Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a balloon catheter configured to be inserted into a body-part of a living subject, the balloon catheter comprising an insertion tube having a distal tip, a force sensor connected to the distal tip, and an inflatable balloon including a proximal portion connected to the force sensor so that the force sensor is disposed between the distal tip of the insertion tube and the inflatable balloon, and multiple electrodes disposed around an outer surface of the balloon, and configured, when the balloon is inflated, to contact tissue at respective locations in the body-part, wherein the force sensor is configured to output at least one force signal indicative of a magnitude and a direction of a force applied by the balloon on the tissue when the balloon is inflated.

Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for endometrial ablation. In accordance with a method, a working end of an RF ablation device is positioned in a patient uterus to contact endometrial tissue, the working end comprising a dielectric wall capable of non-expanded and expanded shapes. An indicator mechanism is operatively coupled to the wall and configured to indicate non-expanded and expanded shapes of the wall.

Abstract: An electrosurgical instrument includes a handle including an actuating mechanism movable between a first position and a second position, and a pair of opposing first and second jaw members. A first sealing electrode is located on an inner surface of the first jaw member, and a second sealing electrode is located on an inner surface of the second jaw member. A plurality of stop members are longitudinally disposed on one or both of the inner surfaces of the jaw members, and at least two of the plurality of stop members are of different heights such that the first and second jaw members flex when moved to their closed position such that the distance between the first and second sealing electrodes is non-uniform.

Abstract: Adjacent tissue layers can be accessed using a catheter device with a distal tip having a conductive portion including a first cutting feature and one or more projections extending from the first cutting feature towards an outer diameter of the distal tip. Electrical energy can be supplied to the conductive portion of the device to cut tissue. A stent can be delivered to form a fluid communication between the adjacent tissue layers.

Abstract: A surgical instrument having an end effector mounted on the end of an elongate shaft extending from a handle. The end-effector is capable of different operations, including grasping, cutting, and sealing and/or coagulating tissue, and one of the operations is controlled by a trigger mechanism contained within the handle. In some embodiments, the end effector includes a pair of curved jaw members and blade assembly having a cutting blade at its distal end. The trigger mechanism drives blade assembly longitudinally within the elongate shaft such that the cutting blade protrudes between the jaw members. To help the trigger mechanism push blade assembly around the curved jaws, the distal end of blade has a graduated flexibility that easily bends to the shape of the jaw members. The distal end of the blade may be provided with a low friction coating so that it can easily slide between the jaw members.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a current source, an electronic circuit and a circuit board. The current source is configured to flow an electrical current having a selected frequency between a pair of electrodes coupled to a medical probe. The electronic circuit is configured to measure a single-ended voltage relative to ground that is formed on at least one of the electrodes in the pair in response to the electrical current, and, based on the measured voltage, to assess physical contact between the at least one of the electrodes and tissue. The circuit board includes the current source and the electronic circuit, and includes a layout that produces, at the selected frequency, a predefined capacitance between the current source and ground, thus forming a reference for measurement of the single-ended voltage.

Abstract: A method of treating a soft palate in a patient may involve advancing a tissue treatment portion of a soft palate treatment device through the patient's mouth, contacting a treatment surface of the tissue treatment portion with mucosal tissue of the soft palate, and delivering energy from the tissue treatment portion through the mucosal tissue to a target tissue in the soft palate beneath to the mucosal tissue, to change at least one property of the target tissue. The method may further involve cooling the mucosal tissue with a cooling member on the treatment surface of the tissue treatment portion and removing the tissue treatment portion from the mouth.

Abstract: A microwave antenna assembly is disclosed. The antenna assembly includes a feedline having an inner conductor, an outer conductor and an inner insulator disposed therebetween. A radiating portion is also included having an unbalanced dipole antenna including a proximal portion and a distal portion that are of different lengths. The proximal portion includes at least a portion of the inner conductor and the inner insulator and the distal portion includes a conductive member.

Abstract: A catheter ablation system includes: a catheter probe having distal end including: a temperature sensor; a plurality of irrigation holes; and an ablating electrode; a radiofrequency (RF) heating controller coupled to the catheter probe and configured to supply RF energy to the ablating electrode to control the ablating electrode to emit heat at a target power; an irrigation controller coupled to the catheter probe and configured to supply an irrigation fluid at a continuously adjustable irrigation flow rate through the catheter probe to exit through the irrigation holes; and an operating console having a processor and memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control the irrigation controller to set the irrigation flow rate based on the target power and a target average temperature.

Abstract: A system for the recovery of expanded refrigerant from a cryotreatment system for storage and disposal may generally include first fluid flow path having a first compressor and a fluid recovery reservoir, and a closed-loop second fluid flow path having a thermal exchange device that is in thermal communication with the fluid recovery reservoir, a second compressor, and a condenser. The first fluid flow path may include a primary refrigerant from a cryotreatment system and the closed-loop second fluid flow path may contain a secondary refrigerant for cooling the primary refrigerant within the fluid recovery reservoir. The refrigerant recovery conduit may be in fluid communication with both the cryotreatment system and a medical facility scavenging system. The refrigerant recovery conduit and the cryotreatment system may be located within the same cryotreatment console.

