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 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: 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: 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.

Abstract: Medical catheterization is carried out by introducing a catheter into a heart, sliding the catheter through a sheath that encloses a multi-electrode probe into a chamber of the heart. The sheath is retracted to expose the probe. As the sheath is retracted the exposed probe expands into a spiral configuration, and the electrodes contact the endocardial surface of the chamber at multiple contact points.

Abstract: A method that includes selectively positioning an ablation catheter system at a treatment site; and ablating tissue at the treatment site with the ablation catheter system using a power setting of approximately 90W applied to tissue for approximately four (4) second increments with a break period of approximately 4 seconds between applications.

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: A flexible probe has an assembly in its distal end that includes a transmitter and a receiver that receives signals from the transmitter for sensing a position of the receiver relative to the transmitter. A resilient element disposed between the transmitter and the receiver is configured to deform in response to pressure exerted on the distal tip when the distal tip engages a wall of a body cavity.

Abstract: A flexible probe has an assembly in its distal end that includes a compressible spring, the compressible spring arranged in a helix having flat surfaces with at least one leg at each end of the spring. The compressible spring is configured to deform in response to a compressive force acting against the legs at the ends of the spring from pressure exerted on the distal tip when engaging a wall of the body cavity. The compressible spring further includes at least one flexible transmitter coil disposed on the flat surface at one end of the spring and at least one flexible receiver coil on the flat surface at the other end of the spring. The at least one of flexible receiver coil is configured to receive signals from the at least one flexible transmitter coil for sensing a position of the coils relative to each other.

Abstract: A flexible probe has an assembly in its distal end that includes a nitinol spring disposed in the distal end. The nitinol spring is configured to deform in response to pressure exerted on the distal tip when the distal tip engages a wall of the body cavity. The assembly also includes within the nitinol spring, a transmitter, receiver and single coil between the transmitter and receiver. The receiver is configured to receive signals from the transmitter for sensing a position of the receiver relative to the transmitter. The single coil spring is configured to deform commensurate with the nitinol spring in response to pressure exerted on the distal tip when the distal tip engages a wall of the body cavity and reduce the distance between the transmitter and the receiver as the nitinol spring and single coil spring deform.

Abstract: A flexible probe has an assembly in its distal end. The assembly has a distal side and a proximal side. The assembly includes first and second flat spring coils having internal edges that mate with first and second retainers, respectively. The first and second flat coils are disposed in the probe distal end proximal to the electrode and separated by a spacer. The first and second flat coils are configured to deform in response to pressure exerted on the distal tip when the tip engages a wall of the body cavity. A transmitter is disposed on one of the distal side or the proximal side of the assembly and a receiver is disposed on the opposite side. The receiver is configured to receive signals from the transmitter for sensing a position of the receiver relative to the transmitter.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a catheter apparatus is configured to be inserted into a body part of a living subject, and including an elongated deflectable element including a distal end, an expandable basket assembly disposed at the distal end and comprising a plurality of splines and a plurality of electrodes disposed on the splines, an irrigation channel disposed in the elongated deflectable element, and an inflatable balloon disposed in the expandable basket assembly and including a plurality of irrigation holes in fluid connection with the irrigation channel.

Abstract: A catheter includes a shaft, an expandable frame, a first set of electrodes, and a second set of electrodes. The shaft is configured for insertion into an organ of a patient. The expandable frame is fitted at a distal end of the shaft. The first set of electrodes is disposed over a distal portion of the expandable frame, and configured to be placed in contact with a tissue in the organ. The second set of electrodes is disposed on a proximal portion of the expandable frame, and configured to be inter-connected to form a common electrode.