Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a probe configured for insertion into a body of a patient. The probe includes electrodes configured to contact tissue of a region within the body. The apparatus further includes a display screen a position-tracking system, and a processor. The processor is configured to acquire electrophysiological signals from the electrodes, to extract electrophysiological parameters from the signals, to compute a measure of consistency of the electrophysiological parameters at each of the locations with respect to a weighted median of the parameters extracted at neighboring locations, and to render to the display screen a map of the tissue while overlaying on the map a visual indication of the extracted electrophysiological parameters for which the measure of consistency satisfied a predefined consistency criterion, and automatically omitting from the map the electrophysiological parameters for which the measure of consistency did not satisfy the criterion.

Abstract: An eye surgery apparatus includes a model surgical tool, a robotic arm coupled with an eye surgery tool, a tracking-system, and a processor. The model surgical tool is configured to be maneuvered by a physician. The robotic arm is coupled with an eye surgery tool and configured to be placed in proximity to an eye of a patient. The tracking-system is configured to track movements of at least the model surgical tool. The processor is configured to (i) receive the tracked movements of the model surgical tool from the tracking system, while the physician moves the model surgical tool to perform a model eye surgery on an oversized model eye, and (ii) apply to the robotic arm movements that mirror and scale-down the movements applied by the physician to the model surgical tool, to perform a surgical procedure on the eye of the patient using the eye surgery tool.

Abstract: A guidewire, consisting of a flexible biocompatible tube, having a tube distal end, the tube containing an internal lumen and being configured to be inserted into an orifice of a body of a living subject. A planar resilient strip is inserted into the internal lumen, the strip having a strip proximal end and a strip distal end fixed to the tube distal end. A coil spring is fixed to the strip proximal end so that an axis of symmetry of the coil is coplanar with the strip, the coil spring containing a coil lumen. A wire is threaded through the coil lumen and has a termination fixed to the strip distal end, so that pulling on the wire causes the strip and the tube to bend.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product, the method comprising: within an electrophysiology system executed by a computing platform and comprising a voice capture device: receiving an audio signal captured by an audio capture device; analyzing the audio signal to retrieve at least one trigger phrase; in response to identifying the trigger phrase, further analyzing the audio signal to identify one or more words associated with a user command; generating at least one code corresponding to the user command; and transmitting the at least one code to a driver of the computing platform, thereby causing execution of the user command by the electrophysiology system.

Abstract: A method includes calculating in real-time a correlation between vacuum readings and pressure readings of respective aspiration and irrigation channels of a phacoemulsification handpiece engaged in a phacoemulsification procedure in an eye. Upon detecting an increase in the vacuum readings and an increase in the pressure readings, a current level of the correlation is checked. Provided that the current level of the correlation is above a given value, an anti-vacuum surge (AVS) mechanism is activated, the AVS mechanism fluidly coupled with at least one of the irrigation and aspiration channels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for electrophysiological assessment, including acquiring electrical signals from tissue at locations in a heart chamber and a computer processor automatically deriving from the electrical signals annotations indicative of times within a heart cycle at which a conduction wave traversed the locations. The method includes receiving an input from a processor user indicating, for a first location in the tissue where the electrical signals include a double-potential signal, a first annotation as a valid annotation. The processor automatically identifies second locations, within a predefined distance from the first location, where the electrical signals include double-potential signals, each having two respective annotations.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a catheter including an insertion tube and a first position sensor, a pusher including a second position sensor, and an expandable assembly including flexible strips disposed circumferentially around a distal portion of the pusher, with first ends of the strips connected to the distal end of the insertion tube and second ends of the strips connected to the distal portion of the pusher, the flexible strips bowing radially outward when the pusher is retracted, processing circuitry to receive a respective position signal from the first and second position sensors, compute location and orientation coordinates for the position sensors subject to a constraint that the position sensors are coaxial and have a same orientation, compute a distance between the computed location coordinates of the position sensors, and find position coordinates of the flexible strips responsively to at least the computed distance.

Abstract: A system includes an anti-vacuum surge (AVS) mechanism and a processor. The AVS mechanism is configured to suppress a vacuum surge during the phacoemulsification procedure. The processor is configured to (i) during the phacoemulsification procedure, receive pressure readings from one or more sensors, (ii) using the pressure readings, estimate an occurrence of a vacuum surge, and (iii) upon estimating the occurrence of the vacuum surge, activate the AVS mechanism in a predefined pulsed manner to suppress the vacuum surge.

Abstract: A phacoemulsification apparatus includes an ultrasound transmitter, an irrigation-aspiration tool, a robotic arm, and a processor. The ultrasound transmitter is configured to generate and focus an ultrasound beam into a lens capsule of an eye of a patient, to emulsify a lens of the eye. The irrigation-aspiration tool having a distal end including an outlet of an irrigation channel for flowing irrigation fluid into the lens capsule, and an inlet of an aspiration channel for removing material from the lens capsule. The robotic arm is configured to move the distal end of the irrigation-aspiration tool inside the lens capsule. The processor is configured to control the ultrasound transmitter to irradiate one or more target locations in the eye capsule with the focused ultrasound beam, and control the robotic arm to move the distal end of the irrigation-aspiration tool in coordination with the target locations irradiated by the ultrasound transmitter.

Abstract: A phacoemulsification system, comprising: a handpiece comprising a piezoelectric element and a needle, the needle configured to be inserted into an eye and to be vibrated by the piezoelectric element to emulsify a lens of the eye; an irrigation module configured to supply a flow of irrigation fluid into the eye; an aspiration module configured for removing material from the eye; circuitry configured to determine whether at least a distal tip of the needle is inside the eye or is outside the eye; and a processor, which is configured to receive a determination from the circuitry as to whether the distal tip of the needle is inside or outside the eye, and to control operation of at least the irrigation module according to the determination.

