Systems and methods for activating transducers

1. A transducer-activation system comprising:

a data processing device system;

an input-output device system communicatively connected to the data processing device system; and

a memory device system communicatively connected to the data processing device system and storing a program executable by the data processing device system, the program comprising:

selection instructions configured to cause reception of a selection from the input-output device system of at least some of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device, the plurality of transducers arranged in a distribution positionable in a bodily cavity, the at least some of the plurality of transducer including a plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution that includes at least a first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution and a second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution; and

activation instructions configured to cause activation of each of the plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution,

wherein the activation instructions include instructions configured to cause the activation of the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution to start after completion of the activation of the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution in response to a circumstance where the first pair and the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution share a same transducer, and

wherein the activation instructions include instructions configured to cause at least part of the activation of the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution to occur concurrently with at least part of the activation of the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution in response to a circumstance where the first pair and the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution do not share a same transducer.

2. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the activation instructions further comprise instructions configured to cause the activation of the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution to start after the completion of the activation of the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution in response to a circumstance where a respective transducer in each of the first and the second pairs of the transducers in the distribution forms part of another pair of the plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution.

3. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the input-output device system comprises the transducer-based device.

4. The transducer-activation system of claim 3 wherein the input-output device system comprises an energy source device system connected at least to each of the plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution; and

wherein the activation instructions comprise instructions configured to cause energy from the energy source device system to be delivered to each of the plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers, the energy sufficient to cause ablation of tissue in the bodily cavity.

5. The transducer-activation system of claim 3 wherein the input-output device system comprises an energy source device system connected at least to each of the plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution; and

wherein the activation instructions comprise instructions configured to cause energy from the energy source device system to be delivered to each of the plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers; and

wherein the input-output device system further comprises a sensing device system arranged to sense at least one tissue characteristic at respective locations at least proximate each of the plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution with the energy delivered to each of the plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution.

6. The transducer-activation system of claim 5 wherein the at least one tissue characteristic comprises a tissue impedance characteristic.

7. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the activation instructions comprise instructions configured to cause activation of at least the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution for a first time interval and cause activation of at least the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution for a second time interval, a duration of the second time interval different than a duration of the first time interval.

8. The transducer-activation system of claim 7 wherein the first time interval, the second time interval, or each of the first time interval and the second time interval is a predetermined time interval.

9. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the program further comprises:

instructions configured to cause the input-output device system to display a graphical representation of at least a spatial relationship of at least a portion of the transducers in the distribution, the graphical representation comprising a plurality of graphical elements including a first graphical element associated with the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution and a second graphical element associated with the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution; and

wherein the selection instructions comprise instructions configured to cause reception of a selection from the input-output device system of at least the first graphical element and the second graphical element.

10. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the bodily cavity is an intra-cardiac cavity.

11. The transducer-activation system of claim 3 wherein a first region of space is between the transducers of the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution, the first region of space associated with a physical part of the transducer-based device, and a second region of space is between the transducers of the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution, the second region of space not associated with any physical part of the transducer-based device.

12. The transducer-activation system of claim 3 wherein the transducer-based device comprises a structure comprising a plurality of elongate members;

wherein the transducers of the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution are located on a same elongate member of the plurality of elongate members, and the transducers of the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution are located on different elongate members of the plurality of elongate members.

13. The transducer-activation system of claim 12 wherein the structure is selectively moveable between a delivery configuration in which the structure is sized to be percutaneously delivered to the bodily cavity and a deployed configuration in which the structure has a size too large to be percutaneously delivered to the bodily cavity, each elongate member of the plurality of elongate members comprising a proximal end, a distal end and an intermediate portion positioned between the proximal and distal ends, the respective intermediate portion of each elongate member of the plurality of elongate members comprising a thickness, a front surface, and a back surface opposite across the thickness from the front surface, and wherein the respective intermediate portions of the plurality of elongate members are arranged front surface-toward-back surface in a stacked array when the structure is in the delivery configuration.

14. The transducer-activation system of claim 13 wherein the structure further comprises a proximal portion and a distal portion, each of the proximal and the distal portions comprising a respective part of each of the plurality of elongate members, the proximal portion of the structure forming a first domed shape and the distal portion of the structure forming a second domed shape when the structure is in the deployed configuration.

15. The transducer-activation system of claim 3 wherein the transducer-based device comprises a structure, the structure comprising a proximal portion and a distal portion, and the structure is selectively moveable between a delivery configuration in which the structure is arranged and sized for percutaneous delivery, distal portion first, into the bodily cavity, and a deployed configuration in which the structure is sized too large to be delivered percutaneously to the bodily cavity, the proximal portion of the structure forming a first domed shape and the distal portion of the structure forming a second domed shape when the structure is in the deployed configuration, the proximal and the distal portions of the structure arranged in a clam shell configuration when the structure is in the deployed configuration.

16. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein each transducer in the distribution is spaced apart from each of the other transducers in the distribution.

17. The transducer-activation system of claim 1 wherein the activation instructions comprise instructions configured to cause bipolar activation of at least the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution and the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution.

18. A transducer-activation system comprising:

a data processing device system;

an input-output device system communicatively connected to the data processing device system; and

a memory device system communicatively connected to the data processing device system and storing a program executable by the data processing device system,

wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to:

receive, according to reception instructions, a selection from the input-output device system of at least some of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device, the plurality of transducers arranged in a distribution positionable in a bodily cavity, the at least some of the plurality of transducers including a plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution that includes at least a first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution and a second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution; and

cause, according to activation instructions, activation of each of the plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution,

wherein the activation instructions further configure the data processing device system to cause the activation of the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution to start after completion of the activation of the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution in response to a circumstance where the first pair and the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution share a same transducer, and

wherein the activation instructions further configure the data processing device system to cause at least part of the activation of the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution to occur concurrently with at least part of the activation of the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution in response to a circumstance where the first pair and the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution do not share a same transducer.

19. A transducer-activation method executed by a data processing device system according to a program stored by a memory device system communicatively connected to the data processing device system, the data processing device system further communicatively connected to an input-output device system, and the method comprising:

receiving a selection from the input-output device system of at least some of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device, the plurality of transducers arranged in a distribution positionable in a bodily cavity, the at least some of the plurality of transducers including a plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution that includes at least a first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution and a second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution; and

causing activation of each of the plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution,

wherein the causing of the activation includes causing the activation of the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution to start after completion of the activation of the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution in response to a circumstance where the first pair and the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution share a same transducer, and

wherein the causing of the activation includes causing at least part of the activation of the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution to occur concurrently with at least part of the activation of the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution in response to a circumstance where the first pair and the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution do not share a same transducer.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium system comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing a program executable by one or more data processing devices of a data processing device system communicatively connected to an input-output device system, the program comprising:

a selection module configured to cause reception of a selection from the input-output device system of at least some of a plurality of transducers of a transducer-based device, the plurality of transducers arranged in a distribution positionable in a bodily cavity, the at least some of the plurality of transducers including a plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution that includes at least a first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution and a second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution; and

an activation module configured to cause activation of each of the plurality of pairs of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution,

wherein the activation module is further configured to cause the activation of the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution to start after completion of the activation of the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution in response to a circumstance where the first pair and the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution share a same transducer, and

wherein the activation module is further configured to cause at least part of the activation of the first pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution to occur concurrently with at least part of the activation of the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution in response to a circumstance where the first pair and the second pair of adjacent ones of the transducers in the distribution do not share a same transducer.