A catheter includes an elongated body having a longitudinal axis, a distal assembly distal the elongated body, the distal assembly having a tapered helical form comprising a larger, electrode-carrying proximal loop and a smaller, softer distal loop, and a shape-memory support member extending through at least the proximal loop. For example, the helical loop subtends at least about 720 radial degrees, with the proximal loop subtending about 360 radial degrees, and the distal loop subtending about 360 radial degrees. The softer distal loop with a straight distal end atraumatically guides the distal assembly into a tubular region so that the larger proximal loop can sit on the ostium of the tubular region with improved electrode and tissue contact.

Provided are a localization system and method useful in the acquisition and analysis of cardiac information. The localization system and method can be used with systems that perform cardiac mapping, diagnosis and treatment of cardiac abnormalities, as examples, and in the retrieval, processing, and interpretation of such types of information. The localization system and method use high impedance inputs, improved isolation, and relatively high drive currents for pairs of electrodes used to establish a multi-axis coordinate system. The axes can be rotated and scaled to improve localization.

Systems and methods for measuring the magnetic fields generated by renal nerves before and/or after neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. One method for measuring the magnetic field of target nerves during a neuromodulation procedure includes positioning a neuromodulation catheter at a target site within a renal blood vessel of a human patient near the target nerves, and detecting a measurement of the magnetic field generated by the target nerves. The method can further include determining, based on the measurement of the magnetic field, a location of the target nerves, a location of ablation at the target nerves, and/or a percentage the target nerves were ablated by delivered neuromodulation energy.

Featured are intravaginal devices and methods of using the devices to observe the state of an individual's pelvic floor muscles in order to diagnose, treat, or prevent pelvic floor disorders (e.g., pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence) and their accompanying symptoms and methods of using the devices to treat or prevent vaginal disorders (e.g., skin laxity) in a subject using an energy transmitter (e.g., a radiofrequency transmitter).

A catheter for use in a patient's heart, especially for mapping a tubular region of the heart, has a catheter body, a deflectable intermediate section and a distal mapping assembly that has a generally circular portion adapted to sit on or in a tubular region of the heart. A control handle of the catheter allows for single-handed manipulation of various control mechanisms that can deflect the intermediate section and contract the mapping assembly by means of a deflection control assembly and a rotational control assembly. The deflection control assembly has a deflection arm and a rocker member. The rotational control assembly has an outer rotational member, an inner rotational member and a cam. A pair of puller members are responsive to the deflection control assembly to bi-directionally deflect the intermediate section. A third puller member is responsive to the rotational control assembly to contract the generally circular portion of the mapping assembly.

A cardiac lead system is provided. The lead is placed epicardially through the transverse pericardial sinus with integrated curvatures to prevent the lead from slipping out of the transverse pericardial sinus. Interaction with multiple chambers of the heart is facilitated in a single lead, without anchors that embed into the heart wall. Multiple electrodes can be grouped over each targeted heart area to ensure adequate electrical contact.

A method of constructing an electrophysiology catheter having a flex circuit electrode assembly includes: providing a flex circuit having a substrate, a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer; removing the first conductive layer to expose a first surface of the substrate; forming the wiring electrode in the second conductive layer with one exclusion zone; forming a first through-hole in the substrate to provide one conductive via and forming a second through-hole to provide an irrigation aperture in alignment with the exclusion zone; forming the contact electrode on first surface of the substrate; placing conductive material into the first through-hole to form the conductive via, the conductive via extending through the substrate and electrically coupling the wiring electrode and the contact electrode; and coupling a first conductor and a second conductor to the wiring electrode to form a thermocouple.

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 multi-lumen catheter can be used to measure pressure at multiple locations within the vasculature. The multi-lumen catheter can include multiple segments, such as a proximal portion, an intermediate portion, and a distal portion. A segment of a multi-lumen catheter may differ from another segment of the same multi-lumen catheter in radiodensity, hardness, and/or some other characteristic. Some multi-lumen catheters are designed to permit measurements of pressure in different lumens.

A ureteral catheter includes a drainage lumen having a proximal portion configured to be positioned in at least a portion of a patient's urethra and/or bladder and a distal portion configured to be positioned in a patient's kidney, renal pelvis, and/or in the ureter adjacent to the renal pelvis. The distal portion includes a retention portion for maintaining positioning of the distal portion of the drainage lumen. The retention portion includes a plurality of sections, each section having one or more openings on a sidewall of the retention portion for permitting fluid flow into the drainage lumen. A total area of openings of a first section of the plurality of sections is less than a total area of openings of an adjacent second section of the plurality of sections. The second section is closer to a distal end of the drainage lumen than the first section.