Abstract: Systems and methods stabilize corneal tissue after treatment of the corneal tissue. For example, thermokeratoplasty may be applied to the corneal tissue to address disorders associated with abnormal shaping of the cornea. To stabilize the desired structural changes caused by the treatment, embodiments apply ophthalmic formulations that help to inhibit wound healing. Wound healing may occur in response to the application of the treatment and may produce further structural changes that mitigate or alter the desired effects of the treatment.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for treating female urinary incontinence by applying a form of energy to tissue in the vicinity of the urethra and/or bladder outlet to change tissue compliance without substantially narrowing the urethral and/or bladder outlet lumen. The apparatus comprises an elongated shaft having a means for treating urethral tissue and an expandable member deployable distal of the means for treating. The expandable member is configured to be anchored against the bladder outlet to dispose the means for treating at a desired treatment site in the urethra using only tactile feedback. The means for treating may include a needleless RF electrode, an ultrasound transducer, or a cryogenic probe configured to be advanced through a hollow needle, each of which are designed to reduce or eliminate symptoms associated with urinary incontinence.

Abstract: A surgical apparatus includes an actuation unit disposed on a handle and a control unit providing at least three modes for controlling the electrical instrument. The actuation unit contains a switching rocker with an operating element, which is rotatable about a rocker axis that can be shifted perpendicular to the surface of the handle, so that starting from an initial position a first or second function position can be reached by forwards or backwards rotation about the rocker axis, and a third function position can be reached by pressing the operating element inward, two sensors being disposed on the operating element, one on the left and the other on the right side of the rocker axis, in such a way that by means of the sensors the function position selected by means of the switching rocker can be determined by the control unit.

Abstract: A medical catheter assembly includes a deflectable catheter shaft, a distal tip with tip element and a mounting shaft, and a pull ring assembly, the distal tip defining guide channels through which pull wires of the pull ring assembly pass such that the pull wires will initially extend from the pull ring toward the tip element and then loop back toward and through the catheter shaft and to a handle actuator. Pulling of the pull wires by the handle actuator to tilt the pull ring and deflect the catheter shaft will cause the pull ring to move toward tip element. The pull ring and tip element are thus interlocked. Stress forces on the connection joints between the pull wires and the pull ring will be dissipated, reducing the incidence of failure of the pull ring assembly. The medical catheter can be a non-irrigated ablation catheter wherein the tip element is a tip electrode, or an irrigated ablation catheter wherein the tip element is a tip electrode and a fluid manifold.

Abstract: An applicator for cryoablating tissue to form linear (i.e. straight line and curvilinear) lesions in targeted tissue includes a fluid refrigerant delivery system having a source of a fluid refrigerant and a tubular cryoablation segment. Structurally, the segment has an open proximal end and a distal end, and is formed with a lumen. Also, the segment is formed with at least one distal port and at least one proximal port, with each port connected in fluid communication with the segment's lumen. The proximal end of the tubular segment is operably connected in fluid communication with the source of fluid refrigerant. For the system, the ports can be selectively sized to outflow liquid refrigerant through the distal and proximal ports at a substantially same mass flow rate.

Abstract: System, device and method for ablating target tissue adjacent pulmonary veins of a patient through an incision. An ablation device can include a hinge including a cam assembly, a moving arm, a floating jaw, and a lower jaw. Fingers can engage the floating jaw to hold the floating jaw in a first position with respect to the moving arm. Some embodiments of the invention can provide an ablation device including a central support, an upper four-bar linkage coupled to the central support, an upper jaw coupled to the upper linkage, a lower four-bar linkage coupled to the central support, and a lower jaw coupled to the lower linkage. Some embodiments of the invention can provide an ablation device having an upper jaw including a first cannula connection and a lower jaw including a second cannula connection. The system can include a first catheter coupled to the first cannula connection and a second catheter coupled to the second cannula connection.

