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: The subject of this disclosure is devices, systems, and uses thereof to treat a plurality of patients for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The solution can include delivering a multi-electrode radiofrequency balloon catheter and a multi-electrode diagnostic catheter to one or more targeted pulmonary veins; ablating tissue of the one or more targeted pulmonary veins using the multi-electrode radiofrequency balloon catheter; diagnosing the one or more targeted pulmonary veins using the multi-electrode diagnostic catheter; and achieving at least one of a predetermined clinical effectiveness and acute effectiveness of the method or use based on use of the multi-electrode radiofrequency balloon catheter and the multi-electrode diagnostic catheter in the isolation of the one or more targeted pulmonary veins.

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: An apparatus includes a flexible electrically-insulating substrate including an inner surface and an outer surface. The substrate is shaped to define multiple channels passing between the inner surface and the outer surface, at least some of the channels being concave channels. The apparatus further includes an outer layer of an electrically-conducting metal covering at least part of the outer surface, an inner layer of the electrically-conducting metal covering at least part of the inner surface, and respective columns of the electrically-conducting metal that fill the channels such as to connect the outer layer to the inner layer.

Abstract: A system includes a catheter and a processor. The catheter includes an expandable distal-end assembly (EDEA) having: (i) a transmitter, which is coupled to the EDEA and is configured to transmit a first signal, and (ii) one or more receivers, which are coupled to an elastic component of the EDEA, and are configured to produce one or more respective second signals in response to receiving the first signal. The processor is configured to estimate, based on the one or more respective second signals, a force applied to the elastic component.

Abstract: Medical apparatus includes an insertion tube configured for insertion into a body cavity of a patient and an expandable assembly connected distally to the insertion tube and comprising electrodes, which are configured to apply electrical energy to tissue within the body cavity. A flexible porous sheath is fitted over the expandable assembly and configured to contact the tissue within the body cavity so that the electrical energy is applied from the electrodes through the sheath to the tissue.

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: Embodiments of the present invention include a medical probe having an insertion tube, a basket assembly, an axial electrode, and a plurality of radial electrodes. The insertion tube is configured for insertion into a body cavity of a patient. The basket assembly has a proximal end that is connected distally to the insertion tube and includes a plurality of resilient spines, which are configured to bow radially outward from an axis of the basket assembly and are conjoined at a distal end of the basket assembly. The axial electrode is disposed at the distal end of the basket assembly, having a diameter of at least 1.5 millimeters, and is configured to contact tissue in the body cavity. The plurality of radial electrodes are configured to contact the tissue in the body cavity and include radial electrodes disposed on the spines.

Abstract: Medical apparatus includes an insertion tube configured for insertion into a body cavity of a patient and an expandable assembly connected distally to the insertion tube and comprising electrodes, which are configured to apply electrical energy to tissue within the body cavity. A flexible porous sheath is fitted over the expandable assembly and configured to contact the tissue within the body cavity so that the electrical energy is applied from the electrodes through the sheath to the tissue.

Abstract: An eye surgery system includes an Input/Output (I/O) device and a processor. The I/O device is configured to enable a user to define one or more eye surgery protocols, and further configured to, using the I/O device, present a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays one or more user defined eye surgery protocols. The processor is configured to (a) present the one or more user defined eye surgery protocols on the I/O device using the GUI, (b) test compatibility of the one or more user defined eye surgery protocols with the eye surgery system, and (c) provide an indication of the compatibility to a user of the eye surgery system.

Abstract: A system and method include vibrating a needle of a phacoemulsification handpiece by driving one or more piezoelectric crystals in the handpiece with one or more electrical signals having different respective frequencies using one or more respective drive modules. The needle is inserted into an eye of a patient. The frequencies of the electrical signals are tuned to respective one or more target frequencies, and respective electrical impedances seen by the drive modules are registered. In response to an electrical impedance seen by at least one of the drive modules undergoing a change exceeding a preset impedance change, an indication is provided that material in the eye surrounding the needle has changed, a level of vibration of the needle is changed, and/or the frequency of at least one of the drive modules is adjusted to an electrical resonant frequency thereof.

Abstract: A catheter includes a shaft for insertion into an organ of a patient, an expandable distal-end assembly, and at least an electrical interconnection. The expandable distal-end assembly is coupled to the shaft and includes multiple splines, at least one of the splines includes a flexible substrate, which is configured to conform to tissue of the organ. The electrical interconnection has: (i) a first section, which is formed within the flexible substrate and is configured to conduct ablation signals, and (ii) a second section thicker than the first section, which is formed over an outer surface of the flexible substrate and is configured to apply the ablation signals to the tissue.

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: An apparatus includes a flexible electrically-insulating substrate including an inner surface and an outer surface. The substrate is shaped to define multiple channels passing between the inner surface and the outer surface, at least some of the channels being concave channels. The apparatus further includes an outer layer of an electrically-conducting metal covering at least part of the outer surface, an inner layer of the electrically-conducting metal covering at least part of the inner surface, and respective columns of the electrically-conducting metal that fill the channels such as to connect the outer layer to the inner layer.

Abstract: The subject of this disclosure is devices, systems, and uses thereof to treat a plurality of patients for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The solution can include delivering a multi-electrode radiofrequency balloon catheter and a multi-electrode diagnostic catheter to one or more targeted pulmonary veins; ablating tissue of the one or more targeted pulmonary veins using the multi-electrode radiofrequency balloon catheter; diagnosing the one or more targeted pulmonary veins using the multi-electrode diagnostic catheter; and achieving at least one of a predetermined clinical effectiveness and acute effectiveness of the method or use based on use of the multi-electrode radiofrequency balloon catheter and the multi-electrode diagnostic catheter in the isolation of the one or more targeted pulmonary veins.

Abstract: Medical apparatus includes a flexible insertion tube, which has a first outer diameter and has a distal end configured for insertion into a cavity within a body of a patient. A rigid cylindrical electrode is fixed to the distal end of the flexible insertion tube and is configured to contact tissue within the cavity, and which has a second outer diameter that is at least 10% greater than the first outer diameter.

Abstract: A method for tissue assessment includes ablating tissue at a site within a body of a living subject using an invasive probe applied to the site. At a first stage in ablation of the tissue, first measurements are made of scattered light intensities from the site at a plurality of different wavelengths. At a second stage in the ablation of the tissue, subsequent to the first stage, second measurements are made of the scattered light intensities from the site at the plurality of different wavelengths. Progress of the ablation is assessed by computing different, respective measures of change in the scattered light intensities at the different wavelengths occurring between the first and second measurements, and comparing the respective measures.

Abstract: A catheter is made by coextruding first and second molten polymers, wherein the second molten polymer forms a flexible inner core and the first molten polymer forms exactly two bands on opposite sides of the inner core. The inner core is braided, and a third molten polymer extruded onto the braid to form a flexible jacket that encloses the braid, the bands and the inner core. The bands are more rigid than the inner core, and they provide preferential in-plane bending.

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: An apparatus includes a shaft, configured for insertion into a body of a subject, an inflatable balloon disposed over the shaft, a plurality of leaf electrodes coupled to the balloon and shaped to define one or more leaf-electrode apertures, a tip electrode disposed at a distal end of the balloon, coupled to a distal end of the shaft, and shaped to define one or more tip-electrode apertures, a first fluid-delivery tube passing through the shaft and configured to deliver a fluid into the balloon via at least one shaft aperture in the shaft, such that the fluid passes through the leaf-electrode apertures, and a second fluid-delivery tube passing through the shaft and configured to deliver the fluid to the tip electrode, such that the fluid passes through the tip-electrode apertures. Other embodiments are also described.