Abstract: A catheter system includes a mapping catheter having an open lumen and a mapping arrangement provided at a distal end of the mapping catheter. A balloon catheter is movably disposed within the open lumen of the mapping catheter. The balloon catheter has an open lumen dimensioned to receive a lead. A balloon arrangement is provided at a distal end of the balloon catheter and inflatable with an inflation mechanism provided at a proximal end of the balloon catheter. The balloon arrangement is dimensioned to prevent movement of the lead upon inflation of the balloon arrangement, and to permit movement of the lead within the open lumen of the balloon catheter upon deflation of the balloon arrangement.

Abstract: A catheter system includes a mapping catheter having an open lumen and a mapping arrangement provided at a distal end of the mapping catheter. A balloon catheter is movably disposed within the open lumen of the mapping catheter. The balloon catheter has an open lumen dimensioned to receive a lead. A balloon arrangement is provided at a distal end of the balloon catheter and inflatable with an inflation mechanism provided at a proximal end of the balloon catheter. The balloon arrangement is dimensioned to prevent movement of the lead upon inflation of the balloon arrangement, and to permit movement of the lead within the open lumen of the balloon catheter upon deflation of the balloon arrangement.

Abstract: A catheter system includes a mapping catheter having an open lumen and a mapping arrangement provided at a distal end of the mapping catheter. A balloon catheter is movably disposed within the open lumen of the mapping catheter. The balloon catheter has an open lumen dimensioned to receive a lead. A balloon arrangement is provided at a distal end of the balloon catheter and inflatable with an inflation mechanism provided at a proximal end of the balloon catheter. The balloon arrangement is dimensioned to prevent movement of the lead upon inflation of the balloon arrangement, and to permit movement of the lead within the open lumen of the balloon catheter upon deflation of the balloon arrangement.

Abstract: A lead having a distal end electrode assembly adapted for implantation on or about the heart or within a vein and for connection to a system for monitoring or stimulating cardiac activity. The electrode assembly includes conductive fixation features, such as conductive tines or flexible members, in combination with non-conductive fixation features. The conductive fixation features also include tines coated with a conductive material. The fixation features further include conductive tines which are retractable. A defibrillation coil is optionally disposed at the distal end of the lead in combination with the conductive tines.

Abstract: A catheter system includes a mapping catheter having an open lumen and a mapping arrangement provided at a distal end of the mapping catheter. A balloon catheter is movably disposed within the open lumen of the mapping catheter. The balloon catheter has an open lumen dimensioned to receive a lead. A balloon arrangement is provided at a distal end of the balloon catheter and inflatable with an inflation mechanism provided at a proximal end of the balloon catheter. The balloon arrangement is dimensioned to prevent movement of the lead upon inflation of the balloon arrangement, and to permit movement of the lead within the open lumen of the balloon catheter upon deflation of the balloon arrangement.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a skeleton from a binary image by using the compressed run data of the image instead of using natural expanded binary format of the image. A run length compressed image is a binary image (black/white) that is compressed by taking stripes of pixels of the same value and grouping them together into a single "run" of pixels. This compression technique saves significant amounts of memory on most binary images. It is an object of this present invention to enable the image to be skeletonized in its run length compressed format. This reduces the amount of data that needs to be stored in memory. Further, since the image is in "runs" and not pixels, the pixels that are not affected are not evaluated. By increasing available memory while reducing the amount of pixels to be evaluated, the speed for the process is increased on the order of several magnitudes.