Abstract: A medical device system is disclosed including a high-density arrangement of transducers, which may be configured to ablate, stimulate, or sense characteristics of tissue inside a bodily cavity, such as an intra-cardiac cavity. High-density arrangements of transducers may be achieved, at least in part, by overlapping elongate members on which the transducers are located, and varying sizes, shapes, or both of the transducers, especially in view of the overlapping of the elongate members. Also, the high-density arrangements of transducers may be achieved, at least in part, by including one or more recessed portions in an elongate member in order to expose one or more transducers on an underlying elongate member in a region adjacent an elongate-member-overlap region.

Abstract: A catheter device system may include a plurality of transducers positionable in a bodily cavity defined by at least a tissue wall, each transducer configured to sense a degree of contact between the transducer and the tissue wall. A data processing device system may be configured by a program to receive a plurality of degree-of-contact signals respectively from the plurality of transducers, the signals respectively indicating a degree of contact between the transducer and the tissue wall; identify a particular transducer as belonging to a first transducer set and as exhibiting an improper contact arrangement with the tissue wall as compared to a predetermined tissue-contact state, based at least on an interaction with data associated with at least one of the received degree-of-contact signals; and, consequently, provide an indication of a contact-improvement procedure to facilitate an improved contact arrangement between the particular transducer and the tissue wall.

Abstract: A medical device system may include transducers and a structure on which the transducers are located. The structure may include at least a first portion of each elongate member of a plurality of elongate members. Each respective set of a plurality of sets of one or more of the transducers may be located on a respective one of the plurality of elongate members. The structure may be selectively moveable between a delivery configuration in which the structure is sized to be percutaneously deliverable to a bodily cavity and a deployed configuration in which the structure is sized too large to be percutaneously deliverable to the bodily cavity. The second portion of each elongate member of the plurality of elongate members may be arranged in a helical configuration or a twisted, non-helical configuration including at least 360 degrees of rotation when the structure is in the delivery configuration.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices allow intravascular or percutaneous mapping, orientation and/or ablation, in bodily cavities or lumens. A device includes elongate members, moveable between an unexpanded configuration and an expanded or fanned configuration. The elongate members form a stack in the unexpanded configuration to fit through a catheter sheath. The elongate members follow respective arcuate or curvilinear paths as advanced from the sheath into the bent or coiled stack configuration, adopting volute, scroll or rho shapes, and may be nested. The elongated members are fanned or radially spaced circumferentially with respect to one another into the expanded or fanned configuration. Transducer elements carried by elongate members sense various physiological characteristics of or proximate tissue, and/or may apply energy to or proximate tissue. The elongate members are rotatable in groups or as a group in the expanded configuration. The device is retractable.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices allow intravascular or percutaneous mapping, orientation and/or ablation, in bodily cavities or lumens. A device includes elongate members, moveable between an unexpanded configuration and an expanded or fanned configuration. The elongate members form a stack in the unexpanded configuration to fit through a catheter sheath. The elongate members follow respective arcuate or curvilinear paths as advanced from the sheath into the bent or coiled stack configuration, adopting volute, scroll or rho shapes, and may be nested. The elongated members are fanned or radially spaced circumferentially with respect to one another into the expanded or fanned configuration. Transducer elements carried by elongate members sense various physiological characteristics of or proximate tissue, and/or may apply energy to or proximate tissue. The elongate members are rotatable in groups or as a group in the expanded configuration. The device is retractable.

Abstract: A catheter sheath device may include an elongate member and a moveable member. The elongate member may include a first lumen, and the moveable member may include a second lumen. The moveable member may be physically coupled to a portion of the elongate member to permit relative movement therebetween. A first relative movement between the moveable member and a portion of the elongate member may cause the second lumen to be positioned at a first location that permits delivery of at least a portion of a catheter into the second lumen but not into the first lumen from the second lumen. A second relative movement between the moveable member and the portion of the elongate member may cause the second lumen to be positioned at a second location that permits delivery of the at least the portion of the catheter through both the second lumen and the first lumen.

