There is provided herein a guidance system for positioning an insertion device comprising: an electromagnetic field generator configured to generate an electromagnetic field covering a treatment area, an insertion device comprising an electromagnetic sensor, the electromagnetic sensor configured to receive signals indicative of the electromagnetic field, and a processing circuitry configured to: load an X-ray, CT, ultrasound or MRI image of the subject's chest, mark a location of a first and a second anatomic landmarks on the subject's torso using a registration sensor and obtaining a subject coordinate system based thereon, identify the location of the first and the second anatomic landmarks on the loaded X-ray, CT, ultrasound or MRI image of the subject's chest; aligning the subject coordinate system with the loaded X-ray, CT, ultrasound or MRI image, and display, on the image, a path of the insertion device insertion with respect to the first and the second anatomic locations; wherein the path is generated according to changes in the strength of the electromagnetic field sensed by the tip sensor's during the insertion of the insertion device.

There is provided herein a guidance system for positioning an insertion device comprising: an electromagnetic field generator configured to generate an electromagnetic field covering a treatment area, an insertion device comprising an electromagnetic sensor, the electromagnetic sensor configured to receive signals indicative of the electromagnetic field, and a processing circuitry configured to: load an X-ray, CT, ultrasound or MRI image of the subject's chest, mark a location of a first and a second anatomic landmarks on the subject's torso using a registration sensor and obtaining a subject coordinate system based thereon, identify the location of the first and the second anatomic landmarks on the loaded X-ray, CT, ultrasound or MRI image of the subject's chest; aligning the subject coordinate system with the loaded X-ray, CT, ultrasound or MRI image, and display, on the image, a path of the insertion device insertion with respect to the first and the second anatomic locations; wherein the path is generated according to changes in the strength of the electromagnetic field sensed by the tip sensor's during the insertion of the insertion device.

A medical device includes: an elongated tube having a wall defining a lumen for the elongated tube, wherein the wall of the elongated tube comprises a first opening; and a first actuating element coupled directly or indirectly to the wall of the elongated tube; wherein at least a part of the first actuating element and the first opening of the wall are located at a same longitudinal position with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated tube; and wherein the first actuating element is configured to change size to induce stress and/or displacement at the wall of the elongated tube to cause the elongated tube to bend.

An elongate, flexible, medical device having distal and proximal ends, including an inner member having a proximal and distal end, a support member extending around the inner member between the proximal and distal end, a plurality of electrically-conductive wires, each braided with the support member having a proximal and distal end, an outer member surrounding the inner member, the support member, and the plurality of electrically-conductive wires and an actuator including a polymer electrolyte layer secured adjacent to the distal end of the elongate, flexible inner member and defining an exterior surface, electrodes distributed about the exterior of the polymer electrolyte layer. The distal end of one of the electrically-conductive wires is electrically connected to one of the electrodes. The polymer electrolyte layer is configured to deform asymmetrically in response to the application of an electrical signal through the plurality of electrically-conductive wires to the plurality of electrodes.

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to trackable medical device, e.g. a catheter placement system, having a needle formed of a magnetizable material, and magnetized to produce a magnetic field having a magnetic field strength or a magnetic field signature detectable by a sensor of a tracking system. The medical device further includes a spring formed of a non-magnetizable material, e.g. silver coated copper beryllium or the like, and configured to display the same mechanical performance properties as a spring formed of the magnetizable material. Also disclosed is a method of tracking a medical device including magnetizing the catheter placement system to produce a magnetic field having a strength or a magnetic field signature and detecting the magnetic field by a sensor of a tracking system.

A multimodality or hybrid ablation system includes an ablation apparatus for creating a lesion in target tissue. The ablation apparatus has an ablation shaft including a handle, a first portion, an ablation portion, distal tip, at least one ablation energy delivery lumen, at least one ablation energy return lumen, and a stylet lumen that extends substantially along a length of the ablation shaft from the handle to at least the ablation portion. The ablation apparatus also includes a stylet that is capable of being inserted into the stylet lumen where the stylet is made of a shape-memory material. A plurality of electrodes are arranged on the ablation portion for measuring or verifying tissue contact with the tissue and applying a pulsed electric field. Optionally, the pulsed electric field may be applied after, contemporaneously, or for only a portion that the cryo-modality is applied to the target tissue.

In some examples, a catheter includes an expandable member configured to expand radially outward from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration. The expandable member is configured to be expanded and contracted in a controlled manner, e.g., in response to user actuation or automatically under the control of control circuitry of a device. For example, in some examples, control circuitry of a device can be configured to control the expandable member to expand and contract according to a predetermined expansion frequency or according to an expansion frequency determined based on a cardiac cycle of a patient.

Catheter systems and method utilizing catheters having strategically configured actuators disposed thereon to modify the shape and/or stiffness of the catheter to provide electronically actuated anchoring, friction reduction, and/or motive force to move the catheter within a body lumen, such as a vascular vessel. The catheters include an elongated, flexible tubular member having one or more actuators disposed on the tubular member. The actuators are configured to modify the shape and/or stiffness of the tubular member to provide various controlled functions, including anchoring, friction reduction while moving the catheter, and/or propelling the catheter in a body lumen. The actuators may be electroactive polymer actuators which are electronically actuatable, mechanical actuators which are actuated by mechanical means such as pull wires, hydraulic or pneumatic actuators which are actuatable by fluid pressure, or combinations thereof.

A catheter configured for placement within a bodily lumen, comprises: a catheter sheath defining a first lumen for medical tools; and an exchange segment defining a second lumen for a guidewire. A proximal end of the exchange segment is joined with a distal end of the catheter sheath in a lengthwise direction forming an angle therebetween, such that the second lumen is laterally offset by a distance and angled with respect to the first lumen. When the catheter is placed within a patient's anatomy, the catheter sheath and/or the exchange segment straightens out so that the axis of the second lumen and the axis of the first lumen become substantially parallel to each other. The offset distance between the axes of sheath and exchange segment depends mainly on the diameter of the guidewire to be used, on the diameter of the sheath, and the angle of the junction.

According to some embodiments, the device comprises a tubular member with a longitudinal axis having a proximal end and a distal end, at least one partial cut located at, along or near the distal end of the tubular member, wherein the distal end of the tubular member is configured to at least partially rotate when the force imparting element is advanced relative to the tubular member so at to facilitate placement of the distal end in a particular location of a subject's intraluminal network. The device further includes a transition section intermediate to the at least one partial cut and the non-cut portion of the tubular member.