroy tissue. The method forms a convoluted lesion pattern comprising elongated straight lesions and elongated curvilinear lesions. The lesion pattern directs electrical impulses within the atrial myocardium along a path that activates the atrial myocardium while interrupting reentry circuits that, if not interrupted, would cause fibrillation. The method emulates the surgical maze procedure, but lends itself to catheter-based procedures that do not require open heart surgical techniques. A composite structure for performing the method is formed using a template that displays in planar view a desired lesion pattern for the tissue. An array of spaced apart element is laid on the template.

Abstract: Systems and methods ablate tissue within the body using a flexible guide element having an axis. A mechanism flexes the element along its axis. The flexible element carries a region for emitting energy. The region creates a lesion having a contour that follows the flexure of the element. The region creates a single continuous lesion that is curvilinear, long and thin. Manipulating such systems and methods creates diverse, specially shaped lesions in body tissue.

Abstract: A catheter assembly comprises a sheath, which includes a side wall enclosing an interior bore, a distal region, and an opening in the sidewall. The assembly also comprises a bendable catheter tube, which is carried for sliding movement in the interior bore. The catheter tube has a distal portion. The assembly further comprises a coupling, which joins the distal region of the sheath and the distal portion of the catheter tube. The coupling causes bending of the catheter tube outwardly through the opening, in response to sliding movement of the catheter tube within the interior bore toward the distal region of the sheath.

Abstract: A diagnostic apparatus including a catheter carrying a first ultrasonic transducer adapted to be inserted into a patient, a second ultrasonic transducer adapted to be placed in spaced relation to the catheter at either a known location within the patient's body or a known location associated with the exterior surface of the patient's body, a processing device operably connected to at least the first ultrasonic transducer, and a display device.

Abstract: Systems and methods sense electrical events about a selected annulus region of the heart to identify the location of an accessory pathway. The systems and methods establish a contact site between heart tissue along the selected annulus and a multi-electrode array having a generally circular shape that conforms to the circumferential geometry of the selected annulus region. The systems and methods maintain the site of contact between the electrode array and heart tissue, while conveying signals representing electrical events sensed by bipolar pairs of the electrodes in the selected annulus region, The systems and methods display the signals as graphic information that represents the time differences between the atrial and ventricular electrogram complexes sensed by bipolar pairs of the electrodes on the selected annulus region. The bipolar pair of electrodes displaying the least time separation between the atrial and ventricular complexes identifies the region of the accessory pathway.

Abstract: Systems and methods sense electrical events about a selected annulus region of the heart to identify the location of an accessory pathway. The systems and methods establish a contact site between heart tissue along the selected annulus and a multi-electrode array having a generally circular shape that conforms to the circumferential geometry of the selected annulus region. The systems and methods maintain the site of contact between the electrode array and heart tissue, while conveying signals representing electrical events sensed by bipolar pairs of the electrodes in the selected annulus region. The systems and methods display the signals as graphic information that represents the time differences between the atrial and ventricular electrogram complexes sensed by bipolar pairs of the electrodes on the selected annulus region. The bipolar pair of electrodes displaying the least time separation between the atrial and ventricular complexes identifies the region of the accessory pathway.

Abstract: Systems and methods sense electrical events in heart tissue to identify the location of an arrhythmogenic focus for ablation. The systems and methods establish a contact site between heart tissue and a curvilinear electrode array. The systems and methods monitor signals representing electrical events sensed by the electrodes in the contact site. The signals are displayed as graphic information that represents the time sequence in which the electrodes sense a given electrical event. By moving the electrode array to one or additional contact sites in the general direction of the electrode that first sensed the electrical event, the physician homes in on a contact site in which all electrodes on the array sense the given electrical event at generally the same time. This contact site contains the arrhythmogenic focus. The systems and methods convey ablating energy to bipolar pairs of the electrodes to form large bipolar lesions in heart tissue.

Abstract: A method of ablating tissue in the heart to treat atrial fibrillation introduces into a selected atrium an energy emitting element. The method exposes the element to a region of the atrial wall and applies ablating energy to the element to thermally destroy tissue. The method forms a convoluted lesion pattern comprising elongated straight lesions and elongated curvilinear lesions. The lesion pattern directs electrical impulses within the atrial myocardium along a path that activates the atrial myocardium while interrupting reentry circuits that, if not interrupted, would cause fibrillation. The method emulates the surgical maze procedure, but lends itself to catheter-based procedures that do not require open heart surgical techniques. A composite structure for performing the method is formed using a template that displays in planar view a desired lesion pattern for the tissue. An array of spaced apart element is laid on the template.

Abstract: An anvil roll has a steel core and an outer portion of polyurethane. The roll is slightly rotated after a number of veneer clipping operations by a clutch which drives the roll after the roll is pushed by a knife down away from arcuate braking surfaces. An airbag normally urges the roll into engagement with the braking surfaces and is collapsed during adjustment of the roll. Operation of the clutch is prevented during the clipping operation. A double-acting cylinder drives the knife through a toggle joint linkage, and cushioning cylinder means aid in overcoming inertia of the knife at the start of a clipping cycle and also cushion the return of the knife. The cylinder has poppet check valves to rapidly admit air thereto.

Abstract: An anvil roll has a steel core and an outer portion of polyurethane. The roll is slightly rotated after a number of veneer clipping operations by a clutch which drives the roll after the roll is pushed by a knife down away from arcuate braking surfaces. An airbag normally urges the roll into engagement with the braking surfaces and is collapsed during adjustment of the roll. Operation of the clutch is prevented during the clipping operation. A double-acting cylinder drives the knife through a toggle joint linkage, and cushioning cylinder means aid in overcoming inertia of the knife at the start of a clipping cycle and also cushion the return of the knife. The cylinder has poppet check valves to rapidly admit air thereto.