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: 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: 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: 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: 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 peristaltic pump is provided that simplifies the loading of tubing and automatically self-centers the tubing relative to the pump wheel, wherein the pump includes an elongated arm having slotted pinch forks for engaging the tubing. The pinch forks are arranged substantially tangential to the pump wheel to reduce tubing kinking. The pump further includes a spring-loaded clamp that moves the elongated arm between engaged and disengaged positions, the clamp optionally including a sensor element used to detect when the pump is ready for operation.

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: Apparatus and methods are provided for treating female urinary incontinence by injecting a bulking agent at the interface between the mucosal and submucosal layers of the urethral wall. The remodeling device comprises an elongated shaft preferably having means for forming a localized inward protrusion of the urethral wall, and a needle, movable between retracted and deployed positions, for delivering a bulking agent into the urethral wall in the vicinity of the localized inward protrusion to thereby reduce or eliminate symptoms associated with urinary incontinence.

Abstract: A device for the ablation of tissue for use with the fingers of a human hand and a radio frequency power supply and controller providing a source of radio frequency energy and controls for controlling the application of radio frequency energy to the device comprising a handle sized so that is adapted to be grasped and supported by the human hand and having proximal and distal extremities. A single conductive needle formed of a conducting material is disposed in the distal extremity of the handle. An edge card is mounted in the handle and has edge mounted contacts with circuitry connected thereto. An edge mount board connector is mounted in the handle and is removably secured to the edge mounted contacts of the edge card. A cable is connected to the edge mount connector and extends from the proximal extremity of the handle and is adapted to be coupled to the radiofrequency power supply and controller. A second printed circuit board is mounted in the handle in a spaced-apart position from the edge card.

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 tissue ablation apparatus for minimally invasive treatment for disorders of the upper airway by the treatment of soft tissues in the upper airway comprising a hand-held device adapted to be held by the human hand. Radio frequency energy is delivered to the hand-held device. The hand-held device comprises a housing having a handle portion adapted to be grasped by the human hand and a probe portion. At least one guide tube is mounted in the probe portion and has a bore extending therethrough. A carrier block is slidably mounted in the housing relative to the guide tube. At least one needle assembly is mounted in the carrier block assembly and is movable with the carrier block assembly. The at least one needle assembly extends distally of the carrier block and is slidably disposed in the at least one guide tube. A slider is mounted on the housing exterior of the housing for slidable movement longitudinally of the housing and is adapted to be grasped by the thumb of the hand holding the housing.

Abstract: A bending tool for use with a human hand for bending the distal extremity of a guide tube of a medical device having a needle assembly slidably mounted in the guide tube. The distal extremity of the guide tube has a tip. The bending tool is comprised of a shaft sized so that it is adapted to be grasped by the human hand to serve as a handle. The shaft has proximal and distal extremities and a longitudinal axis. A bending construction is mounted on the distal extremity of the shaft and provides a curved bending surface having width and a length and having a proximal and a distal extremity and extending at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. The bending construction also has an abutment surface at the distal extremity of the curved surface and extending generally perpendicular to the curved surface.

Abstract: A cover effective to releasably seal a multiwell container, such as a microtitration plate, is disclosed. The cover contains a pad, fashioned from a flexible polymer sheet, and a plurality of resiliently compressible ridges formed on the sheet. The ridges are deformable, such that application of pressure applied to the cover is effective to form a fluid-tight seal between the pad and the well openings. The ridges extend from the pad sufficiently to break the seal upon release of the pressure.