A method includes, receiving multiple signals from multiple respective electrodes arranged along an inner circumference of a blood vessel that has been ablated. Based on the multiple signals, one or more quality measures of the ablated blood vessel are produced. A graphical presentation indicative of the one or more quality measures, is displayed to a user in a two-dimensional (2D) polar coordinate system.

A novel catheter is disclosed comprising an electrode array that is capable of switching between a sensing configuration for sensing electrical signals of biological tissue and an ablation configuration for delivery of ablation energy at a region of interest. Irrigation ports are interlaced within the electrode array to vent irrigant during an ablation procedure to; prevent excessive heating, charring of tissue, coagulation of blood, and allow for efficient delivery of ablation therapy for maximum therapy efficacy. The novel catheter includes a plurality of splines with linear portions wherein the electrodes of the electrode array are disposed. The splines are connected by connectors which include one or more bends capable of storing potential energy when the bends are elastically deformed, enabling collapse and expansion of the catheter in a sheath. Software logic associated with this catheter analyzes sensing signals to diagnose critical regions of the biological rhythm disorder, and enables directional guidance to move the catheter to critical regions for therapy.

A method of ablating tissue includes positioning a treatment device proximate to a target tissue area. The treatment device has an expandable treatment element. The expandable treatment element is inflated with a refrigerant during an inflation phase such that at least a portion of the expandable treatment element is in contact with the target tissue area. A first pressure measurement of the inflated expandable treatment element is recorded and compared to a predetermined pressure threshold. The refrigerant is circulated within the expandable treatment element during an ablation phase to reduce a temperature of the target tissue area to a temperature sufficient to cryoablate the target tissue area. A second pressure measurement of the expandable treatment element is recorded during the ablation phase and compared to the predetermined pressure threshold.

Inflatable medical devices and methods for making and using the same are disclosed. The devices can be medical invasive balloons, such as those used for transcutaneous heart valve implantation, such as balloons used for transcatheter aortic-valve implantation. The balloons can have high strength, fiber-reinforced walls.

Devices, systems, and methods for catheterization through angionavigation, cardionavigation, or brain navigation to diagnose or treat diseased areas through direct imaging using tracking, such as radiofrequency, infrared, or ultrasound tracking, of the catheter through the patient's vascular anatomy. A steerable catheter with six degrees of freedom having at least a camera and fiber optic bundle, and one or more active or passive electromagnetic tracking sensors located on the catheter is guided through the vascular system under direct imaging. The direct imaging can be assisted with at least one of MRA imaging, CT angiography imaging, or 3DRA imaging as the roadmap acquired prior to or during 3D stereoangiovision. The system comprises RF transceivers to provide positioning information from the sensors, a processor executing navigation software to fuse the tracking information from the tracking sensors with the imaging roadmap, and a display to display the location of the catheter on the roadmap.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for locating and identifying nerves innervating the wall of arteries such as the renal artery. The present invention identifies areas on vessel walls that are innervated with nerves; provides indication on whether energy is delivered accurately to a targeted nerve; and provides immediate post-procedural assessment of the effect of energy delivered to the nerve. The methods includes evaluating a change in physiological parameters after energy is delivered to an arterial wall; and determining the type of nerve that the energy was directed to (sympathetic or parasympathetic or none) based on the evaluated results. The system includes at least a device for delivering energy to the wall of blood vessel; sensors for detecting physiological signals from a subject; and indicators to display results obtained using said method. Also provided are catheters for performing the mapping and ablating functions.

A cryoablation catheter, comprising a balloon (1) and a delivery catheter (2) passing through the balloon (1). The delivery catheter (2) is provided with a fluid inflow cavity (21) and a fluid outflow cavity (22) therein. The fluid inflow cavity (21) extends into the balloon (1), and a side wall of the fluid inflow cavity (21) is provided with a spray head (211) that injects a liquid into the balloon (1). The spray head (211) has a number of spray holes (2111, 2112) circumferentially arranged on the exterior of the fluid inflow cavity (21). An end of the fluid outflow cavity (22) has a cross section (24) that seals the fluid outflow cavity (22), and a side wall of the fluid outflow cavity (22) is provided with a reflow hole (221) in communication with the balloon (1). A fluid flows from the fluid inflow cavity (21) through the nozzle holes (2111, 2112) into the balloon (1). The nozzle holes (2111, 2112) are evenly distributed outside the fluid inflow cavity (21), so that the interior of the balloon (1) is uniformly filled with the refrigeration fluid, ensuring the uniformity of heat exchange at each part of the balloon (1) in an axial direction. The fluid then flows out from the reflow hole (221). The structural design can effectively improve the heat exchange efficiency of the fluid, and the production and processing processes are relatively simple.

A balloon-type electrode catheter according to the present invention includes an outer tube, an energizing connector, a balloon including neck portions on both ends of an expansion portion, an inner tube, a distal end tip, strip electrodes formed on an outer surface of the balloon, a metal ring attached to the distal end side neck portion with a distal end portion of each of the strip electrodes secured to an outer circumferential surface of the metal ring, and a lead wire electrically connecting each of the strip electrodes and the energizing connector with a distal end of the lead wire fixed to an inner circumferential surface of the metal ring and with a proximal end of the lead wire fixed to the energizing connector.

Devices, systems, and methods for treating cardiac arrhythmia are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, devices, systems, and methods disclosed herein deliver interrogating energy to tissue at a position on a wall of an anatomical structure of a patient. If the devices, systems, and methods disclosed herein detect a change in electrical activity of the anatomical structure in response to the interrogating energy, the devices, systems, and methods disclosed herein can apply irreversible therapy to the tissue. In some embodiments, the change in electrical activity corresponds to slowing or termination of a detected arrhythmia.

Methods and devices for treating nasal airways are provided. Such devices and methods may improve airflow through an internal and/or external nasal valve, and comprise the use of mechanical re-shaping, energy application and other treatments to modify the shape, structure, and/or air flow characteristics of an internal nasal valve, an external nasal valve or other nasal airways.