Described embodiments include a system that includes an electrical interface and a processor. The processor is configured to receive, via the electrical interface, an electrocardiographic signal from an electrode within a heart of a subject, to ascertain a location of the electrode in a coordinate system of a computerized model of a surface of the heart, to select portions of the model responsively to the ascertained location, such that the selected portions are interspersed with other, unselected portions of the model, and to display the model such that the selected portions, but not the unselected portions, are marked to indicate a property of the signal. Other embodiments are also described.

A system that executes a process for mapping cardiac fibrillation and optimizing ablation treatments. The process, in some embodiments, includes: positioning a two dimensional electrode array to several locations in a patient's heart and at each location, obtaining a conduction velocity and a cycle length measurement from at least two local signals in response to electrical activity in the cardiac tissue. In some embodiments, a regional wavelength is calculated by multiplying the local conduction velocity with the local minimum cycle length. The system can then create a wavelength distribution map that identifies the location of the drivers in the heart. In certain embodiments, the system uses variability of conduction velocity and cycle length in an area to determine the driver type. In some embodiments, the system calculates average distance of drivers to non-conductive tissue boundaries. The system then selects ablation placements that maximize treatment efficacy while minimizing tissue damage.

A catheter configured to deliver therapeutic energy to a tissue is disclosed. The catheter comprises an elongate shaft extending along a shaft longitudinal axis. The catheter further comprises a flexible tip assembly coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft, the flexible tip assembly comprising at least three mapping electrodes equally spaced about a circumference of the flexible tip, a flexible ablation electrode, and a plurality of irrigation ports. The catheter further comprises an irrigation lumen extending through the elongate shaft and into an interior of the flexible tip assembly, wherein the irrigation lumen is configured to direct irrigation fluid to the plurality of irrigation ports.

Novel tools and techniques are provided for presenting patient information to a user. In some embodiments, a computer system may: receive device data associated with one or more devices configured to perform a cardiac blood flow procedure to provide effective blood flow through a heart and to or from blood vessels of a patient; receive one or more imaging data associated with one or more imaging devices configured to generate images of one or more internal portions of the patient; analyze the device data and the imaging data; map the device data and the imaging data to a multi-dimensional representation of the one or more internal portions of the patient; generate one or more image-based outputs based at least in part on the mapping; and present, using a user experience (“UX”) device, the generated one or more image-based outputs.

An elongated guidewire assembly has a distal segment configured to be selectively maneuvered, along an elongated Introducer assembly. The distal segment is configured to selectively transmit a tenting force from the elongated guidewire assembly to the first biological wall after the distal segment has contacted, at least in part, the first biological wall and the distal segment has been selectively protracted away from the distal introducer assembly.

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.

Improved mapping and ablation procedures and corresponding devices are provided. A variety of methods and apparatuses can be used for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias by identifying the location of an arrhythmia source and ablating that source. The methods and apparatuses can provide an improved means of electrical mapping of the heart to identify the location of the arrhythmia source and advancing an ablation electrode to that location so that it may be ablated.

Ablation catheters and systems include coaxial catheter shafts with an inner lumen for delivering an ablative agent and an outer lumen for circulation of a cooling element about the catheter. Induction heating is used to heat a chamber and vaporize a fluid within by wrapping a coil about a ferromagnetic chamber and providing an alternating current to the coil. A magnetic field is created in the area surrounding the chamber which induces electric current flow in the chamber, heating the chamber and vaporizing the fluid inside. Positioning elements help maintain the device in the proper position with respect to the target tissue and also prevent the passage of ablative agent to normal tissues.

Ablation systems and methods of the present disclosure include a catheter including one or more image sensors. The one or more image sensors can facilitate, for example, positioning an ablation electrode at a treatment site of an anatomic structure and, additionally or alternatively, can facilitate controlling delivery of therapeutic energy to a treatment site of an anatomic structure.

Devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure can overcome physical constraints associated with catheter introduction to facilitate the use of a catheter with a large distal portion as part of a medical procedure benefitting from such a large distal portion, such as, for example, cardiac ablation. More specifically, devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure can compress an expandable tip of a catheter from an expanded state to a compressed state along a tapered surface of an insertion sleeve for advancement of the expandable tip into vasculature of a patient. The tapered surface of the insertion sleeve can, for example, apply compressive forces at an angle against the advancing expandable tip. As compared to other approaches to the application of compressive force to an expandable tip, compressing the expandable tip using an angled force can reduce the likelihood of unintended deformation of the expandable tip.