Abstract: A RF catheter system includes a catheter with a proximal portion, a distal portion having a distal end and a lumen extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion. Inner and outer coaxially aligned conductors extend within the catheter and are coaxial with the lumen. A deflectable catheter guide is disposed within the catheter lumen and extends proximally within the catheter lumen and terminates distally of the distal end of the catheter to define a biological ablation pathway. A radio-frequency antenna is disposed at the distal portion of the catheter and is in electrical communication with the inner and outer coaxially aligned conductors. The radio-frequency antenna is adaptable to receive and transmit radio-frequency energy for ablating biological tissue along the ablation pathway.

Abstract: A disposable open electrosurgical forceps for sealing tissue is disclosed in the present disclosure. The disposable open electrosurgical forceps comprise a pair of first and second shaft members containing a fiber reinforced thermoplastic blend material having fiber strands of at least 2 millimeters in length. Each shaft member includes a jaw member disposed at a distal end thereof which are movable from a first position in spaced relation relative to one another to at least one subsequent position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. Each of the jaw members also includes an electrically conductive sealing plate for communicating electrosurgical energy through tissue held therebetween. At least one of the jaw members includes a knife channel defined along a length thereof which is dimensioned to reciprocate a cutting mechanism therealong.

Abstract: A hemostatic surgical blade is described which is formed of five symmetrically disposed layers. A martensitic stainless steel core is provided with oppositely disposed faces which are bonded to hard pure copper thermal transfer layers which, in turn, are supported by buttressing layers of austenitic stainless steel. The blade is heated by a blade heater circuit which is provided as a flexible circuit carrying one or more resistor heaters and associated leads supported by a polyimide substrate. A thermally conductive and electrically insulative adhesive is used to bond the flexible circuit to a blade blank. The system employs a multi-lead cable which is removable from an instrument handle. One blade embodiment involves an elongate stem for accessing body cavities and another embodiment incorporates a controller function within an instrument handle.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for achieving the cosmetically beneficial effects of shrinking collagen tissue in the dermis or other areas of tissue in an effective, non-invasive manner using an array of electrodes. Systems described herein allow for improved treatment of tissue. Additional variations of the system include array of electrodes configured to minimize the energy required to produce the desired effect.

Abstract: Device and method significantly that improves the safety and procedural success of the existing art by being able to be less traumatic to vascular tissue, improving atrial contact with the ablation surface, improving positioning and geometrical precision of the ablation pattern, improving steerability and deliverability of the ablation device and by improving localization and geometric precision of the ablation device. The risk of pulmonary vein fibrosis/stenosis will also be substantially lowered. Finally, expansion of the eligible atrial fibrillation population will inherently increase due to the improved components and methods of the present invention.

Abstract: A marking apparatus includes a selectively inflatable balloon. The balloon includes an external lumen adapted for connection to a vacuum source. The external lumen includes ports for creating a vacuum at the ports sufficient to draw walls of the gastric cavity into contact with the external lumen. The balloon is further provided with RF energy delivery devices. In accordance with an alternate embodiment, a marking apparatus includes an elongated, hollow body, the hollow body including a proximal end and a distal end. The hollow body includes at least one suction trough in which a plurality of holes is disposed to draw suction on tissue. The at least one suction trough extends along a substantial portion of the hollow body as it extends from its distal end to its proximal end.

Abstract: A method and system for delivering energy to affect the signs of aging is described. Energy is delivered to a target volume of a muscle such that the energy creates a lesion in the target volume. A characteristic of the lesion is controlled to affect movement of the muscle.

Abstract: A high-frequency current treatment tool of the present invention includes a pair of clamp pieces which clamps an object, and an electrode which is provided on one of the clamp pieces. Each of the clamp pieces has a clamp face which faces with each other. A first clamp face being one of the clamp faces has a chevron shape protruding toward a second clamp face being another of the clamp faces, and having a ridge portion formed along a longitudinal direction of the first clamp face. The electrode is arranged along the ridge portion.

