Abstract: In one embodiment, a medical system includes a catheter configured to be inserted into a body part of a living subject, and including a deflectable element having a distal end, an expandable distal end assembly disposed at the distal end of the deflectable element, and comprising a plurality of electrodes, a distal portion, and a proximal portion, and configured to expand from a collapsed form to an expanded deployed form, and a stretchable irrigation tube disposed between the distal portion and the proximal portion, and comprising a plurality of irrigation holes, and configured to stretch longitudinally when the distal end assembly is collapsed from the expanded deployed form to the collapsed form.

Abstract: A system includes a fixture, a laser assembly, and a positioning assembly. The fixture is configured to hold (i) a substrate of a distal-end assembly of a catheter and (ii) a lead placed on a given solder pad disposed on the substrate, the laser assembly is configured to emit a laser beam, and the positioning assembly is configured to move the fixture, with the substrate and the lead, relative to the laser assembly, so as to mark a soldering position, at which the lead is to be attached to the given solder pad, with a laser spot of the laser beam.

Abstract: A catheter configured to be used in a medical procedure includes a shaft and electrically conductive splines. The splines can include an insulated portion and a non-insulated portion configured to electrically ablate tissue. The catheter can include one or more electrodes coupled to insulated portion(s) of the splines and configured to sense electrical signals in the tissue. The splines can be coupled to an apex, forming an expandable distal-end assembly. The catheter can include a bump stop coupled to the apex and configured to maintain a minimal distance between the apex and the distal tip of the shaft. An ablation system can include the catheter, a generator, and a processor configured to control ablation energy from the generator to the splines such that ablation energy is applied to a first spline without applying ablation energy to a second spline.

Abstract: A medical probe is presented including an expandable basket assembly coupled to a distal end of a tubular shaft. The basket assembly includes a cloverleaf cutout structure at its distal end and spines extending proximally from the cloverleaf structure and coupling to the tubular shaft. The cloverleaf structure includes a sinusoidal-like member extending from one spine to an adjacent spine in a direction around the longitudinal axis. Dimensions of the sinusoidal-like member can be configured to provide a lateral stiffness of the expandable basket assembly within a predetermined range and a maximum peak stress during retraction of the expandable basket assembly into an intermediate catheter such that the maximum peak stress is less than a predetermined threshold.

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: The present disclosure provides a flexible circuit strip for use in a catheter assembly. The flexible circuit strip comprises a first insulating layer, a second insulating layer and a third insulating layer, each having an elongated shape and bonded together such that the second insulating layer is between the first and third insulating layers; a conductive trace layer positioned between the first and second insulating layers, the conductive trace layer including longitudinal circuit traces for carrying electrical signals; electrodes positioned along a length of an outer surface of the first insulating layer and electrically connected to the circuit traces; and a longitudinal hollow channel formed between any two of the first, second and third layers, the longitudinal hollow channel being configured to receive an elongated support element.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein generally include a catheter with a basket assembly at a distal tip having an atraumatic structure on a distal portion of the basket assembly and a distal sensor coupled to the atraumatic structure. The basket assembly includes spines that collapse for delivery through a delivery sheath catheter and self-expand upon exiting a distal end of the delivery sheath catheter. The basket assembly can further include a proximal sensor coupled to a shaft of the catheter, and position signals from the shaft sensor and the distal sensor can be used to determine position of electrodes of the basket assembly when the basket assembly is pressed to tissue or another surface.

Abstract: A method of constructing an electrophysiology catheter having a flex circuit electrode assembly includes: providing a flex circuit having a substrate, a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer; removing the first conductive layer to expose a first surface of the substrate; forming the wiring electrode in the second conductive layer with one exclusion zone; forming a first through-hole in the substrate to provide one conductive via and forming a second through-hole to provide an irrigation aperture in alignment with the exclusion zone; forming the contact electrode on first surface of the substrate; placing conductive material into the first through-hole to form the conductive via, the conductive via extending through the substrate and electrically coupling the wiring electrode and the contact electrode; and coupling a first conductor and a second conductor to the wiring electrode to form a thermocouple.

Abstract: The disclosed technology includes a spine member for an end effector, the spine member extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end. The spine member includes a unidirectional proximal stop member to allow an electrode to slide in a direction distally but not proximally and a distal stop member to prevent an electrode from sliding past.

Abstract: A phacoemulsification system includes a phacoemulsification probe and one or more signal generators. The phacoemulsification probe includes (i) a piezoelectric actuator, (ii) a segmented electrode, including multiple electrode segments attached to respective angular sections of a face of the piezoelectric actuator, (iii) a common ground electrode attached to the piezoelectric actuator, and (iv) a needle configured to be inserted into a lens capsule of an eye and to be vibrated by the piezoelectric actuator. The one or more signal generators are configured to vibrate the piezoelectric actuator by applying multiple drive signals between the multiple respective electrode segments and the common ground electrode.

