Abstract: A method includes receiving (i) a modeled surface of at least a portion of a heart and (ii) multiple EP values measured at multiple respective positions in the heart. Multiple regions are defined on the modeled surface and, for each region, a confidence level is estimated for the EP values whose positions fall in the region. The modeled surface is presented to a user, including (i) the EP values overlaid on the modeled surface, and (ii) the confidence level graphically visualized in each region of the modeled surface.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a probe includes applying respective harmonic electrical signals having respective amplitudes and respective phases to multiple piezoelectric crystals coupled with a tip of the probe so as to cause the tip to vibrate, observing a motion of the tip while applying the respective harmonic electrical signals, adjusting the respective amplitudes and the respective phases of the signals so as to cause the observed motion of the tip to conform to a predefined trajectory, and recording an indication of the respective, adjusted amplitudes and phases in a memory contained in the probe.

Abstract: A system includes signal acquisition circuitry and a processor. The signal acquisition circuitry is configured to receive multiple intra-cardiac signals acquired by multiple electrodes of an intra-cardiac probe in a heart of a patient. The processor is configured to perform a sequence of annotation-visualization operations at subsequent times, by performing, in each operation: extracting multiple annotation values from the intra-cardiac signals, selecting a group of the intra-cardiac signals, identifying in the group one or more annotation values that are statistically deviant by more than a predefined measure of deviation, and visualizing the annotation values to a user, while omitting and refraining from visualizing the statistically deviant annotation values.

Abstract: A system (11) includes a medical probe (36) for insertion into a cavity of an organ, which includes a position and direction sensor (60) and a camera (45), both operating in a sensor coordinate system (62). The system further includes a processor (44) configured to: receive, from an imaging system (21) operating in an image coordinate system (28), a three-dimensional image of the cavity including open space and tissue; receive, from the medical probe, signals indicating positions and respective directions of the medical probe inside the cavity; receive, from the camera, respective visualized locations inside the cavity; register the image coordinate system with the sensor coordinate system so as to identify one or more voxels in the image at the visualized locations, and when the identified voxels have density values in the received image that do not correspond to the open space, to update the density values of the identified voxels to correspond to the open space.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a shaft for insertion into an organ of a patient, an expandable frame, a plurality of diagnostic electrodes, a respective plurality of reference electrodes, and a processor. The expandable frame is coupled to a distal end of the shaft, extending along a longitudinal axis and including a plurality of expandable spines disposed about the longitudinal axis. The plurality of diagnostic electrodes, disposed on external surfaces of the expandable spines, are configured to sense diagnostic signals when in contact with tissue. The respective plurality of reference electrodes, disposed on internal surfaces of the expandable spines directly opposite the diagnostic electrodes, is electrically insulated from the tissue and is configured to sense interfering signals.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a medical apparatus, includes a medical instrument configured to move within a passage in a body of a patient, a position tracking system to track coordinates of the medical instrument within the body, a display screen, and a processor to register the position tracking system and a 3D computerized tomography (CT) image of at least a part of the body within a common frame of reference, find a 3D path of the medical instrument through the passage from a start point to a termination point within the common frame of reference, compute a direction to the 3D path from the medical instrument responsively to the tracked coordinates, and render and simultaneously display on the display screen respective 2D CT slices, based on the 3D CT image, including respective 2D indications of the direction to the 3D path from the instrument projected onto the respective 2D CT slices.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a medical system, includes a catheter to be inserted into a chamber of a heart of a living subject, and including catheter electrodes configured to contact tissue at respective locations within the chamber of the heart, a display, and processing circuitry to receive signals from the catheter, and in response to the signals assess a respective quality of contact of each of the catheter electrodes with the tissue in the heart, and render to the display respective intracardiac electrograms traces representing electrical activity in the tissue that is sensed by the catheter electrodes at the respective locations, while modifying a visual feature of at least some of the traces responsively to the respective quality of contact of the catheter electrodes with the tissue of the heart at the respective locations.

Abstract: An ENT surgical instrument includes a shaft assembly, a flexible substrate, and at least at least one electrically-conductive sensor trace formed on the flexible substrate. The shaft assembly has a distal end sized and configured to fit in an anatomical passageway in an ear, nose, or throat of a patient. The flexible substrate extends along at least a portion of the shaft. The at least one sensor trace includes at least one concentric loop portion, wherein the at least one concentric loop portion defines at least one navigation sensor.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for mapping and displaying a three dimensional (3D) surgical pathway. Entry and target voxels are selected along with a semi-target voxel therebetween. Where voxels representing bone are between the entry and target voxels, the semi-target voxel is selected such that voxels representing bone are not within a shortest line between it and the entry voxel. A series of voxels through the semi-target voxel define the pathway. For each voxel V in the series between the semi-target voxel and one of the endpoint voxels, the immediately succeeding voxel of voxel V is selected from among the group of neighbor voxels of voxel V by comparing selection weights of each voxel determined a selected basis including relative distances with respect to the endpoint voxel and the semi-target voxel. The pathway voxels are selectively highlighted in a displayed view to provide a visualization of the 3D surgical pathway.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for medical procedures are disclosed herein. For example, a plurality of analog sensor signals and an analog reference signal are received by an analog-to-digital converter to produce respective digitized versions of the analog sensor signals. The respective digitized versions of the analog sensor signals are digital filtered to produce respective filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals. The filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals are output to a visualization system to provide real time display thereof. The filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals are communicated to a digital-to-analog converter to produce an analog version of the filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals. The analog version of the filtered digitized versions of the analog sensor signals along with the analog reference signal are output to a recordation system to provide supplemental processing and storage thereof.

