Catheter with atraumatic tip

Abstract

A medical device is provided comprising a shaft comprising a first segment and a second segment. The first segment is configured to buckle upon application of a first critical force. The second segment includes an outer surface and an inner surface and is configured to buckle upon application of a second critical force. The second critical force is lower than the first critical force. The medical device further comprises a coil disposed radially inwardly of the inner surface of the second segment.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A medical device comprising:
 a shaft comprising a first segment and a second segment, wherein the first segment is configured to buckle upon application of a first critical force thereto and the second segment is configured to buckle upon application of a second critical force thereto, wherein the second critical force is lower than the first critical force;   a coil disposed radially inwardly of an inner surface of the second segment;   a field sensor located on or within the shaft and responsive to a magnetic field generated by a magnetic-based positioning system; and   at least one electrode disposed on the shaft and responsive to an electrical field generated by an electrical-based positioning system.   
     
     
         22 . The medical device of  claim 21 , wherein the field sensor is configured to generate electrical field sensor signals indicative of at least one of a position and an orientation of the field sensor within a body. 
     
     
         23 . The medical device of  claim 22 , wherein the field sensor is further configured to output the electrical field sensor signals to an external computer or processor. 
     
     
         24 . The medical device of  claim 21 , wherein the field sensor comprises a conductive coil. 
     
     
         25 . The medical device of  claim 24 , wherein the field sensor comprises a magnetic field detection coil, the magnetic positioning system being configured to generate the magnetic field as a changing magnetic field, and wherein a voltage corresponding to the field sensor signal is induced in the magnetic field detection coil when residing in the changing magnetic field. 
     
     
         26 . The medical device of  claim 25 , wherein the field sensor comprises a plurality of magnetic field detection coils. 
     
     
         27 . The medical device of  claim 25 , wherein the changing magnetic field comprises an alternating current (AC) magnetic field. 
     
     
         28 . The medical device of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one electrode is disposed on the second segment. 
     
     
         29 . The medical device of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one electrode comprises a positioning electrode configured to produce representative signals indicative of at least one of a position and orientation thereof. 
     
     
         30 . The medical device of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one electrode is further configured to output the representative signals to an external computer or processor. 
     
     
         31 . The medical device of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one electrode is configured to sense an impedance. 
     
     
         32 . The medical device of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one electrode is configured to sense an impedance and to ablate tissue. 
     
     
         33 . The medical device of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one electrode comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, wherein the first electrode is disposed on a distal end of the second segment and the second and third electrodes are disposed on the second segment proximal to the first electrode. 
     
     
         34 . The medical device of  claim 33 , wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode are configured to sense an impedance and the first electrode is further configured to ablate tissue. 
     
     
         35 . The medical device of  claim 34 , wherein the coil is positioned between the second electrode and the third electrode. 
     
     
         36 . A system comprising:
 a medical device comprising:
 a shaft comprising a first segment and a second segment, wherein the first segment is configured to buckle upon application of a first critical force thereto and the second segment is configured to buckle upon application of a second critical force thereto, wherein the second critical force is lower than the first critical force; 
 a coil disposed radially inwardly of an inner surface of the second segment; 
 a field sensor located on or within the shaft and responsive to a magnetic field generated by a magnetic-based positioning system and configured to generate electrical field sensor signals indicative of at least one of a position and an orientation of the field sensor within a body of a patient; and 
 at least one electrode responsive to an electrical-based positioning system and configured to produce representative signals indicative of at least one of a position and orientation of the at least one electrode within the body; and 
   an electronic control unit (CU) communicatively coupled to the medical device.   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the ECU is configured to receive the electrical field sensor signals from the field sensor. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the ECU is further configured to receive the representative signals from the at least one electrode. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the ECU is configured to determine an interpolation function configured to register a non-orthonormal coordinate system of the electrical-based positioning system in an orthonormal coordinate system of the magnetic-based positioning system using the electrical field senor signal data and the representative signal data. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the ECU is configured to apply the interpolation function to a first coordinate in a region of interest in the non-orthonormal coordinate system of the electrical-based positioning system to determine a corresponding second coordinate in the orthonormal coordinate system of the magnetic-based positioning system.