Abstract: A system for use with a catheter having a distal structure including a plurality of electrodes includes a display and a processor. The processor is configured to ascertain a number of the electrodes contacting an ostium of a pulmonary vein, and in response to the number equaling or exceeding a predefined lower threshold, carry out an iterative process. The process includes, during each iteration of the process, in response to the number being less than a predefined higher threshold, computing an adjustment to a current pose of the distal structure, and displaying, on the display, a target-pose icon, which represents the distal structure, offset, per the adjustment, from a current-pose icon representing the distal structure at the current pose. Other examples are also described.

Abstract: A system includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive multiple electrophysiological (EP) signals from a tissue area along an ablation curve inside a cardiac chamber of a heart of a patient. The processor is configured to (i) generate local conduction vectors (LCVs) for the area based on the multiple EP signals, (ii) estimate a level of change between sets of LCVs along the ablation curve within the tissue area, and (iii) based on the level of change, identify a presence of a conduction gap in the ablation curve.

Abstract: A method includes receiving or generating a volume map of at least a portion of a cavity of an organ of a body including a plurality of mapped locations, and a point cloud of locations in the cavity marked for treatment. The volume map is updated by removing a portion of the mapped locations, so that the locations marked for treatment fall on a surface of the volume map. Using the updated volume map, a map of at least a portion of the cavity is generated, the map including the locations marked for treatment. The map is displayed to user.

Abstract: A system includes a display and a processor. The processor is configured to obtain a point cloud including multiple points representing different respective locations in a body of a subject, the points being labeled as corresponding to respective anatomical structures to which the locations, respectively, belong. The anatomical structures including a first structure and multiple second structures. The processor is further configured to compute a mesh including multiple triangles representing the anatomical structures, by applying a ball-pivoting algorithm to the point cloud with a constraint that none of the triangles include two of the points labeled as corresponding to different respective ones of the second structures. Other examples are also described.

Abstract: A system includes a display and a processor. The processor is configured to: (i) estimate, based on signals, multiple regions of tissue on a surface of an organ, which are affected by multiple respective electrodes positioned in the organ, (ii) calculate, for at least a subset of the electrodes, a unified region of the tissue affected by the subset, and (iii) display a mark indicative of the unified region on the display.

Abstract: A system includes a display and a processor. The processor obtains a three-dimensional mesh representing a first anatomical portion and a second anatomical portion, which is connected to the first anatomical portion. The processor receives, from a user, an input indicating a boundary between the first and second anatomical portions, fits a closed curve to multiple points on the mesh based on the input, and performs an iterative process, in response to the curve not segmenting the mesh into two separate parts, until the curve segments the mesh into two separate parts. Each iteration includes moving each of the points to another location on the mesh, and subsequently to moving each point, refitting the curve to the points. The processor is further configured to display the mesh on the display, based on the curve, so as to demarcate the first anatomical portion from the second anatomical portion.

Abstract: A system includes a display and a processor. The display is configured to display at least a map of an organ having tissue including first and second surfaces that are facing one another. The processor is configured to: (i) receive a first position of a first lesion formed by ablating the first surface, (ii) calculate on the second surface, a second position that is facing the first position, and (iii) display, over the map, a marker indicative of the second position for guiding a user to produce in the tissue a second lesion facing the first lesion.

Abstract: A method includes inserting a catheter into an organ of a patient and selecting, in a three-dimensional (3D) image of the organ, a plane of interest (POI). A first image, which includes an endoscopic view of the 3D image from a direction facing the POI, is produced. A second image, which includes a sectional view of the 3D image that is clipped by the POI, is produced, and the first and second images are displayed to a user.

Abstract: A method for identifying candidate locations for ablation includes receiving an electrophysiological (EP) map comprising anatomical surface of cardiac chamber overlaid with (i) activation wave velocity vectors, (ii) data points comprising positions on surface and respective local activation times (LAT), and (iii) areas designated by early meet late (EML) LAT range. Set of shortest paths on cardiac surface is identified between different EML areas. One or more ranges of LAT values are selected, being characterized by lowest prevalence over data points of EP map. Complex tags are generated for positions having the LAT values within the one or more ranges of LAT values having lowest prevalence. Subset of the shortest paths is selected based on (i) density of complex tags along shortest paths and (ii) directions of activation wave velocity vectors relative to each of shortest paths. Selected subset of shortest paths are presented as candidate slow-conduction areas for ablation.

