Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a medical instrument, a position tracking system to track coordinates of the instrument within a passage in a body, a processor to register the system and a 3D CT image of at least a part of the body, find a path of the instrument through the passage, compute segments of the path, compute respective locations along the path of respective virtual cameras responsively to the computed segments, select the respective virtual cameras for rendering respective virtual endoscopic images responsively to the tracked coordinates, compute respective orientations of the respective virtual cameras, and render and display the respective virtual endoscopic images, based on the 3D CT image, of the passage in the body viewed from the respective locations and orientations of the respective virtual cameras including an animated representation of the instrument positioned in the respective virtual endoscopic images in accordance with the tracked coordinates.

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: 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 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 system includes a processor and a display. The processor is configured to: (i) receive a first dataset corresponding to a first property of an organ of a patient, and a second dataset corresponding to a second property of the organ, (ii) assign a first visual attribute to the first property and a second visual attribute to the second property, and (iii) produce a map of the organ including an overlay of the first and second visual attributes. The display is configured to display the map.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a plurality of data points including electrophysiological (EP) values measured at respective positions in at least a portion of an organ of a patient. Some of the EP values are classified as outlier values in accordance with a defined criterion. A visual representation of at least the portion of the organ is derived from the plurality of data points. The visual representation represents the EP values with respective colors, and visualizes less than all the outlier values, by performing one or both of (a) identifying outlier values that deviate from respective neighboring EP values by less than a defined deviation, and representing the outlier values using colors that match the neighboring EP values, and (b) setting for the visual representation a mapping, which maps the EP values to the colors and which excludes at least some of the outlier values.

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: 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: A medical apparatus includes a probe configured for insertion into a body of a patient. The probe includes electrodes configured to contact tissue within the body. The apparatus further includes a display screen, a position-tracking system configured to acquire position coordinates of the electrodes, and a processor. The processor is configured to acquire electrophysiological signals from a group of the electrodes in a sequence of time intervals, extract electrophysiological parameters from the signals, and for each time interval, compute a measure of consistency of the parameters extracted from the signals. The processor is further configured to render to the display screen a three-dimensional map of the tissue while superimposing on the map a visual indication of the extracted parameters for which the measure of consistency satisfied a consistency criterion, and automatically discarding from the map the parameters for which the measure of consistency did not satisfy the criterion.

Abstract: A method includes receiving multiple electrophysiological (EP) signals acquired by multiple electrodes of a multi-electrode catheter that are in contact with tissue in a region of a cardiac chamber, and respective tissue locations at which the electrodes acquired the EP signals. The region is divided into two sections. Using the EP signals acquired by the electrodes, local activation times (LAT) are calculated for the respective tissue locations, and found are: a first section of the two sections having a smaller average LAT value, and a second section of the two sections having a higher average value. Determined are a first representative location in the first section, and a second representative location in the second section. A propagation vector is calculated between the first and second representative locations, that is indicative of propagation of an EP wave that has generated the EP signals. The propagation vector is presented to a user.

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 configured to acquire position coordinates of the electrodes within the body, and a processor. The processor is configured to acquire electrophysiological signals from the electrodes while they are held stationary in the region, extract electrophysiological parameters from the signals, compute a measure of consistency of the parameters, and render to the display screen a three-dimensional (3D) map of the tissue while superimposing on the map, responsively to the position coordinates, a visual indication of the extracted parameters at the locations for which the measure of consistency satisfied a consistency criterion, and automatically discarding from the map the parameters for which the measure of consistency did not satisfy the consistency criterion.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for mapping and displaying three dimensional surgical pathways within imaging of cranial structures derived from voxels of a cranial scan. Entry voxel and target voxel are selected as pathway endpoints. A series of respective neighbor voxels are mapped between the entry voxel and the target voxel to define a pathway. For each voxel Vxi,yi,zi in the series, an immediately succeeding voxel of voxel Vxi,yi,zi is selected from among the group of neighbor voxel of voxel Vxi,yi,zi which excludes neighbor voxels of the immediately preceding voxel of voxel Vxi,yi,zi. The selection is made by comparing selection weights determined based on relative distances with respect to the endpoint voxels and relative distance from voxels within a predetermined distance that represent at least a threshold density. The voxels of the pathway are then selectively highlighted in a displayed view to provide a visualization of the 3D surgical pathway.

