Balloon positioning in a sinuplasty procedure

A method, comprising:

• (a) inserting into an anatomical structure of a patient a catheter comprising:
• (i) a position sensor attached to a distal end of the catheter;
• (ii) a device, which is movable along the catheter;
• and
• (iii) a handle, comprising a control for navigating the device along the catheter to a target location in the anatomical structure of the patient;
• (b) estimating, based on a location of the position sensor, a target position of the control on the handle that corresponds to the target location of the device;
• (c) setting a marker to mark the target position of the control on the handle without moving the device;
• and
• (d) after setting the marker, navigating the device to the target location by setting the control to the marker.

A system, comprising:

• (a) a catheter, comprising:
• (i) an insertion tube for insertion into an anatomical structure of a patient;
• (ii) a position sensor attached to a distal end of the catheter, wherein the position sensor is configured to provide a position of the distal end in the anatomical structure of the patient;
• (iii) a device, which is configured to move along the catheter;
• and
• (iv) a handle comprising a control, wherein the control is configured to move along the handle to navigate the device along the catheter to a target location in the anatomical structure of the patient;
• (v) a marker configured to mark a target position of the control on the handle, wherein the marker is configured to selectively move longitudinally along the handle and relative to the control until the marker abuts the control;
• and
• (b) a processor, which is configured to:
• (i) estimate, based on a location of the position sensor, the target position of the control on the handle that corresponds to the target location of the device;
• and
• (ii) set the marker on the handle without moving the device.

A method, comprising:

• (a) inserting into an anatomical structure of a patient a catheter comprising:
• (i) a guidewire, wherein the guidewire is configured to selectively longitudinally advance and selectively rotate,
• (ii) a position sensor attached to a distal end of the guidewire;
• (iii) an inflatable balloon, which is movable along the guidewire, wherein a distal end of the inflatable balloon is positioned proximal to the position sensor;
• and
• (iv) a handle, comprising a control for navigating the inflatable balloon along the guidewire to a target location in the anatomical structure of the patient;
• (b) selectively longitudinally advancing and selectively rotating the guidewire to the target location in the anatomical structure of the patient;
• (c) estimating, based on a location of the position sensor, a target position of the control on the handle that corresponds to the target location of the inflatable balloon;
• (d) setting a marker on the handle to mark the target position of the control on the handle;
• (e) distally advancing the inflatable balloon along the guidewire to the target location by setting the control to the marker;
• and
• (f) inflating the inflatable balloon at the target location in the anatomical structure of the patient.