Described embodiments include an apparatus that includes an expandable structure, configured for insertion into a body of a subject, and a plurality of conducting elements coupled to the expandable structure. Each of the conducting elements comprises a respective coil and has an insulated portion that is electrically insulated from tissue of the subject, and an uninsulated portion configured to exchange signals with the tissue, while in contact with the tissue. Other embodiments are also described.

Intracardiac electrograms are recorded using a multi-electrode catheter and respective annotations established. Within a time window a pattern comprising a monotonically increasing local activation time sequence from a set of electrograms from neighboring electrodes is detected. The set is reordered and displayed for the operator.

A guidance and placement system and associated methods for assisting a clinician in the placement of a catheter or other medical device within the vasculature of a patient is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for guiding a medical device to a desired location within a vasculature of a patient is also disclosed and comprises detecting an intravascular ECG signal of the patient and identifying a P-wave of a waveform of the intravascular ECG signal, wherein the P-wave varies according to proximity of the medical device to the desired location. The method further comprises determining whether the identified P-wave is elevated, determining a deflection value of the identified P-wave when the identified P-wave is elevated, and reporting information relating to a location of the medical device within the patient's vasculature at least partially according to the determined deflection value of the elevated P-wave.

A spine of an electrode assembly is constructed by simultaneously deploying a plurality of individual bobbins of lead wire radially around the longitudinal axis of a polymeric tube. A free end of lead wire from each bobbin is electrically connected to a respective electrode and the electrodes are sequentially installed from a distal first location on the polymeric tube to a proximal location. Each lead wire may be helically wound around the polymeric tube between the electrode to which the lead wire is electrically connected and a proximally adjacent electrode, such that each lead wire between adjacent pairs of electrodes has an alternating direction of winding.

A method of locating a tip of a central venous catheter (“CVC”) having a distal and proximal pair of electrodes disposed within the superior vena cava, right atrium, and/or right ventricle. The method includes obtaining a distal and proximal electrical signal from the distal and proximal pair of electrodes and using those signals to generate a distal and proximal P wave, respectively. A deflection value is determined for each of the P waves. A ratio of the deflection values is then used to determine a location of the tip of the CVC. Optionally, the CVC may include a reference pair of electrodes disposed within the superior vena cava from which a reference deflection value may be obtained. A ratio of one of the other deflection values to the reference deflection value may be used to determine the location of the tip of the CVC.

A system and method for tracking catheter electrode locations with the body of a patient during an MRI scan sequence includes mitigation logic configured to identify one or more impedance measurements that were taken during potentially noise-inducing conditions (i.e., magnet gradients, RF pulses), and were thus subject to corruption by noise. The mitigation logic is configured to replace the potentially corrupt impedance measurements with previously-obtained impedance measurements taken from an immediately preceding acquisition cycle (e.g., from a previous time-slice).

A method for characterizing an electrocardiogram, including receiving a first unipolar signal from a first location of a heart and a second unipolar signal from a second location of the heart. The method further includes generating a bipolar signal from the first and second unipolar signals, and analyzing the bipolar signal to delineate a time period during which the first and second locations generate a bipolar complex. The method also includes analyzing the first unipolar signal within the time period to determine an activation time of the first location.

A console for performing a medical procedure has connection ports for electrically coupling equipment. Each connection port may have an associated indicator that signals whether a piece of equipment should be connected to the respective connection port. The indicators may be selectively activated depending on the procedure being performed with the console.

A system and method for determining a position of a medical device within a body are provided. The system includes an electronic control unit that receives position signals from position sensors of a first type and a second type disposed on the device and applies a filter to each of the position signals to obtain filtered estimated positions for each sensor. The unit computes a spline connecting the position sensors of the first type responsive to the filtered estimated positions for the sensors and estimates a spline position for the sensor of the second type along the spline. The unit generates maps between the spline position and filtered and unfiltered estimated positions for the sensor of the second type and determines actual positions for the sensors of the first type responsive to the filtered estimated position for the sensors and a composite map of the two maps.

A method of constructing an inflatable electrode assembly configured for irrigation, comprises: providing a flex circuit having a substrate with a pre-formed aperture, the substrate constructed of a material having a greater heat resistance or a first melting temperature; providing a balloon member with a membrane, the membrane constructed of a material having a lesser heat resistance or a second melting temperature lower than the first melting temperature of the substrate; affixing the substrate to the membrane wherein a surrounding portion of the substrate around the pre-formed aperture masks a surrounding portion of the membrane so as to expose a target portion of the membrane; and applying heat to the target portion of the membrane through the pre-formed aperture of the substrate, wherein the heat applied, without melting the substrate, melts the target portion of the membrane in forming an aperture in the membrane.