Abstract: A method includes receiving multiple electrophysiological (EP) signals acquired by multiple electrodes of a multi-electrode catheter that are in contact with tissue in a region of a cardiac chamber, and respective tissue locations at which the electrodes acquired the EP signals. The region is divided into two sections. Using the EP signals acquired by the electrodes, local activation times (LAT) are calculated for the respective tissue locations, and found are: a first section of the two sections having a smaller average LAT value, and a second section of the two sections having a higher average value. Determined are a first representative location in the first section, and a second representative location in the second section. A propagation vector is calculated between the first and second representative locations, that is indicative of propagation of an EP wave that has generated the EP signals. The propagation vector is presented to a user.

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 configured to acquire position coordinates of the electrodes within the body, and a processor. The processor is configured to acquire electrophysiological signals from the electrodes while they are held stationary in the region, extract electrophysiological parameters from the signals, compute a measure of consistency of the parameters, and render to the display screen a three-dimensional (3D) map of the tissue while superimposing on the map, responsively to the position coordinates, a visual indication of the extracted parameters at the locations for which the measure of consistency satisfied a consistency criterion, and automatically discarding from the map the parameters for which the measure of consistency did not satisfy the consistency criterion.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a medical instrument, a position tracking system to track coordinates of the instrument within a passage in a body, a processor to register the system and a 3D CT image of at least a part of the body, find a path of the instrument through the passage, compute segments of the path, compute respective locations along the path of respective virtual cameras responsively to the computed segments, select the respective virtual cameras for rendering respective virtual endoscopic images responsively to the tracked coordinates, compute respective orientations of the respective virtual cameras, and render and display the respective virtual endoscopic images, based on the 3D CT image, of the passage in the body viewed from the respective locations and orientations of the respective virtual cameras including an animated representation of the instrument positioned in the respective virtual endoscopic images in accordance with the tracked coordinates.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a probe configured for insertion into a body of a patient. The probe includes electrodes configured to contact tissue within the body. The apparatus further includes a display screen, a position-tracking system configured to acquire position coordinates of the electrodes, and a processor. The processor is configured to acquire electrophysiological signals from a group of the electrodes in a sequence of time intervals, extract electrophysiological parameters from the signals, and for each time interval, compute a measure of consistency of the parameters extracted from the signals. The processor is further configured to render to the display screen a three-dimensional map of the tissue while superimposing on the map a visual indication of the extracted parameters for which the measure of consistency satisfied a consistency criterion, and automatically discarding from the map the parameters for which the measure of consistency did not satisfy the criterion.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a medical instrument, a position tracking system to track coordinates of the instrument within a passage in a body, a processor to register the system and a 3D CT image of at least a part of the body, find a path of the instrument through the passage, compute segments of the path, compute respective locations along the path of respective virtual cameras responsively to the computed segments, select the respective virtual cameras for rendering respective virtual endoscopic images responsively to the tracked coordinates, compute respective orientations of the respective virtual cameras, and render and display the respective virtual endoscopic images, based on the 3D CT image, of the passage in the body viewed from the respective locations and orientations of the respective virtual cameras including an animated representation of the instrument positioned in the respective virtual endoscopic images in accordance with the tracked coordinates.

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 configured to be inserted into a cavity of a body of a living subject, and including an inflatable balloon comprising electrodes, the inflatable balloon being configured to press the electrodes against tissue of the cavity and at least partially block blood flow in the cavity, an ultrasound probe configured to provide velocity measurements of the blood flow in the cavity over time, a processor configured to assess a quality of contact of the electrodes with the tissue responsively to at least one of the velocity measurements of the blood flow in the cavity, and output an indication of the quality of contact to an output device, and a power supply configured to provide at least one electrical signal to the electrodes in order to ablate the tissue of the cavity.

Abstract: In one embodiment a system includes a ultrasound probe to capture 2D ultrasonic images of a body part of a living subject, a process to generate a 3D anatomical map of the body part, the 3D anatomical map and the 2D ultrasonic images being registered with a 3D coordinate space, add a 3D indication of an anatomical structure to the 3D anatomical map, render to a display the 3D anatomical map including the 3D indication of the anatomical structure, and render to the display a given one of the 2D ultrasonic images with a 2D indication of the anatomical structure on the given 2D ultrasonic image responsively to the 3D indication of the anatomical structure.