A system and methods for automatically adjusting view angle when performing cardiac mapping and ablation are described herein. A three-dimensional (3D) map of a cardiac structure of a patient and a relative location (e.g., position and orientation) of a catheter within the cardiac structure may be displayed on a visual display device. According to an example procedure, the position and orientation of the tip of the catheter within the cardiac structure, and the current ablation target may be detected. A desired viewing angle of the ablation target may be known, determined, provided and/or learned through training sessions with the operator. The viewing angle of the 3D map of the cardiac structure may be automatically adjusted to correspond to the desired viewing angle using the known locations of the tip of the catheter and ablation target. Other details and procedures may be implemented, as described herein.

A cryoablation catheter comprises a tubular shaft having a shaft distal end and a shaft lumen, a tubular guidewire lumen member extending within the shaft lumen and forming a guidewire lumen extending between the guidewire lumen member proximal end and the guidewire lumen member distal end, an expandable cryoballoon having a proximal portion attached to the shaft distal end and a distal portion attached to the guidewire lumen member distal end, and a cryoablation catheter location sensor configured to generate a cryoablation location signal when in the cryoablation catheter location sensor is within a magnetic localization field.

A catheter has a composite and segmented construction in a distal section that includes deflectable members and support member arranged in alternating sequence, with each support member carrying a ring electrode and the deflectable members being flexible to allow deflection of the distal section as a whole. Carried on an outer surface of the support member is a coil location sensor. The distal section is configured with a distal irrigation fluid path extending axially through the deflectable members and the support members to deliver irrigation fluid to the ring electrode and the tip electrode. A method of constructing a catheter includes building a section of the catheter from the inside out by mounting the support members on a tubing at predetermined locations and filling gaps in between with a more flexible material to form the deflectable members by extrusion segments or injection molding over assembled components internal to the catheter.

Ablation systems and methods of the present disclosure control lesion depth and width such that, for example, wide and shallow lesions can be formed in target tissue in an anatomic structure of a patient during a medical procedure. Such wide and shallow lesions can be useful for treating, for example, thin tissue such as atrial tissue in atria of the heart of the patient.

Engagement catheter devices, systems, and methods to use the same under suctional tissue engagement. A method of the present disclosure comprises the steps of engaging a targeted tissue under suction/vacuum using an engagement catheter, delivering a substance into or through the targeted tissue using a needle positioned within a first lumen of the engagement catheter, injecting a fluid within the first lumen of the engagement catheter to flush at least part of the first lumen with the fluid, and suctionally removing the injected fluid from within the first lumen of the engagement catheter.

A modular multi-electrode structure for use with an electrophysiology device includes a plurality of interconnected, non-conductive, tubular substrates. Each non-conductive, tubular substrate includes an outer surface and a conductor disposed on the outer surface, as well as at least one signal conductor extending along a length of the interconnected plurality of non-conductive tubular substrates. The conductor disposed on the outer surface of each non-conductive tubular substrate is in electrical communication with the at least one signal conductor. In some embodiments, the plurality of non-conductive tubular substrates includes a plurality of non-conductive polymeric substrates. In alternative embodiments, the plurality of non-conductive tubular substrates includes a plurality of non-conductive, unitary molded cylinders.

Apparatus, systems, and methods are provided for monitoring AF episodes, delivering ATP pulses, and/or achieving electrical isolation of the left atrial appendage (LAA) of a patient's heart and/or preventing thrombus formation after electrical isolation. For example, devices are provided that may implanted from within the left atrium, e.g., to isolate the LAA, prevent thrombus formation within the LAA, facilitate endothelialization, and/or deliver pacing.

Medical apparatus includes a flexible insertion tube having a distal end configured for insertion into a cavity in a body of a living subject and containing a lumen passing through the insertion tube to the distal end. An inflatable balloon is deployable from the distal end of the insertion tube and configured to be inflated by passage of a fluid through the lumen while the probe is deployed in the cavity in the body. At least one flexible circuit substrate is attached to a surface of the inflatable balloon. One or more electrodes, which include a conductive material disposed on an outer side of the at least one flexible circuit substrate, contact tissue in the cavity in the body when the balloon is inflated. A spiral conductive trace is disposed on the at least one flexible circuit substrate.

Methods and devices are disclosed for the formation of a communication between the aorta and left atrium. The method includes introducing a puncturing device, positioning the device at a location along the aorta, and advancing the puncturing device to create a pathway. The method may include: a. via an inferior artery, advancing a perforating tip of the puncturing device towards the aorta; b. positioning the perforating tip adjacent a wall of the aorta, proximate the left atrium; and c. advancing the perforating tip to perforate through the wall of the aorta and then through a wall of the left atrium, to create a pathway between the aorta and the left atrium, wherein the creation of the pathway can be confirmed with at least one of fluoroscopy, electro-anatomical mapping, pressure measurement, contrast injection, and echocardiograph.

Disclosed are various examples and embodiments of systems, devices, components and methods configured to detect the locations of sources of cardiac rhythm disorders in a patient's heart, and then to generate an estimate or probability of the patient being free from atrial fibrillation. The various embodiments employ at least one computing device to process a plurality of electrogram surfaces through time to generate at least one electrographical flow (EGF) map, representation, pattern, or data set, and then process the at least one EGF map, representation, pattern, or data set to determine at least two of source activity levels, flow angle variability (FAV) levels, and active fractionation (AFR) levels corresponding thereto. On the basis of a combination of the determined at least two of source activity levels, FAV levels, and AFR levels, an electrographical volatility index (EVI) score or metric representative of the estimate or probability of the patient being free from AF is generated.