Abstract: A manipulable portion of a catheter system advances out of a lumen of a catheter sheath at a distal end of a shaft, which is also within the lumen of the catheter sheath. The catheter system causes different advancement and retraction trajectories of a manipulable portion out of and into the lumen based at least upon different relative movements between the catheter sheath and the shaft. A projection and a corresponding receiver may be used to control relative positioning of the catheter sheath and the shaft, as well as to control positioning of the manipulable portion. The catheter system may control metering rates of a control element coupled to the manipulable portion during advancement and retraction of the manipulable portion. A control element of the catheter system has varying amounts of length outside a distal end of the catheter sheath during advancement and retraction of the manipulable portion.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices allow intravascular or percutaneous mapping, orientation and/or ablation, in bodily cavities or lumens. A device includes elongate members, moveable between an unexpanded configuration and an expanded or fanned configuration. The elongate members form a stack in the unexpanded configuration to fit through a catheter sheath. The elongate members follow respective arcuate or curvilinear paths as advanced from the sheath into the bent or coiled stack configuration, adopting volute, scroll or rho shapes, and may be nested. The elongated members are fanned or radially spaced circumferentially with respect to one another into the expanded or fanned configuration. Transducer elements carried by elongate members sense various physiological characteristics of or proximate tissue, and/or may apply energy to or proximate tissue. The elongate members are rotatable in groups or as a group in the expanded configuration. The device is retractable.

Abstract: A graphical representation may be displayed including at least a plurality of transducer graphical elements, each transducer graphical element of the plurality of transducer graphical elements representative of a respective transducer of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device. A set of user input may be received including an instruction set to reposition a first transducer graphical element in a state in which the first transducer graphical element is located at a first location in the graphical representation and a second transducer graphical element is located at a second location in the graphical representation, the second location closer to a predetermined location in the graphical representation than the first location. In response to conclusion of receipt of the set of user input, the first transducer graphical element may be repositioned from the first location in the graphical representation to the predetermined location in the graphical representation.

Abstract: A graphical representation may be displayed including at least a plurality of transducer graphical elements, each transducer graphical element of the plurality of transducer graphical elements representative of a respective transducer of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device. A set of user input may be received including an instruction set to reposition a first transducer graphical element in a state in which the first transducer graphical element is located at a first location in the graphical representation and a second transducer graphical element is located at a second location in the graphical representation, the second location closer to a predetermined location in the graphical representation than the first location. In response to conclusion of receipt of the set of user input, the first transducer graphical element may be repositioned from the first location in the graphical representation to the predetermined location in the graphical representation.

Abstract: A medical system may include a shaft member and a structure physically coupled to the shaft member. A portion of the shaft member may be sized to be delivered through a bodily opening leading to a bodily cavity. The structure may include at least two flexible couplings, each flexible coupling extending transversely from an intermediate portion of a respective one of at least two elongate members of the structure. The flexible coupling extending transversely from the intermediate portion of a first one of the at least two elongate members forms at least a part of a first closed loop arranged to receive a portion of the flexible coupling of a second one of the at least two elongate members therethrough to limit a spacing between the intermediate portions of the first and the second ones of the at least two elongate members.

Abstract: A medical system may include a shaft member and a structure physically coupled to the shaft member. A portion of the shaft member may be sized to be delivered through a bodily opening leading to a bodily cavity. The structure may include at least two flexible couplings, each flexible coupling extending transversely from an intermediate portion of a respective one of at least two elongate members of the structure. The flexible coupling extending transversely from the intermediate portion of a first one of the at least two elongate members forms at least a part of a first closed loop arranged to receive a portion of the flexible coupling of a second one of the at least two elongate members therethrough to limit a spacing between the intermediate portions of the first and the second ones of the at least two elongate members.

Abstract: A manipulable portion of a catheter system advances out of a lumen of a catheter sheath at a distal end of a shaft, which is also within the lumen of the catheter sheath. The catheter system causes different advancement and retraction trajectories of a manipulable portion out of and into the lumen based at least upon different relative movements between the catheter sheath and the shaft. A projection and a corresponding receiver may be used to control relative positioning of the catheter sheath and the shaft, as well as to control positioning of the manipulable portion. The catheter system may control metering rates of a control element coupled to the manipulable portion during advancement and retraction of the manipulable portion. A control element of the catheter system has varying amounts of length outside a distal end of the catheter sheath during advancement and retraction of the manipulable portion.

