Abstract: A method, consisting of acquiring signals, indicative of temperatures at respective locations in a biological tissue, from a plurality of thermal sensors mounted on a probe in contact with the tissue, interpolating between the temperatures so as to produce a temperature distribution map, and displaying the temperature distribution map on a screen. The method also includes determining that at least one of the thermal sensors is a malfunctioning thermal sensor, and that remaining thermal sensors of the plurality are correctly operating. The at least one malfunctioning thermal sensor is assigned a first arbitrary temperature and the correctly operating thermal sensors are assigned second arbitrary temperatures.

Abstract: A method for 3D rendering, including receiving a group of 3D triangles defining a mesh of a surface, each 3D triangle in the group having 3D vertices with respective 3D coordinates, and transforming each 3D triangle into a 2D triangle having 2D vertices corresponding respectively to the 3D vertices, each 2D vertex having respective 2D pixel coordinates and a triplet of pixel attributes corresponding to the 3D coordinates of a corresponding 3D vertex. Each 2D triangle is passed to a graphics processor, which treats the triplet of pixel attributes of each 2D vertex as interpolatable values. The graphics processor computes respective triplets of interpolated pixel attributes for pixels within each 2D triangle by interpolation between the pixel attributes of the 2D vertices, and a 3D image of the surface is rendered by converting the interpolated pixel attributes computed by the graphics processor into voxel coordinates in the 3D image.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of ablation. The method includes the steps of inserting a probe having an ablation electrode into a body of a living subject and urging the ablation electrode into a contacting relationship with a target tissue. A measurement of a contact force is made between the ablation electrode and the target tissue, and the measurement is haptically communicated to an operator. The probe is adjusted responsively to the communicated measurement, to achieve a desired value of the contact force while ablating the target tissue using the ablation electrode.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of ablation. The method includes the steps of inserting a probe having an ablation electrode into a body of a living subject and urging the ablation electrode into a contacting relationship with a target tissue. A measurement of at least one electroanatomic parameter is made between the ablation electrode and the target tissue, and the measurement is haptically communicated to an operator. Responsively to the communicated measurement, ablating the target tissue using the ablation electrode.

Abstract: Apparatus, consisting of an envelope transparent to X-rays, and a fluid transparent to X-rays and contained within the envelope. Multiple charged particles, opaque to X-rays, are suspended within the fluid. There are at least two electrodes on opposite sides of the envelope, that are configured to apply a field to the multiple particles, so that, absent the field, the particles disperse throughout the fluid.

Abstract: An ablation apparatus includes a flexible probe adapted for insertion into a heart of a living subject. The probe has a distally disposed ablation electrode to be brought into contact with a target tissue in the heart, and has facilities for measuring contact force with the target tissue. The apparatus includes a transmitter, operative to transmit an indication of the contact force to a wearable device having an actuator operative to haptically stimulate the operator responsively to the indication.

Abstract: An apparatus, including an insertion tube having a proximal tube end and a distal tube end that includes an electrode, a first irrigation line including proximal and distal irrigation line ends and configured to supply fluid from the distal irrigation line end through apertures in the tube, and an electrical line including a proximal electrical line end and a distal electric line end coupled to the electrode. The apparatus includes a slip ring unit having a stator, a rotor connected to the proximal electrical line end, and a hollow channel extending through respective centers of the stator and the rotor along a longitudinal axis of the slip ring unit. The apparatus includes a rotary joint in fluid communication with the proximal irrigation line end, an angle sensor configured to detect torsion of the proximal irrigation line end, and a drive mechanism coupled to rotate the rotor responsively to the torsion.

Abstract: A probe having a contact force sensor is inserted into a cardiac chamber and an image of the blood pool is generated. A portion of the blood pool is removed from the image to retain a remaining portion of the blood pool. A determination is made that the distal segment of the probe is within the remaining portion of the blood pool, and responsively to the determination the contact force sensor is manually zeroed.

Abstract: An apparatus, including an insertion tube having a proximal tube end and a distal tube end that includes an electrode, a first irrigation line including proximal and distal irrigation line ends and configured to supply fluid from the distal irrigation line end through apertures in the tube, and an electrical line including a proximal electrical line end and a distal electric line end coupled to the electrode. The apparatus includes a slip ring unit having a stator, a rotor connected to the proximal electrical line end, and a hollow channel extending through respective centers of the stator and the rotor along a longitudinal axis of the slip ring unit. The apparatus includes a rotary joint in fluid communication with the proximal irrigation line end, an angle sensor configured to detect torsion of the proximal irrigation line end, and a drive mechanism coupled to rotate the rotor responsively to the torsion.

Abstract: A method, including inserting a probe into a cavity in a subject's body and receiving, from a force sensor in the probe, first readings indicative of a first change in measured contact forces between the probe and the cavity by less than a predetermined limit over at least a predetermined interval of time. The method continues by receiving second readings from the force sensor when the second readings have changed by more than a predetermined force threshold or location coordinates of the probe have changed by at least a predetermined location change threshold. The method continues by receiving third readings indicative of a second change in the measured contact forces between the probe and the cavity by less than the predetermined limit over at least the predetermined interval of time. The method concludes by calibrating a zero-force point for the force sensor according to the third readings.

Abstract: A method, including capturing, from an imaging system, a three-dimensional (3D) image of a body cavity, and using the captured 3D image to construct a simulated surface of the body cavity. A probe having a location sensor is inserted into the body cavity, and in response to multiple location measurements received from the location sensor, multiple positions are mapped within respective regions of the body cavity so as to generate respective mapped regions of the simulated surface. Based on the simulated surface and the respective mapped regions, one or more unmapped regions of the simulated surface are delineated, and the simulated surface of the body cavity is configured to indicate the delineated unmapped regions.

Abstract: An ablation apparatus includes a flexible probe adapted for insertion into a heart of a living subject. The probe has a distally disposed ablation electrode to be brought into contact with a target tissue in the heart, and has facilities for measuring contact force with the target tissue. The apparatus includes a transmitter, operative to transmit an indication of the contact force to a wearable device having an actuator operative to haptically stimulate the operator responsively to the indication.

Abstract: A method for displaying information, including presenting on one or more monitors a plurality of distinct elements in a first spatial relationship with one another, the plurality of distinct elements being illustrative of a state of a medical procedure. The method also includes measuring gaze directions, towards the plurality of the elements, of an implementer of the medical procedure while the procedure is being performed. In response to the measured gaze directions, the plurality of distinct elements are rearranged on the one or more monitors into a second spatial relationship with one another.