Abstract: Featured is a catheter device for ablating tissue that includes an elongated body member having a distal portion and a deflection mechanism operably coupled to the distal portion so as to cause the distal portion to deflect with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated body member. Such a catheter device also includes a guide member and a guiding mechanism that is coupled to the elongated body member and is configured so as to guide the guide member. The guiding mechanism includes an exit portion from which the guide member exits during deployment. The exit portion is disposed with respect to the distal portion end so the distal portion deflects from and with respect to the guide member as well as rotating about the guide member. Also featured are systems and methods related thereto.

Abstract: A biomedical return electrode for electrosurgery or radiofrequency (RF), a biomedical electrode pad (100), a system (300), and a method of treating tissue using a biomedical return electrode are disclosed. The biomedical return electrode comprises an electrode conductor (114) for receiving electrical energy from tissue via a return path, and a thermochromic liquid crystal (TLC) layer (116) coupled to the conductor (114). The TLC layer (116) changes color at one or more sites dependent upon the conductor temperature at each site. The TLC layer (116) changes color in a predetermined range of temperatures from about 40° C. to about 50° C. to alert an operator about the risk of a burn occurring. The biomedical electrode pad (100) comprises at least one such biomedical return electrode and a conductive body (112) to form a contact with tissue. The system (300) comprises an apparatus for delivering electrical energy to tissue and such a biomedical electrode pad (100).

Abstract: A system for determining probability of tissue damage is disclosed. The system includes an electrosurgical generator adapted to generate an electrosurgical current and a plurality of return electrodes adhered to a patient and adapted to couple to the electrosurgical generator. Each of the return electrodes includes an impedance sensor attached thereto. The system also includes a current monitor connected in series with each of the plurality of the return electrodes to measure the electrosurgical current passing therethrough and a processor coupled to each of the current monitors. The processor is configured to calculate a cooling factor and a heating factor for each of the plurality of the return electrodes. The processor further configured to determine probability of tissue damage for each of the plurality of the return electrodes as a function of the cooling factor and the heating factor.

Abstract: A system for heating a site in a patient's body includes a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the secondary winding having at least one center tap to provide a patient reference and at least two sources of radio frequency (RF) energy, the two sources of RF energy being out of phase with each other. A group of electrodes is connected to the sources of RF energy provided by the secondary winding to be simultaneously energized. The arrangement is such that there are more active electrodes connected to one of the sources of RF energy than another of the sources of RF energy with the energy supplied to one active electrode being out of phase with the energy supplied to an adjacent active electrode.

Abstract: A jawed surgical instrument fitted at the distal end of a jaw head which is affixed at the distal end of a longitudinally elongated stem and which supports two mutually oppositely displaceable jaw parts, the jaw head being connectable by means of an actuation bar to one of two drive elements of a manipulating unit that are mutually oppositely displaceable in the stem direction, the other of the drive elements being connected to the stem. The jaw head comprises at least one electrode designed for tissue surgery and is electrically connected by means of the actuation bar to a cable issuing from the bar, the actuation bar and the jaw head being detachably connected to the manipulating unit wherein the actuation bar and the jaw head are detachably connected transversely to the stem direction or in the proximal direction parallel to the stem to the manipulating unit.

Abstract: Tissue ablation probes are provided. Each tissue ablation probe comprises an electrically conductive probe shaft, at least one tissue ablation electrode carried by a distal end of the probe shaft, and an electrically insulative outer sheath disposed on the probe shaft. The sheath is at least partially composed of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and another material comprising condensed-phase particles interspersed throughout the PEEK to increase the echogenicity of the outer sheath. The durability of the PEEK allows the sheath to be formed as thinly as possible, thereby minimizing the diameter of the ablation probe, while the inclusion of condensed-phase particles within the PEEK does not significantly degrade the durability of the sheath.