Abstract: The invention provides systems and methods for therapeutically modulating nerves in or associated with a nasal region of a patient for the treatment of a rhinosinusitis condition. The system includes a device including a multi-segment end effector for delivering energy to one or more target sites within the nasal cavity of the patient. The multi-segment end effector includes a first segment and a separate second segment, wherein each of the first and second segments is transformable between a retracted configuration and an expanded deployed configuration, the first segment having a first geometry when in the deployed configuration to complement anatomy at a first location within the nasal cavity and a second segment having a second geometry when in the deployed configuration to complement anatomy at a second location within the nasal cavity.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to an electrosurgical generator comprising: an electromagnetic signal supply unit for generating electromagnetic, EM, energy to be conveyed along each of a plurality of channels. Each of the plurality of channels is arranged to convey electromagnetic energy at a different frequency. The electrosurgical generator further comprises an output port selectively connectable to each of the plurality of channels. The output port is connectable to an electrosurgical instrument for delivering the electromagnetic energy to biological tissue. The electrosurgical generator further comprises a tissue identification unit comprising a controller configured to: detect a signal indicative of a load impedance at the output port; determine a set of complex impedance values from the detected signals; identify a tissue type from the set of complex impedance values; and generate an output for communicating the identified tissue type to a user.

Abstract: An electrosurgery handpiece/pencil with smoke evacuation having features that support use at high frequencies without insulation breakdown and that provides increased efficiency of smoke evacuation during cutting and/or coagulation. The electrosurgery handpiece/pencil with smoke evacuation includes a handpiece and a planar platform located near a top of the handpiece where the planar platform has a recessed area and/or a rectangular shaped area in communication with a plurality of channels.

Abstract: A forceps including a gripping assembly. The gripping assembly includes an upper jaw and a lower jaw. The upper jaw includes a proximal end and a distal end. The upper jaw includes an upper tooth having an upper proximally facing canted tooth surface and an upper distally facing canted tooth surface. The lower jaw includes a proximal end and a distal end. The lower jaw includes a socket having a lower distally facing canted socket surface and a lower proximally facing socket surface. The upper jaw, the lower jaw, or both are moveable so that the gripping assembly moves between an open position and a gripping position, in the gripping position, a gap is defined between the upper distally facing canted tooth surface and the lower proximally facing socket surface.

Abstract: An electrosurgical system may include a medical delivery device and an electrosurgical device to perform an electrosurgical procedure. The electrosurgical device may have a monopolar configuration. An outer surface of the medical delivery device may include a conductive portion that is part of a return path for a bipolar configuration. Current may be supplied through an active member of the electrosurgical device to perform the procedure. After passing through tissue, the current may be drawn to the electrode portion of the medical delivery device to complete the circuit.

Abstract: A vascular closure device seals a vascular access site upon completion of a procedure wherein a blood vessel has been punctured to accommodate a guidewire, an introducer sheath, and other intravascular devices. The device uses compression and thermal heating of an area around the puncture to obtain immediate hemostasis. Electrothermal bipolar vessel sealing is preferably employed, wherein a forceps grasps and compresses tissue from opposite sides of the puncture and then applies a high-frequency alternating electric current to cause the vessel wall between the forceps to denature and seal.

Abstract: A medical device capable of improving handling properties and maintaining excellent insulation properties of conductive wires for supplying electricity to electrodes for performing treatment includes: an elongated shaft part having a guide wire lumen formed therein, the guide wire lumen being open at a distal part; a plurality of electrodes which are disposed on the distal side of the shaft part, extend in the longitudinal direction of the shaft part, and are deformable in the radial direction of the shaft part; and a plurality of conductive wires which extend from the proximal side of the shaft part to the distal side thereof and transfer electricity to an electrode layer. The conductive wires extend inside the electrodes and outside the guide wire lumen, and are electrically connected to the electrodes at the distal side of the electrodes.

Abstract: An example medical device is disclosed. The medical device includes a catheter shaft including a distal end portion, wherein the distal end portion includes an ablation assembly. The ablation assembly includes an expandable frame including a base, an end region and a plurality of struts extending between the base and the end region, the struts defining a plurality of apertures along the frame. The ablation assembly also includes an electrical circuit coupled to an inner surface of the second end region of the frame, the electrical circuit including a plurality of ablation electrodes coupled thereto. Further, the expandable frame is designed to shift from a delivery configuration in which the ablation electrodes face inward from the inner surface of the expandable frame to an expanded configuration in which the ablation electrodes face away from the base of the expandable frame.

Abstract: A bipolar electrosurgical fusion/sealer and dissector is provided that is arranged to simultaneously fuse and cut tissue captured between jaws of the instrument. The jaws include particularly positioned, shaped and/or oriented electrodes along with a compressible landing pad to perform the simultaneous fusion and cutting of tissue. An electrosurgical generator is arranged to supply RF energy through the instrument and monitors a phase angle of the supplied RF energy and adjusts or terminates the supplied RF energy based on the monitored phase angle to optimally fuse and dissect the tissue.

Abstract: A medical device for tissue ablation may include a catheter shaft, an expandable member disposed on or coupled to the catheter shaft, and a plurality of elongate electrode assemblies each constructed as a flexible circuit. The expandable member may be configured to shift between an unexpanded configuration and an expanded configuration. The plurality of electrode assemblies may be disposed on an outer surface of the expandable member. Each of the plurality of electrode assemblies may include a temperature sensor aligned with two or more electrodes.