Abstract: A computing device for generating and using a graphical user interface (GUI) is disclosed. The computing device includes one or more controllers configured to generate a graphical representation of a plurality of electrodes of an ablation catheter for displaying via the GUI; designate, via the GUI, at least some of the plurality of electrodes to be active electrodes; automatically designate the active electrodes as a source electrode or a sink electrode; assign an amount of energy to each of the designated source electrodes; and estimate an amount of energy associated with each of the designated sink electrodes based at least in part on the assigned energy of the designated source electrodes.

Abstract: A computing device for generating and using a graphical user interface (GUI) is disclosed. The computing device includes one or more controllers configured to generate a graphical representation of a plurality of electrodes of an ablation catheter for displaying via the GUI; designate, via the GUI, at least some of the plurality of electrodes to be active electrodes; automatically designate the active electrodes as a source electrode or a sink electrode; assign an amount of energy to each of the designated source electrodes; and estimate an amount of energy associated with each of the designated sink electrodes based at least in part on the assigned energy of the designated source electrodes.

Abstract: Methods and systems for cardiac mapping are disclosed. An example system includes a catheter shaft with one or more electrodes coupled to a distal end of the catheter shaft. Electrodes sense electrical signals at anatomical locations within a heart. A processor coupled to the catheter shaft acquires electrogram signals of the heart using the electrodes. Each electrogram signal relates to three-dimensional positional data corresponding to the anatomical locations. The processor also store the electrogram signals of the heart corresponding to electrical activities sensed at corresponding anatomical locations, calculate an activation recovery interval associated with each of the corresponding anatomical locations, determine spatial gradient data of the activation recovery interval based on a distance between at least two neighboring anatomical locations.

Abstract: Methods and systems for cardiac mapping are disclosed. An example system includes a catheter shaft with one or more electrodes coupled to a distal end of the catheter shaft. Electrodes sense electrical signals at anatomical locations within a heart. A processor coupled to the catheter shaft acquires electrogram signals of the heart using the electrodes. Each electrogram signal relates to three-dimensional positional data corresponding to the anatomical locations. The processor also store the electrogram signals of the heart corresponding to electrical activities sensed at corresponding anatomical locations, calculate an activation recovery interval associated with each of the corresponding anatomical locations, determine spatial gradient data of the activation recovery interval based on a distance between at least two neighboring anatomical locations.

Abstract: A medical system for removing far-field signals from a unipolar electrical signal is disclosed. In embodiments, the medical system comprises a catheter and a processing device communicatively coupled to the catheter. The catheter comprises a plurality of electrodes configured to sense a plurality of unipolar signals transmitted through tissue. The processing device is configured to: receive the sensed unipolar electrical signals, determine an electrode having a high level of contact with the tissue, and determine an electrode having a lower level of contact with the tissue than the electrode having the high level of contact with the tissue. Further, the processing device is configured to determine a sensed near-field electrical signal based on the unipolar electrical signal received from the electrode having the high level of contact and the unipolar electrical signal received from the electrode having the lower level of contact.

Abstract: An ablation system includes a radiofrequency (RF) generator configured to generate RF energy; an ablation catheter in communication with the RF generator and including a plurality of ablation electrodes; a camera positioned on the ablation catheter and arranged to take an image that includes at least some of the plurality of ablation electrodes; and one or more processors configured to recommend a subset of the plurality of ablation electrodes to be activate ablation electrodes based, at least in part, on the image.

Abstract: A computing device for generating and using a graphical user interface (GUI) is disclosed. The computing device includes one or more controllers configured to generate a graphical representation of a plurality of electrodes of an ablation catheter for displaying via the GUI; designate, via the GUI, at least some of the plurality of electrodes to be active electrodes; automatically designate the active electrodes as a source electrode or a sink electrode; assign an amount of energy to each of the designated source electrodes; and estimate an amount of energy associated with each of the designated sink electrodes based at least in part on the assigned energy of the designated source electrodes.

Abstract: A medical system including a catheter, a sheath, and a controller. The catheter having a catheter distal end that includes multiple electrodes, the sheath configured to receive the catheter and having a sheath distal end configured to cover one or more of the multiple electrodes, and the controller configured to supply a current between electrodes of the multiple electrodes and to measure voltages from at least two of the multiple electrodes to determine whether one or more of the multiple electrodes is covered by the sheath.

Abstract: A catheter adapted to determine a contact force, the catheter including a proximal segment, a distal segment, and an elastic segment extending from the proximal segment to the distal segment. The distal segment includes a plurality of tip electrodes including at least three radial electrodes disposed about a circumference of the distal segment. The radial electrodes are configured to output electrical signals indicative of a contact vector of the contact force. The elastic segment includes a force sensing device configured to output an electrical signal indicative of a magnitude of an axial component of the contact force, wherein the contact force is determined by scaling the magnitude of the axial component of the contact force by the contact vector.

Abstract: A catheter system includes a catheter comprising a tip assembly, the tip assembly having a plurality of electrodes and the plurality of electrodes are configured to measure electrical signals. The system also includes a processing unit configured to: receive a first electrical signal sensed by a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes and a second electrical signal sensed by a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes. A first vector is determined based on the first electrical signal that corresponds to the first electrode. A second vector is determined based on the second electrical signal that corresponds to the second electrode. A resultant vector is determined by summing at least the first vector and the second vector, wherein the resultant vector is indicative of the orientation of the tip assembly.