Abstract: A graphical representation may be displayed including at least a plurality of transducer graphical elements, each transducer graphical element of the plurality of transducer graphical elements representative of a respective transducer of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device. A set of user input may be received including an instruction set to reposition a first transducer graphical element in a state in which the first transducer graphical element is located at a first location in the graphical representation and a second transducer graphical element is located at a second location in the graphical representation, the second location closer to a predetermined location in the graphical representation than the first location. In response to conclusion of receipt of the set of user input, the first transducer graphical element may be repositioned from the first location in the graphical representation to the predetermined location in the graphical representation.

Abstract: A graphical representation may be displayed including at least a plurality of transducer graphical elements, each transducer graphical element of the plurality of transducer graphical elements representative of a respective transducer of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device. A set of user input may be received including an instruction set to reposition a first transducer graphical element in a state in which the first transducer graphical element is located at a first location in the graphical representation and a second transducer graphical element is located at a second location in the graphical representation, the second location closer to a predetermined location in the graphical representation than the first location. In response to conclusion of receipt of the set of user input, the first transducer graphical element may be repositioned from the first location in the graphical representation to the predetermined location in the graphical representation.

Abstract: Medical systems are disclosed which may include an elongate shaft member and a plurality of steering lines operable to cause bending of the elongate shaft member via movement of at least one of the steering lines. A respective second end portion of a first proximal steering line may terminate at a first proximal termination portion of the elongate shaft member, and a respective second end portion of the first distal steering line may terminate at a first distal termination portion of the elongate shaft member. The elongate shaft member may be formed of materials of different hardness to provide preferential bending in desired directions.

Abstract: A distal end portion of an elongate shaft member of a catheter may be inserted into liquid within a vessel. While the distal end portion of the elongate shaft member is inserted in the liquid in the vessel, a manipulable portion of the catheter system may be manipulated within the liquid to remove undesired fluid therefrom. The liquid may be pressurized to cause the liquid to flow into a lumen of the elongate shaft member from the distal end of the elongate shaft member at least toward the proximal end of the elongate shaft member to flush undesirable fluid from the lumen. The distal end portion of the elongate shaft member of the catheter may be inserted into the liquid within the vessel while at least the elongate shaft member is in a substantially horizontal orientation.

Abstract: A medical system may include a shaft member and a structure physically coupled to the shaft member. A portion of the shaft member may be sized to be delivered through a bodily opening leading to a bodily cavity. The structure may include at least two flexible couplings, each flexible coupling extending transversely from an intermediate portion of a respective one of at least two elongate members of the structure. The flexible coupling extending transversely from the intermediate portion of a first one of the at least two elongate members forms at least a part of a first closed loop arranged to receive a portion of the flexible coupling of a second one of the at least two elongate members therethrough to limit a spacing between the intermediate portions of the first and the second ones of the at least two elongate members.

Abstract: A medical system may include a shaft member and a structure physically coupled to the shaft member. A portion of the shaft member may be sized to be delivered through a bodily opening leading to a bodily cavity. The structure may include at least two flexible couplings, each flexible coupling extending transversely from an intermediate portion of a respective one of at least two elongate members of the structure. The flexible coupling extending transversely from the intermediate portion of a first one of the at least two elongate members forms at least a part of a first closed loop arranged to receive a portion of the flexible coupling of a second one of the at least two elongate members therethrough to limit a spacing between the intermediate portions of the first and the second ones of the at least two elongate members.

Abstract: A graphical representation may be displayed including at least a plurality of transducer graphical elements, each transducer graphical element of the plurality of transducer graphical elements representative of a respective transducer of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device. A set of user input may be received including an instruction set to reposition a first transducer graphical element in a state in which the first transducer graphical element is located at a first location in the graphical representation and a second transducer graphical element is located at a second location in the graphical representation, the second location closer to a predetermined location in the graphical representation than the first location. In response to conclusion of receipt of the set of user input, the first transducer graphical element may be repositioned from the first location in the graphical representation to the predetermined location in the graphical representation.