A Mapping Sheath with Thermally Drawn Multi-Electrode Basket for Cardiac Electrophysiological Recording and Ablation Catheter Delivery

Abstract

Cardiac arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation, represent a major cardiovascular health burden and underscore the need for efficient and integrated strategies for electrical mapping and targeted therapy. Cardiac electrophysiology procedures depend on accurate identification of arrhythmogenic substrates followed by timely catheter ablation, but conventional diagnostic and therapeutic devices remain separate, often requiring repeated catheter exchanges and multiple access routes. Here, we report an adaptable strategy for functionalizing hollow-core sheaths with EP mapping capabilities, integrating multielectrode recording and ablation catheter delivery within a single compact platform. The device leverages thermal drawing to enable complex geometric fabrication, miniaturization, rapid prototyping, and scalable manufacturing of ultrathin electrode splines arranged circumferentially at the distal end to form an adjustable basket. The mapping sheath exhibited mechanical and electrophysiological properties suitable for intracardiac navigation and electrogram recording in bench-top evaluations, an in vitro left atrial phantom study, and ex vivo Langendorff-perfused porcine heart testing. In vivo porcine studies further demonstrated translational feasibility through vascular introduction, fluoroscopic visualization, intracardiac deployment, tissue contact, electrogram acquisition, and reconstruction of voltage and activation maps. These results support the development of intracardiac platforms with an adapted manufacturing approach, potentially guiding advances in agile cardiac mapping and ablation.