Navigation and tissue capture systems and methods

A method of navigating a capture device to a left atrial appendage, the method comprising:

• delivering a capture device on a capture shaft into a pericardial sac, wherein the capture device comprises a first jaw and a second jaw comprising an open configuration in which the first jaw and the second jaw are open and a closed configuration in which the first jaw and the second jaw are closed, wherein an interior surface of the first jaw is located closer to an interior surface of the second jaw when the first jaw and the second jaw are in the closed configuration than when the first jaw and the second jaw are in the open configuration;
• moving the first jaw and the second jaw from the open configuration to the closed configuration after delivering the capture device into the pericardial sac, wherein moving the first jaw and the second jaw captures a left atrial appendage between the first jaw and the second jaw;
• detecting an electrical signal in the pericardial sac using an electrode on the capture device after moving the first jaw and the second jaw from the open configuration to the closed configuration to capture the left atrial appendage;
• confirming capture of the left atrial appendage by the capture device after moving the first jaw and the second jaw from the open configuration to the closed configuration to capture the left atrial appendage by determining if the electrical signal is associated with electrical signals generated by tissue of the left atrial appendages;
• wherein delivering the capture device on the capture shaft into the pericardial sac comprises advancing the capture device over ventricular myocardium tissue before the capture device reaches the left atrial appendage, detecting a capture shaft EGM signal using a capture shaft electrode located on the capture shaft proximal from the capture device, and confirming that the capture shaft electrode is contacting ventricular tissue using the capture shaft EGM signal.

A method of navigating a device to a left atrial appendage, the method comprising:

• delivering a capture device on a capture shaft into a pericardial sac, wherein the capture device comprises a first jaw and a second jaw, wherein each of the first jaw and the second jaw comprises an interior surface, wherein the first jaw and the second jaw comprise an open configuration in which the first jaw and the second jaw are open and a closed configuration in which the first jaw and the second jaw are closed, wherein the interior surface of the first jaw is located closer to the interior surface of the second jaw when the first jaw and the second jaw are in the closed configuration than when the first jaw and the second jaw are in the open configuration, and wherein a first electrode is located on the internal surface of the first jaw and a second electrode is located on the internal surface of the second jaw;
• moving the first jaw and the second jaw from the open configuration to the closed configuration after delivering the capture device into the pericardial sac, wherein moving the first jaw and the second jaw captures a left atrial appendage between the first jaw and the second jaw;
• and
• confirming capture of the left atrial appendage by the capture device by electrically stimulating atrial tissue of the left atrial appendage using the first electrode on the first jaw and the second electrode on the second jaw of the capture device after moving the first jaw and the second jaw from the open configuration to the closed configuration to capture the left atrial appendage and confirming that the atrial tissue is being paced;
• wherein delivering the capture device on the capture shaft into the pericardial sac comprises advancing the capture device over ventricular myocardium tissue before the capture device reaches the left atrial appendage, detecting a capture shaft EGM signal using a capture shaft electrode located on the capture shaft proximal from the capture device, and confirming that the capture shaft electrode is contacting ventricular tissue using the capture shaft EGM signal.

A method of navigating a capture device to a left atrial appendage, the method comprising:

• delivering a capture device on a capture shaft into a pericardial sac, wherein the capture device comprises a first jaw and a second jaw comprising an open configuration in which the first jaw and the second jaw are open and a closed configuration in which the first jaw and the second jaw are closed, wherein an interior surface of the first jaw is located closer to an interior surface of the second jaw when the first jaw and the second jaw are in the closed configuration than when the first jaw and the second jaw are in the open configuration;
• moving the first jaw and the second jaw from the open configuration to the closed configuration after delivering the capture device into the pericardial sac, wherein moving the first jaw and the second jaw captures the left atrial appendage between the first jaw and the second jaw;
• and
• confirming capture of the left atrial appendage by the capture device by electrically stimulating atrial tissue of the left atrial appendage using an electrode on the capture device after moving the first jaw and the second jaw from the open configuration to the closed configuration to capture the left atrial appendage and confirming that the atrial tissue is being paced;
• wherein delivering the capture device on the capture shaft into the pericardial sac comprises advancing the capture device over ventricular myocardium tissue before the capture device reaches the left atrial appendage, detecting a capture shaft EGM signal using a capture shaft electrode located on the capture shaft proximal from the capture device, and confirming that the capture shaft electrode is contacting ventricular tissue using the capture shaft EGM signal.