Abstract: Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include a system for mapping the electrical activity of the heart. The system may include a catheter shaft with a plurality of electrodes. The system may also include a processor. The processor may be capable of collecting a set of signals from at least one of the plurality of electrodes. The set of signals may be collected over a time period. The processor may also be capable of calculating at least one propagation vector from the set of signals, generating a data set from the at least one propagation vector, generating a statistical distribution of the data set and generating a visual representation of the statistical distribution.

Abstract: A medical system for removing far-field signals from a unipolar electrical signal is disclosed. In embodiments, the medical system comprises a catheter and a processing device communicatively coupled to the catheter. The catheter comprises a plurality of electrodes configured to sense a plurality of unipolar signals transmitted through tissue. The processing device is configured to: receive the sensed unipolar electrical signals, determine an electrode having a high level of contact with the tissue, and determine an electrode having a lower level of contact with the tissue than the electrode having the high level of contact with the tissue. Further, the processing device is configured to determine a sensed near-field electrical signal based on the unipolar electrical signal received from the electrode having the high level of contact and the unipolar electrical signal received from the electrode having the lower level of contact.

Abstract: Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example system for mapping the electrical activity of the heart includes a catheter shaft. The catheter shaft includes a plurality of electrodes including a first and a second electrode. The system also includes a processor. The processor is capable of collecting a first signal corresponding to a first electrode over a time period and generating a first time-frequency distribution corresponding to the first signal. The first time-frequency distribution includes a first dominant frequency value representation occurring at one or more first base frequencies. The processor is also capable of applying a filter to the first signal or derivatives thereof to determine whether the first dominant frequency value representation includes a single first dominant frequency value at a first base frequency or two or more first dominant frequency values at two or more base frequencies.

Abstract: Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include a system for mapping the electrical activity of the heart. The system may include a catheter shaft with a plurality of electrodes. The system may also include a processor. The processor may be capable of collecting a set of signals from at least one of the plurality of electrodes. The set of signals may be collected over a time period. The processor may also be capable of calculating at least one propagation vector from the set of signals, generating a data set from the at least one propagation vector, generating a statistical distribution of the data set and generating a visual representation of the statistical distribution.

Abstract: Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example system for mapping the electrical activity of the heart includes a catheter shaft. The catheter shaft includes a plurality of electrodes including a first and a second electrode. The system also includes a processor. The processor is capable of collecting a first signal corresponding to a first electrode over a time period and generating a first time-frequency distribution corresponding to the first signal. The first time-frequency distribution includes a first dominant frequency value representation occurring at one or more first base frequencies. The processor is also capable of applying a filter to the first signal or derivatives thereof to determine whether the first dominant frequency value representation includes a single first dominant frequency value at a first base frequency or two or more first dominant frequency values at two or more base frequencies.

Abstract: Methods and systems for cardiac mapping are disclosed. An example system includes a catheter shaft with one or more electrodes coupled to a distal end of the catheter shaft. Electrodes sense electrical signals at anatomical locations within a heart. A processor coupled to the catheter shaft acquires electrogram signals of the heart using the electrodes. Each electrogram signal relates to three-dimensional positional data corresponding to the anatomical locations. The processor also store the electrogram signals of the heart corresponding to electrical activities sensed at corresponding anatomical locations, calculate an activation recovery interval associated with each of the corresponding anatomical locations, determine spatial gradient data of the activation recovery interval based on a distance between at least two neighboring anatomical locations.

Abstract: Methods and systems for cardiac mapping are disclosed. An example system includes a catheter shaft with one or more electrodes coupled to a distal end of the catheter shaft. Electrodes sense electrical signals at anatomical locations within a heart. A processor coupled to the catheter shaft acquires electrogram signals of the heart using the electrodes. Each electrogram signal relates to three-dimensional positional data corresponding to the anatomical locations. The processor also store the electrogram signals of the heart corresponding to electrical activities sensed at corresponding anatomical locations, calculate an activation recovery interval associated with each of the corresponding anatomical locations, determine spatial gradient data of the activation recovery interval based on a distance between at least two neighboring anatomical locations.

Abstract: An electrophysiology system includes a catheter having a flexible catheter body with a distal portion; and electrodes disposed on the distal portion. The system includes a signal generator configured to generate an electrical signal by driving one or more currents between a first set of the electrodes, where a second set of the electrodes is configured to obtain an impedance measurement based on the electrical signal. A mapping processor is configured to receive the impedance measurement from the second set of electrodes; determine at least one impedance metric; and determine at least one lesion characteristic based on the at least one impedance metric.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention facilitate real-time ablation lesion characteristic analysis. In an embodiment, an electrophysiology system comprises a catheter, a signal generator and a mapping processor. The catheter includes a flexible catheter body having a distal portion and a plurality of electrodes disposed on the distal portion. The signal generator is configured to generate an electrical signal by driving one or more currents between a first set of the plurality of electrodes, wherein a second set of the plurality of electrodes is configured to obtain an impedance measurement based on the electrical signal. Furthermore, the mapping processor configured to: receive the impedance measurement from the second set of electrodes; determine at least one impedance metric; and determine, based on the at least one impedance metric, a likelihood of an occurrence of a steam pop.

Abstract: Medical devices and method for generating multi-time scale waveforms for display of sensor measurements are disclosed. Sensed or measured output signals from a sensor, such as a catheter, are processed to generate a first data set that uses a first time scale and a second data set that uses a second time scale. The generated data sets are then displayed on a display by juxtaposing the first data set with the second data set. In this manner, measurement data from the sensor can be shown in dual time scales that allow for faster and more efficient visual diagnostic assessments.