An apparatus includes a shaft, configured for insertion into a body of a subject, and an expandable element coupled to a distal end of the shaft. The expandable element includes multiple electrodes arranged in a hexagonal grid when the expandable element is expanded. Other embodiments are also described.

Catheterization of the heart is carried out using a framework formed by a plurality of electrically conducting wire loops. The wire loops are modeled as polygons, each subdivided into a plurality of triangles. The wire loops are exposed to magnetic fluxes at respective frequencies, and signals read from the loops. Theoretical magnetic fluxes in the polygons are computed as sums of theoretical magnetic fluxes in the triangles thereof. The location and orientation of the framework in the heart is determined by relating the computed theoretical magnetic fluxes to the signals.

Featured are urodynamic catheters, intravaginal devices, and intrarectal devices, systems and kits thereof, and methods of using the devices, systems, and kits to observe pelvic floor movements in order to monitor bladder function in order to diagnose, treat, or prevent urinary incontinence disorders, such as urge incontinence and stress incontinence.

A snare-integrated myocardial electrical signal-detecting catheter is proposed. The snare-integrated myocardial electrical signal-detecting catheter enables a cerclage wire to pass through the His bundle by way of detecting an electrical signal from the myocardium, and safely guides the cerclage wire into a patient's body by capturing the cerclage wire, which has passed through the His bundle, with a snare built in the catheter. The snare-integrated myocardial electrical signal-detecting catheter includes: a catheter having a hollow space to insert a guidewire thereinto, and having a distal part thereof coupled to at least one or more electrodes to detect an electrical signal of the myocardium; a snare lumen built along a longitudinal direction in a sidewall of the catheter, and having a hollow space therein; and a snare inserted into the snare lumen and having one end thereof provided with at least one or more annular wires.

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 include 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.

An apparatus includes a shaft, configured for insertion into a body of a subject, and an expandable element coupled to a distal end of the shaft. The expandable element includes multiple electrodes arranged in a hexagonal grid when the expandable element is expanded. Other embodiments are also described.

A medical system includes a catheter including an insertion tube having a distal end, an elongated resilient distal section fixed to the distal end of the insertion tube, the distal section having an outer surface, and a plurality of electrode structures, each electrode structure being disposed on, and bulging above the outer surface of the distal section, each electrode structure including a respective primary electrode and at least one respective secondary electrode extending around the outer surface, and respective electrically insulating material disposed around the outer surface and between the respective primary electrode and the at least one respective secondary electrode, the respective primary electrode bulging further above the outer surface than the at least one respective secondary electrode and the electrically insulating material.

A catheter may be adapted to map a chamber of the heart. The catheter may include a magnetic and/or ultrasound sensor for navigation. The body of the catheter may be pliable and configured to form a predetermined shape upon exiting a catheter sheath. Upon exiting the catheter sheath, the catheter body may be configured to form one or more loops, and the loops may be non-overlapping loops. In some examples, the non-overlapping loops may be concentric loops. Alternatively, the catheter body may be configured to form one or more splines. The catheter body may include an embedded electrode assembly. The electrodes of the electrode assembly may be may be arranged in one or more rows and configured to detect a wave front. The electrode assembly may also be configured to generate and activation sequence and determine a direction of an activation source. The electrode assembly may also be configured to determine the type of activation source, for example a rotational activation source, a focal activation source, and a single-wide activation source.

A microcatheter configured to have a geometry that is movable along a tortuous anatomy of the patient; and be positionable, at least in part, proximate to biological tissue of a patient; and emit an information signal, related to the biological tissue, to a medical system so that the medical system, in use, receives the information signal from the microcatheter and processes, in use, the information signal received from the microcatheter.

Systems and methods are disclosed for generating an electro-anatomical map of the heart. Techniques disclosed include measuring groups of activation signals. The activation signals of each group are measured by respective electrodes of a mapping catheter that is placed at a respective position in the heart. Where at least one electrode of the mapping catheter that measured an activation signal of one group spatially overlapped with a respective electrode of the mapping catheter that measured an activation signal of another group. Techniques disclosed further include obtaining, based on the groups of activation signals, respective sets of time measurements, utilizing the overlapping electrodes. And, constructing the electro-anatomical map based on the obtained sets of time measurements.