Abstract: A method for radiographic imaging of a body cavity includes imaging the body cavity using computerized tomography (CT) to form a CT image, registering a tracking system with the CT image, inserting into the body cavity a guidewire, including a position sensor, operating in the tracking system, attached to a distal end of the guidewire, in response to signals from the position sensor acquired by the tracking system, displaying a position of the distal end of the guidewire on the CT image. The method further includes assigning voxels within a predefined imaging volume relative to the distal end and having a radiodensity less than a predetermined threshold to have a uniform radiodensity of a predefined default value, incorporating the voxels with the assigned predefined default value into the CT image so as to form an updated CT image, and displaying the updated CT image.

Abstract: A method includes receiving (i) a modeled surface of at least a portion of a heart and (ii) multiple EP values measured at multiple respective positions in the heart. Multiple regions are defined on the modeled surface and, for each region, a confidence level is estimated for the EP values whose positions fall in the region. The modeled surface is presented to a user, including (i) the EP values overlaid on the modeled surface, and (ii) the confidence level graphically visualized in each region of the modeled surface.

Abstract: Apparatus, including a tube having proximal and distal ends and an internal lumen. The distal end may bend up to 270°, and the tube may be inserted into an eye. A planar resilient strip, having proximal and distal ends, is inserted into the internal lumen, and the strip distal end is fixed to the tube distal end. A coil spring is fixed to the strip proximal end so that a coil spring symmetry axis is coplanar with the strip. A camera, mounted with the strip distal end, images the eye interior. A wire is fixed to the strip distal end, so that a predetermined force on the wire causes the tube distal end to bend by a preset angle. A magnetometer at the tube proximal end is configured, when a nonvarying magnetic field traverses it, to provide a signal that, when taken with the preset angle, indicates a camera orientation.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a medical system includes a medical instrument includes an elongated shaft having a distal end, at least one cutting element disposed at a distal end of the shaft, a position-tracking transducer disposed at the distal end of the shaft, and electrically insulated from the shaft and the at least one cutting element, and at least one metal coagulation electrode disposed at least partially over the position-tracking transducer, which electrically isolates the at least one metal coagulation electrode from the shaft, a signal generator coupled to apply an electrical current to the at least one metal coagulation electrode, and processing circuitry configured to receive signals generated by the position-tracking transducer, and track a location of the distal end responsively to the received signals.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, an automated probe system includes a probe configured to be reversibly inserted into a live body part, a robotic arm attached to the probe and configured to manipulate the probe, a first sensor configured to track movement of the probe during an insertion and a reinsertion of the probe in the live body part, a second sensor configured to track movement of the live body part, and a controller configured to calculate an insertion path of the probe in the live body part based on the tracked movement of the probe during the insertion, and calculate a reinsertion path of the probe based on the calculated insertion path while compensating for the tracked movement of the live body part, and send control commands to the robotic arm to reinsert the probe in the live body part according to the calculated reinsertion path.

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: In one embodiment, a therapeutic medical system includes treatment apparatuses disposed in respective locations interconnected via a network, each treatment apparatus including a medical tool configured to be inserted into a body part and operated according to a respective selected medical-tool-settings preset, a console configured to control the medical tool responsively to the respective selected medical-tool-settings preset, and a network interface to share data over the network, wherein the treatment apparatuses are configured to share, over the network, usage data of medical-tool-settings presets used by the treatment apparatuses, and a recommendation sub-system to receive the shared usage data of the medical-tool-settings presets, and find medical-tool-settings preset recommendations responsively to the shared usage data of the medical-tool-settings presets, wherein the console of a respective one of the treatment apparatuses is configured to render a respective one of the medical-tool-settings preset r

Abstract: A system for electrophysiological measurement includes a probe having a distal end configured for insertion into a body cavity of a living subject and including an array of electrodes that are disposed along the distal end and are configured to contact tissue at multiple locations within the body cavity. A processor is configured to acquire signals from the electrodes over a period of time during which the probe moves within the body cavity, to compute, in response the signals, metrics that are indicative of a respective quality of contact between each of the electrodes and the tissue over the period of time, and to output an indication of the metrics to a user of the system.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes generator coils to generate respective magnetic fields, a catheter including a distal end, which includes magnetic coil sensors to output electrical signals based on detection of the respective magnetic fields, and processing circuitry to receive the electrical signals from the magnetic coil sensors, select at least one of magnetic fields having a magnetic field gradient as a function of at least one of the received electrical signals, compute a difference between magnetic field magnitudes of the at least one selected magnetic field detected by the first magnetic coil sensor and the second magnetic coil sensor as a function of the electrical signals, and compute a dimension of the distal end, based on the difference between the magnetic field magnitudes of the at least one selected magnetic field and the magnetic field gradient of the at least one selected magnetic field.

Abstract: A method is provided. The method is implemented by a determination engine executed stored on a memory as processor executable code that is executed by a processor. The method includes determining that a stimulating pacing signal is captured from at least a portion of an anatomical structure and determining a time duration between the stimulating pacing signal and a subsequent response from the portion of an anatomical structure. The method further includes outputting the time duration.