In one exemplary mode, a catheter apparatus includes an elongated deflectable element including a distal end, a flexible puller including a distal portion, and configured to be retracted through the deflectable element, and an expandable assembly including a plurality of resilient splines, each resilient spline including at least one electrode disposed thereon, the resilient splines being disposed circumferentially around the distal portion of the puller, with first ends of the splines being coupled with the distal end of the deflectable element and second ends of the splines coupled with the distal portion of the puller, the splines being configured to bow radially outward in a relaxed form of the expandable assembly and bow further radially outward when the puller is retracted expanding the expandable assembly from the relaxed form to an expanded form.

A catheter includes: (i) a shaft for insertion into an organ of a patient, (ii) an expandable distal-end assembly, which is coupled to the shaft and includes multiple splines, (iii) at least an ablation electrode, which is configured: (a) to be coupled to a spline of the splines, and (b) when placed in contact with tissue of the organ, to apply an ablation signal to the tissue, and the ablation electrode includes a slot, and (iv) a temperature sensor, which is contained within the slot and is configured, when the ablation electrode is placed in contact with the tissue, to produce a thermal signal indicative of a temperature of the tissue.

Example apparatuses disclosed herein are generally usable with catheter-based systems to measure or provide electrical signals within the heart and surrounding vasculature. Example apparatuses generally include an end effector with one or more spines that can rotate about a longitudinal axis such that the spines are aligned in a plane in a first configuration and the one or more spines are rotated out of the plane in a second configuration. The end effector can include features which provide improved and/or alternative diagnostic or treatment options compared to existing end effectors. In some example treatments utilizing some example apparatuses presented herein, an end effector can map a wall within the heart in the first configuration and a lumen of a vein in the second configuration.

A non-invasive and permeable RF diagnosis and treatment equipment and its catheter are provided. The catheter which comprises a tube body, a RF electrode array and a flexible protecting net has a retractable cavity, and the RF electrode array is attached to an outer surface of the retractable cavity; the flexible protecting net surrounding outside of the RF electrode array has a connector connected with the tube body and multiple holes. The retractable cavity has a smaller volume contraction state and a larger volume expansion state. Using the catheter, when inserting or pulling out the catheter, the RF electrode array will not contact the inner wall of the organ, but the flexible protecting net contacts the inner wall of the organ. In this way, the scratch of the inner wall of the organ caused by the RF electrode array can be minimized or even avoided through the flexible protecting net.

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.

Transducer-based systems can be configured to display a graphical representation of a transducer-based device, the graphical representation including graphical elements corresponding to transducers of the transducer-based device, and also including between graphical elements respectively associated with a set of the transducers and respectively associated with a region of space between the transducers of the transducer-based device. Selection of graphical elements and/or between graphical elements can cause activation of the set of transducers associated with the selected elements. Selection of a plurality of graphical elements and/or between graphical elements can cause visual display of a corresponding activation path in the graphical representation. Visual characteristics of graphical elements and between graphical elements can change based on an activation-status of the corresponding transducers. Activation requests for a set of transducers can be denied if it is determined that a transducer in the set of transducers is unacceptable for activation.

An elongate medical device shaft may comprise an elongate body and an annular electrode disposed on the elongate body. The annular electrode may define a longitudinal axis and have an outer diameter. The outer diameter may be greater at an axial center of the electrode than at an axial end of the electrode. Additionally or alternatively, the elongate body may comprise three longitudinal sections having three wall thicknesses. The middle wall thickness may be less than the proximal and distal wall thicknesses and the distal wall thickness may be less than the proximal wall thickness. Additionally or alternatively, the shaft may comprise an inner cylindrical structure and an outer tube. The outer tube may comprise a first radial layer and a second radial layer that is radially-outward of the first radial layer, the first radial layer, second radial layer, and inner structure having different stiffnesses.

A device for therapeutic neuromodulation in a nasal region can include, for example, a shaft and a therapeutic element at a distal portion of the shaft. The shaft can locate the distal portion intraluminally at a target site inferior to a patient's sphenopalatine foramen. The therapeutic element can include an energy delivery element configured to therapeutically modulate postganglionic parasympathetic nerves at microforamina of a palatine bone of the human patient for the treatment of rhinitis or other indications. In other embodiments, the therapeutic element can be configured to therapeutically modulate nerves that innervate the frontal, ethmoidal, sphenoidal, and maxillary sinuses for the treatment of chronic sinusitis.

A catheter comprising an elongated catheter body, an electrode array distal of the catheter body, the array having a mounting member and at least first and second spine supports. Each spine support includes a base having a planar configuration, and a plurality of spines extending from the base, wherein the first base extends in a first plane and the second base extends in a second plane different from the first plane in the mounting member.

The present disclosure provides catheters for electroporation systems. One catheter includes a plurality of catheter electrodes disposed along a portion of a distal end of the electroporation catheter. The plurality of catheter electrodes includes a plurality of first type catheter electrodes adapted for use with an electroporation generator during an electroporation procedure and a plurality of second type catheter electrodes adapted for use with an electroporation generator during an electroporation procedure and for use with a diagnostic subsystem. The plurality of first type catheter electrodes is positioned at a distal end of the electroporation catheter. Each second type catheter electrode is adjacent another second type catheter electrode.