Abstract: In one exemplary mode, a catheter apparatus includes an elongated deflectable element including a distal end, a flexible puller including a distal portion, and configured to be retracted through the deflectable element, and an expandable assembly including a plurality of resilient splines, each resilient spline including at least one electrode disposed thereon, the resilient splines being disposed circumferentially around the distal portion of the puller, with first ends of the splines being coupled with the distal end of the deflectable element and second ends of the splines coupled with the distal portion of the puller, the splines being configured to bow radially outward in a relaxed form of the expandable assembly and bow further radially outward when the puller is retracted expanding the expandable assembly from the relaxed form to an expanded form.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a shaft and a folding fan catheter. The shaft is configured for insertion through a sheath into a cavity of an organ of a patient. The folding fan catheter is fixed to a distal end of the shaft and includes (a) a resilient foldable frame, which is fixed to the distal end of the shaft and is configured to be unfolded so as to assume a fan shape, (b) one or more flexible surfaces, coupled to the frame to form a fan-shaped surface when the frame is unfolded, and (c) a plurality of electrodes that are disposed over the one or more flexible surfaces and are configured to contact tissue.

Abstract: A medical probe can include electrodes for ablation and sensing proximity to tissue and/or monitoring electrical signals within the cardiovascular system to identify aberrant conductive tissue sites that are responsible for an arrhythmia. The electrodes can be oriented on an end effector assembly, such as a basket assembly, such that one side of an electrode is positioned to contact tissue and the opposite side is inhibited from contacting tissue. To enable both efficient delivery of energy as well as high sensitivity for ECG sensing an impedance reducing coating can be positioned on the tissue contacting side and an impedance increasing coating can be applied on the opposite side. The impedance increasing coating of an IRE electrode can be thin enough to allow energy to be delivered through the coating during ablation. An RF electrode an have sufficient mass to carry electrical energy for thermal ablation.

Abstract: A system includes a medical probe and a processor. The medical probe includes a shaft for insertion into a cavity of an organ of a patient; an expandable assembly fitted at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the expandable assembly has elastic properties; a position sensing element mounted on the distal end of the shaft; and at least one distal position sensing element on a distal end of the expandable assembly. The processor senses relative location of each of the at least one distal position sensing element and the proximal position sensing element; determines deflection of the expandable assembly based on the relative location; relates the deflection to the contact force applied on the expandable assembly; and provides an indication of the contact force on a display.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a medical probe having a flexible insertion tube, a basket assembly, and a plurality of electrodes. The basket assembly has a proximal end that is connected distally to the insertion tube and includes a plurality of resilient spines, which have respective outer sides and inner sides and are configured to bow radially outward from an axis of the basket assembly and are conjoined at the proximal end and at a distal end of the basket assembly. The plurality of electrodes are fixed to respective ones of the spines in respective longitudinal positions that are staggered on any given spine relative to the longitudinal positions of the electrodes on the spines adjacent to the given spine, and which include a conductive material that is biased towards the respective outer sides of the spines.

Abstract: A catheter includes an expandable frame for insertion into an organ of a patient, one or more first electrodes, and a second electrode. The one or more first electrodes are disposed on the expandable frame at one or more first positions for placing in contact with a target tissue of the organ, and are configured to perform one or both of: (i) sensing one or more electrical signals from the target tissue, and (ii) applying one or more ablation pulses to the target tissue. The second electrode is disposed within an internal volume of the expandable frame, at a second position that is not in contact with the target tissue while the one or more first electrodes contact the target tissue, and is configured to serve as a return or common electrode for the electrical signals.

Abstract: An example expandable basket assembly for a medical probe may include a plurality of spines extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal central proximal spine portion to a distal spine portion. The distal spine portion may define a cloverleaf structure disposed radially around the longitudinal axis. The cloverleaf structure may define a central cutout with a central area disposed about the longitudinal axis. The cloverleaf structure may include a sinusoidal-like member extending from one spine to an adjacent spine in a direction around the longitudinal axis. The sinusoidal-like member may include a plurality of distal facing portions, a plurality of proximal facing portions, and at least one side connector connecting two adjacent distal facing portions to one another. The at least one side connector may strengthen a distal end of the expandable basket.

Abstract: A catheter configured to be used in a medical procedure includes a shaft and electrically conductive splines. The splines can include an insulated portion and a non-insulated portion configured to electrically ablate tissue. The catheter can include one or more electrodes coupled to insulated portion(s) of the splines and configured to sense electrical signals in the tissue. The splines can be coupled to an apex, forming an expandable distal-end assembly. The catheter can include a bump stop coupled to the apex and configured to maintain a minimal distance between the apex and the distal tip of the shaft. An ablation system can include the catheter, a generator, and a processor configured to control ablation energy from the generator to the splines such that ablation energy is applied to a first spline without applying ablation energy to a second spline.

Abstract: A catheter includes an expandable frame for insertion into an organ of a patient, one or more first electrodes, and a second electrode. The one or more first electrodes are disposed on the expandable frame at one or more first positions for placing in contact with a target tissue of the organ, and are configured to perform one or both of: (i) sensing one or more electrical signals from the target tissue, and (ii) applying one or more ablation pulses to the target tissue. The second electrode is disposed within an internal volume of the expandable frame, at a second position that is not in contact with the target tissue while the one or more first electrodes contact the target tissue, and is configured to serve as a return or common electrode for the electrical signals.

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.