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.

A method of performing a cardiac electrophysiology procedure includes using a magnetically-localizable catheter to generate a cardiac model and then removing the catheter from the patient's heart. An electrophysiology catheter, such as a multi-electrode, non-contact mapping catheter, is then inserted into the heart. The electrophysiology catheter is also magnetically-localizable, and therefore can be localized within the model. The electrophysiology catheter is used to perform the electrophysiology procedure, such as electrophysiological mapping or ablation. Advantageously, because the electrophysiology catheter is magnetically-localizable, it can move during the electrophysiology procedure, either deliberately or inadvertently, without invalidating any previously-collected data or requiring recreation of the cardiac model.

The present disclosure provides catheter systems, electrode assemblies, and methods for electrically stimulating one or more points about the circumference of the renal artery to provide real time intraprocedural operational feedback to the operator of a renal denervation procedure to allow for more precise and thorough ablation of the renal artery and better patient outcomes. In many embodiments, an electrode assembly is provided that includes multiple splines that extend from an insulated proximal hub to an insulated distal hub and are interconnected to an electrical wire to allow the splines to independently function as electrical stimulation electrodes. The electrically active splines can then be energized at one or more desired points during a renal denervation procedure to provide operational feedback.

A heart treatment system is disclosed capable of diagnosing one or more critical regions of interest for a biological rhythm disorder by sensing signals from biological tissue. If a critical region is not present at the current location of sensed signals, the system is capable of indicating a guidance direction in which to navigate to reach one or more critical regions. Ablation energy is delivered to treat said region of interest. Signals are again sensed and analyzed to assess the impact of treatment. This process is repeated until all critical regions of interest are treated. In some embodiments, all functionality is provided by a single sensing and treating catheter with display device and analytical software.

An expandable electrode assembly for use in a cardiac mapping procedure includes multiple bipolar electrode pairs including a first electrode located on an outer surface and a second electrode located on an inner surface of the individual splines forming the expandable electrode assembly. Such an electrode arrangement may produce improved electrical activation signals which may be used to produce a more accurate map of the electrical activity of a patient's heart.

An ablation catheter including an elongate shaft, an inflatable balloon positioned at a distal region of the elongate shaft, a first ablation electrode disposed outside of and carried by an outer surface of the inflatable balloon, a first ultrasound transducer disposed outside of the inflatable balloon, and a flexible circuit. The flexible circuit includes a first conductor and a second conductor and is disposed outside of and carried by the outer surface of the inflatable balloon. The first conductor is in electrical communication with the first ablation electrode, and the second conductor in electrical communication with the first ultrasound transducer.

A medical apparatus includes a probe configured for insertion into a body of a patient. The probe includes electrodes configured to contact tissue of a region within the body. The apparatus further includes a display screen, a position-tracking system configured to acquire position coordinates of the electrodes within the body, and a processor. The processor is configured to acquire electrophysiological signals from the electrodes while they are held stationary in the region, extract electrophysiological parameters from the signals, compute a measure of consistency of the parameters, and render to the display screen a three-dimensional (3D) map of the tissue while superimposing on the map, responsively to the position coordinates, a visual indication of the extracted parameters at the locations for which the measure of consistency satisfied a consistency criterion, and automatically discarding from the map the parameters for which the measure of consistency did not satisfy the consistency criterion.

A method of forming a spline for an electrode assembly includes providing a structural member including a first surface and a second surface. The method also includes providing a flexible circuit assembly including a plurality of electrodes and at least one flexible circuit substrate having a contact surface and an outer surface opposite the contact surface. The plurality of electrodes are disposed on the outer surface of the at least one flexible circuit substrate. The method includes positioning the flexible circuit assembly relative to the structural member such that a first set of electrodes is aligned with the first surface and a second set of electrodes is aligned with the second surface. The method also includes coupling the at least one flexible circuit substrate to at least one of the structural member and the at least one flexible circuit substrate.

An apparatus includes a tube, a support element, multiple spines proximally coupled to the tube, and multiple electrodes coupled to the spines. The spines include respective expandable superelastic elements, and respective polymeric elements extending from respective distal ends of the superelastic elements and coupled to a surface of the support element by virtue of being bent proximally, into alignment with the surface, at a distal end of the support element. Other examples are also described.

Described embodiments include a catheter, which includes a plurality of splines at a distal end of the catheter, and a plurality of helical conducting elements disposed on the splines. Other embodiments are also described.