Abstract: A phacoemulsification system and an operation method thereof, the system including a handpiece having a piezoelectric element and a needle, wherein the needle is configured to be inserted into an eye and to be vibrated by the piezoelectric element to emulsify a lens of the eye; an irrigation module configured to supply a flow of irrigation fluid into the eye; an aspiration module configured for removing material from the eye; image capturing means for acquiring images which include the eye; an image analysis module configured to determine whether at least a distal tip of the needle is present in the captured images; and a processor, which is configured to receive a determination from the image analysis module as to whether the distal tip of the needle is present in the captured images, and to control operation of at least the irrigation module according to the determination.

Abstract: A phacoemulsification system, including a probe having an irrigation channel and an aspiration channel, and a distal end including a needle and a sleeve insertable into an eye. There is an irrigation pump pumping irrigation fluid via the irrigation channel into the eye, and an aspiration pump pumping aspiration fluid via the aspiration channel from the eye. A first pressure sensor is coupled with the irrigation fluid and provides a first signal of intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eye; a second pressure sensor is coupled with the aspiration fluid and provides a second signal of the IOP. A system processor receives the first and second signals, and responsively to at least one of the signals, identifies at least one frequency and an associated at least one phase of the IOP, and pumps at least one of the pumps at the identified frequency and in antiphase to the identified phase.

Abstract: A system includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive an electrogram acquired in a heart of a patient. The processor is configured to (i) estimate a level of injury current present in the electrogram, and (ii) based on the estimated level of injury current, decide whether to use the electrogram in a subsequent analysis.

Abstract: A guidewire, consisting of a flexible biocompatible tube, having a tube distal end, the tube containing an internal lumen and being configured to be inserted into an orifice of a body of a living subject. A planar resilient strip is inserted into the internal lumen, the strip having a strip proximal end and a strip distal end fixed to the tube distal end. A coil spring is fixed to the strip proximal end so that an axis of symmetry of the coil is coplanar with the strip, the coil spring containing a coil lumen. A wire is threaded through the coil lumen and has a termination fixed to the strip distal end, so that pulling on the wire causes the strip and the tube to bend.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a catheter including an insertion tube and a first position sensor, a pusher including a second position sensor, and an expandable assembly including flexible strips disposed circumferentially around a distal portion of the pusher, with first ends of the strips connected to the distal end of the insertion tube and second ends of the strips connected to the distal portion of the pusher, the flexible strips bowing radially outward when the pusher is retracted, processing circuitry to receive a respective position signal from the first and second position sensors, compute location and orientation coordinates for the position sensors subject to a constraint that the position sensors are coaxial and have a same orientation, compute a distance between the computed location coordinates of the position sensors, and find position coordinates of the flexible strips responsively to at least the computed distance.

Abstract: A medical system includes a catheter configured to be inserted into a body part of a living subject, and including a distal end comprising an electrode, and a processor configured to compute position coordinates of the electrode, and find a measure of proximity of the electrode to tissue of the body part responsively to the position coordinates of the electrode and position coordinates of a wall of an anatomical map of the body part.

Abstract: Apparatus, including an enclosure having a base and a cover with respective conductive layers. The conductive layers connect to form a shield attenuating electromagnetic radiation originating outside the enclosure in a range of 10 kHz-100 kHz by at least 20 dB within the enclosure. An adapter circuit within the enclosure processes electrophysiological signals to generate an output signal. A first connector passing through the enclosure connects to a probe to receive the electrophysiological signals and convey them to the adapter circuit. A second connector passing through the enclosure receives the output signal from the adapter circuit and conveys it to a console. A control input receives a control signal indicative of a frequency within the range, and a sensing circuit senses a magnetic field within the enclosure and outputs a warning signal when the magnetic field at the frequency indicated by the control signal exceeds a preset threshold.

Abstract: A medical system is configured to receive electrical signals responsive to electrical activity in myocardial tissue at respective locations on from each electrode of a first portion of a plurality of electrodes at a distal end of a catheter, determine a geometric center of the first portion of the plurality of electrodes, determine a focus of an arrhythmia, and output an indication of a spatial relationship between the geometric center and the focus. The first portion of the plurality of electrodes includes at least three electrodes, and the plurality of electrodes includes a second portion of electrodes distinct from the first portion and not in contact with myocardial tissue. The focus is determined based at least in part on the electrical signals from the electrodes of the first portion of the plurality of electrodes. An associated method is also described.

Abstract: A system includes a needle, an actuator assembly and a generator. The needle is configured to be vibrated so as to emulsify a lens of an eye. The actuator assembly, includes a first actuator, a second actuator and a third actuator, which are distributed around a longitudinal axis of the needle and are configured to vibrate along the longitudinal axis in response to a first driving signal, a second driving signal and a third driving signal, respectively. The generator is configured to generate the first driving signal, the second driving signal and the third driving signal, so as to vibrate the needle in accordance with a predefined pattern.

Abstract: A location pad includes multiple field-generators, a frame and a mounting fixture. The multiple field-generators are configured to generate respective magnetic fields in a region-of-interest of a patient body, for measuring a position of a medical instrument in the region-of-interest. The frame is configured to fix the multiple field-generators at respective positions surrounding the region-of-interest. The mounting fixture is configured to position the frame above the patient body.