Ablation catheter comprising an elongate member with proximal and distal ends, wherein the distal end is arranged to apply a high energy electrical shock from a plurality of locations along the length of said distal end and wherein said distal end is curved. Preferably the distal end of the elongate member extends in a circle segment.

An ultrasound system has an ultrasound transducer having a transducer housing and a horn provided at the distal end of the transducer housing, an ultrasound transmission member, a sonic connector that is connected to the horn and the proximal end of the ultrasound transmission member, and a catheter knob having a proximal end that is coupled to the distal end of the transducer housing. The catheter knob has a proximal bore that houses the sonic connector. The system also includes a nesting piece that is retained inside the proximal bore of the catheter knob. The nesting piece can be moved from a first position where the sonic connector is received inside the nesting piece to a second position where the sonic connector is separated from the nesting piece when ultrasound energy is being propagated through the ultrasound transmission member.

Visualization and ablation systems and catheters. The systems can capture a plurality of different 2D images of the patient's anatomy adjacent an expandable member, each of which visualizes at least one part of the patient that is in contact with the expandable membrane, tag each of the plurality of different 2D images with information indicative of the position and orientation of a locational element when each of the plurality of different 2D images was captured, create a patient map, wherein creating the patient map comprises placing each of the plurality of different 2D images at the corresponding tagged position and orientation into a 3 space, and display the patient map.

A flexible tip electrode for an ablation catheter is disclosed. The catheter includes a catheter body and a hollow elongate tip electrode disposed at a distal end of the catheter body. The electrode includes a sidewall provided with one or more elongate gaps extending therethrough. The one or more elongate gaps providing flexibility in the sidewall for bending movement of the tip electrode relative to a longitudinal axis of the catheter body.

Disclosed herein are implant materials comprising a shape memory polymer having a first shape and a second shape. The shape memory polymer can comprise at least one monomer unit of glycerol and at least one monomer unit of dodecanedioate and a functionalized surface. The shape memory polymer can take the first shape at a first environmental temperature and the second shape at a second environmental temperature, the second environmental temperature being greater than the first environmental temperature. Also disclosed herein are methods of making the same.

A device for use by a female that includes an external housing, an internal skeleton, and a motorized portion. The external housing is configured to conform to the user's shape and form. The internal skeleton may be deformed by the user as desired. The internal skeleton includes shape-memory properties so that after deformation, the device retains the shape desired by the user. The motorized portion is secured within the external housing so that desired portions of the device receive the majority of the stimulation provided by the motorized portion.

Locking mechanisms and electronic devices having locking mechanisms are described herein. In one example, a locking mechanism includes a latch configured to move between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein a component of the electronic device is secured in the locked position and removable in the unlocked position. The locking mechanism further includes a memory wire in communication with the latch, wherein the memory wire is configured to contract in length to move the latch between the locked position and the unlocked position to release the component of the electronic device.

Cardiac tissue ablation catheters including an inflatable and flexible toroidal or spherically shaped balloon disposed at a distal region of an elongate member, a flexible circuit carried by an outer surface of the balloon, the flexible circuit including, a plurality of flexible branches conforming to the radially outer surface of the balloon, each of the plurality of flexible branches including a substrate, a conductive trace carried by the substrate, and an ablation electrode carried by the substrate, the ablation electrode in electrical communication with the conductive trace, and an elongate shaft comprising a guidewire lumen extending in the elongate member and extending from a proximal region of the inflatable balloon to distal region of the inflatable balloon and being disposed within the inflatable balloon, wherein a distal region of the elongate shaft is secured directly or indirectly to the distal region of the inflatable balloon.

The invention generally relates to polymer nanocomposite films that possess shape memory properties at elevated temperatures. Such films can absorb microwaves, are thermally conductive, are electrically conductive and have increased mechanical strength. In addition, the present invention relates to methods of fabricating such films into 3D objects. Due to the improved properties of such films more advanced sensors and microwave shields can be constructed.

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.