Abstract: A method for generating a skeleton in an image of a cavity of an organ of a body includes receiving a map of the cavity, the map including surface voxels and interior voxels. A subset of the interior voxels is generated, of candidate locations to be on the skeleton. The subset is pruned by removing outlier candidate locations. Using a geometrical model including a statistical model, the candidate locations remaining in the pruned subset are spatially compressed. The compressed candidate locations are connected to produce one or more centerlines of the skeleton. At least the skeleton is displayed to user.

Abstract: In one example, method includes receiving an electrophysiological (EP) map of at least a portion of a surface of a cardiac chamber, the EP map including multiple EP values overlayed at multiple respective positions on the surface. A clinical input is identified, that was marked on the EP map by a user using an input device. One or more of the EP values are automatically adjusted to be consistent with the clinical input.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for linking a point-list to a three-dimensional anatomy of the heart. Techniques disclosed include recording a point-list, where each entry in the point-list comprises data elements, and is associated with a location in the heart and a measurement. The associated measurement is acquired by an electrode of a catheter that is placed at the associated location in the heart. Techniques disclosed further include selecting one or more anchor points associated with a region of interest in the heart, then, for each entry in the recorded point-list, computing a data element of distance between the entry's associated location in the heart and the selected one or more anchor points, and manipulating entries in the point-list based on their respective data elements.

Abstract: A system includes an input device and a processor. The processor is configured to add, to a point cloud representing an anatomical volume, multiple points corresponding to respective locations of a probe within the anatomical volume, to remove a subset of the points from the point cloud in response to an input received via the input device, subsequently to adding the points, and to add, to the point cloud, other points corresponding to respective subsequent locations of the probe within the anatomical volume, subsequently to removing the subset. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a medical system includes a catheter configured to be inserted into a chamber of a heart, and including electrodes configured to capture electrical activity of tissue of the chamber over time, a display, and processing circuitry configured to compute a propagation of a cardiac activation wave over an anatomical map of the chamber of the heart from a start time in a cardiac cycle to an end time in the cardiac cycle responsively to the captured electrical activity, and render to the display respective portions of the propagation of the cardiac activation wave over respective portions of the anatomical map as viewed from a virtual camera while manipulating the virtual camera to follow progression of the propagation of the cardiac activation wave over the anatomical map.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a medical system includes a catheter to be inserted into a chamber of a heart, and including electrodes to capture electrical activity of tissue of the chamber over time, a display, and processing circuitry configured to compute a propagation of a cardiac activation wave over an anatomical map of the chamber from a start time in a cardiac cycle to an end time in the cardiac cycle responsively to the captured electrical activity, render to the display a sub-region of the anatomical map, select a time-bounded portion of the propagation of the cardiac activation wave commencing at a time after the start time responsively to when the propagation would commence to be rendered in the sub-region of the anatomical map, and render to the display the time-bound portion of the propagation of the cardiac activation wave on the sub-region of the anatomical map.

Abstract: A method includes calculating a first medial-axis tree graph of a volume of an organ of a patient in a first computerized anatomical map of the volume, acquired at a first time. A second medial-axis tree graph is calculated, of a volume of the organ of the patient in a second computerized anatomical map of the volume, acquired at a second time that is different from the first time. A deviation is detected and estimated, between the first and second tree-graphs. Using the estimated deviation, the first and second medial-axis tree graphs are registered with one another. Using the registered first and second tree graphs, the first and second computerized anatomical maps are combined.

Abstract: A method includes calculating a medial-axis tree graph of a volume of an organ of a patient in a computerized anatomical map of the volume. A predefined number of major branches in the tree graph are identified. Using the identified major branches, one or more known anatomical opening regions of the volume are identified in the anatomical map.

Abstract: A method includes presenting, on a display, an electroanatomical (EA) map of a surface of a cavity of an organ. Input is received from a user, and, in response to the user input, a region of the EA map is locked to subsequent updates.

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: A method includes receiving or generating (i) a volume map of at least a portion of a cavity of an organ of a body including a plurality of mapped locations, and (ii) ablation locations inside the cavity. The volume map is updated by removing a portion of the mapped locations, so that the ablation locations inside the cavity fall on a surface of the volume map. Using the updated volume map, a map of at least a portion of the cavity is generated, that includes the ablation locations located on a surface of the updated volume map. The map is displayed to a user.