An intra-cardiac mapping system is based on locating the ports through which blood flows in or out the heart chambers. For many procedures, such as ablation to cure atrial fibrillation, locating the pulmonary veins and the mitral valve accurately allows to perform a Maze procedure. The location of the ports and valves is based on using the convective cooling effect of the blood flow. The mapping can be performed by a catheter-deployed expandable net or a scanning catheter. The same net or catheter can also perform the ablation procedure.

An intra-cardiac mapping system is based on locating the ports through which blood flows in or out the heart chambers. For many procedures, such as ablation to cure atrial fibrillation, locating the pulmonary veins and the mitral valve accurately allows to perform a Maze procedure. The location of the ports and valves is based on using the convective cooling effect of the blood flow. The mapping can be performed by a catheter-deployed expandable net or a scanning catheter. The same net or catheter can also perform the ablation procedure.

An intra-cardiac mapping system is based on locating the ports through which blood flows in or out the heart chambers. For many procedures, such as ablation to cure atrial fibrillation, locating the pulmonary veins and the mitral valve accurately allows to perform a Maze procedure. The location of the ports and valves is based on using the convective cooling effect of the blood flow. The mapping can be performed by a catheter-deployed expandable net or a scanning catheter. The same net or catheter can also perform the ablation procedure.

Impedance devices with integrated circuit modules and method of using the same to obtain luminal organ information. In one embodiment, a device comprises an elongated body for at least partial insertion into a mammalian luminal organ and having a first conductor extending therethrough, a proximal electrical unit connected to the elongated body to deliver power along the first conductor, and a sensor substrate located at or near a distal end of the elongated body and comprising a circuit module operable and/or configured to direct the sizing portion to obtain sizing data and the pressure sensor to obtain pressure data, and facilitate transmission of the sizing data and/or the pressure data to the proximal electrical unit.

An intra-cardiac mapping system is based on locating the ports through which blood flows in or out the heart chambers. For many procedures, such as ablation to cure atrial fibrillation, locating the pulmonary veins and the mitral valve accurately allows to perform a Maze procedure. The location of the ports and valves is based on using the convective cooling effect of the blood flow. The mapping can be performed by a catheter-deployed expandable net or a scanning catheter. The same net or catheter can also perform the ablation procedure.

An intra-cardiac mapping system is based on locating the ports through which blood flows in or out the heart chambers. For many procedures, such as ablation to cure atrial fibrillation, locating the pulmonary veins and the mitral valve accurately allows to perform a Maze procedure. The location of the ports and valves is based on using the convective cooling effect of the blood flow. The mapping can be performed by a catheter-deployed expandable net or a scanning catheter. The same net or catheter can also perform the ablation procedure.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to the identification of when a blood vessel has been sufficiently cleared of blood so as to capture intravascular images of the vessel wall. The disclosed systems and methods allow for the identification of an initial and a final blood clearing based on the identification of edges within scanlines of a plurality of image frames. The edges of a plurality of scanlines may be analyzed to determine an average edge offset for each image frame, and the average edge offsets for a plurality of image frames may be averaged over various time-windows, so as to determine when the initial and final blood clearing events have occurred. Once a final blood clearing event has been identified, the disclosed system may automatically initiate a catheter pullback procedure, so as to capture intravascular images over a length of the vessel that has been sufficiently cleared of blood.

Guidewires having conductive elements are described where in one variation, the guidewire may be formed by disposing an insulative layer upon a surface of the guidewire core, and printing one or more conductive traces directly upon a surface of the insulative layer.

Guidewires having conductive elements are described where in one variation, the guidewire may be formed by disposing an insulative layer upon a surface of the guidewire core, and printing one or more conductive traces directly upon a surface of the insulative layer.

Handheld steering devices for use with intravascular devices and associated systems and methods are disclosed. In some instances, the handheld steering device includes a housing sized and shaped for grasping by a hand of a user, the housing including a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the distal portion includes an opening sized and shaped to receive an intravascular device; an adaptor positioned within the opening of the housing, the adaptor including a bore sized and shaped to allow a proximal end of the intravascular device to pass therethrough; a steering controller coupled to the housing; and an actuator positioned within the housing and in communication with the steering controller, the actuator interfacing with the proximal end of the intravascular device based on inputs to the steering controller to steer a distal end of the intravascular device. Associated systems and methods are also disclosed.