A medical device for use by an operator to perform a medical procedure in a body includes a handle to be held by the operator, a shaft attached to the handle and an actuating assembly to control functions associated with the medical procedure. The shaft includes an operative distal portion to perform a medical procedure in the body. The medical device may be part of an ablation catheter system that is programmed to correlate one or more functions with the actuation of the actuating assembly. Multiple actuating assemblies may be provided. Each actuating assembly may be a button. Other types of actuating assemblies may also be used, such as switches or a trackball. The actuating assembly may also be provided on a sleeve that may be selectively attached to the handle of the catheter or the physician operating the catheter, for example.
The systems and methods described herein provide for a medical device insertable into the body of a living being having an imaging device with a layout that is adjustable from an undeployed layout, where the imaging device is insertable into the inner lumen of a medical device, to a larger deployed layout, where the imaging device preferably has a larger imaging aperture. The medical device can also include a flexible membrane coupled with or located on the distal end of the medical device. The flexible membrane can be expanded or inflated to create a spatial operating region for the deployed imaging device.
A physiology workstation includes a communications interface conveying physiology signals and ultrasound data representative of a region of interest. The ultrasound data is obtained by an ultrasound device in real-time during a procedure. Also includes is a physiology processing unit, an ultrasound processing unit, and a display unit displaying the physiology signals and the ultrasound images, the physiology signals and ultrasound signals being presented jointly to a user in real-time during the procedure being carried out on the subject. The display unit includes at least one monitor co-displaying the physiology signals and ultrasound images in adjacent windows on a single display. The physiology processing unit, ultrasound processing unit and display unit are located in a control room divided from a procedure room. The communications interface extends between the procedure and control rooms and the physiology processing unit is configured to remotely control the ultrasound system via the communications interface.
A physiology workstation is provided that comprises a communications interface conveying physiology signals derived from a subject and ultrasound data representative of a region of interest of the subject. The ultrasound data is obtained by an ultrasound device in real-time during a procedure carried out on the subject. An physiology processing unit receives and processes the physiology signals. An ultrasound processing unit receives and processes the ultrasound data to generate ultrasound images. The physiology processing unit combines the physiology signals with the ultrasound images from the ultrasound processing unit. A display unit displaying the physiology signals and the ultrasound images. The physiology signals and ultrasound signals are presented jointly to a user in real-time during the procedure being carried out on the subject.
