Abstract: A method to treat a human patient including: advancing a catheter through a natural airway of the patient and positioning a distal portion of the catheter in the natural airway of a lung of the patient to a target region in the lung, injecting a conductive hypertonic saline solution having a concentration of at least 5% of sodium chloride by weight/volume from the distal portion of the catheter into the target region; delivering energy from the distal portion into the hypertonic saline solution in the target region, wherein the energy heats the hypertonic saline solution in the target region; ablating the target region with the heated conductive hypertonic saline solution, sensing electric impedance or electric conductivity of the target region during the delivery of the energy, and controlling the rate or a bolus of the hypertonic saline solution injected into the target region based on the electric impedance or the electric conductivity.

Abstract: An ablation catheter configured to ablate tissue in a lung of a patient including: a flexible shaft that advances endobronchially into an airway of the lung and has an outer diameter of 2.0 mm or less; an ablation electrode attached to a distal portion of the flexible shaft and to deliver radiofrequency (RF) electrical current to the tissue and conductively connectable to an RF electrical energy source external to the patient; wherein an outer diameter of an assembly of the flexible shaft and the ablation electrode is no greater than 2.0 mm; a liquid outlet on the distal portion and configured to be in fluid communication with a source of hypertonic saline solution; and a first occluder attached to the flexible shaft proximal to the ablation electrode and proximal to the liquid outlet, wherein the first occluder is configured to expand to occlude the airway.

Abstract: A system for treatment of a target region of lung tissue including: a flow regulator configured to be interposed between a conductive fluid source and a conductive fluid outlet positionable at or in proximity of the target region of lung tissue, the flow regulator being further configured for controlling a flow rate or a bolus quantity of conductive fluid coming from the fluid source and delivered to the conductive fluid outlet; and a controller communicatively connectable with said flow regulator and with at least one sensor, with the at least one sensor being configured for detecting values taken by at least one control parameter representative of a physical property, wherein the physical property is one of temperature (T), pressure (p), electric impedance (Z), or electric conductivity (C) of material present at or in proximity of the target region of lung tissue.

Abstract: A system for treatment of a target region of lung tissue including: a flow regulator configured to be interposed between a conductive fluid source and a conductive fluid outlet at a distal region of a catheter positioned in the target region and the conductive fluid outlet is positionable at or in proximity of the target region of lung tissue, wherein the flow regulator being further configured to control a flow rate or a bolus quantity of the conductive fluid coming from the fluid source and delivered through the conductive fluid outlet to the target region; an ablation electrode mounted to the distal region of the catheter; a controller configured to control the flow regulator, and configured to control power delivered from an ablation energy source to the ablation electrode, wherein the controller is configured to: receive one or more of the values of the control parameter; control the delivery of power from the ablation energy source to the ablation electrode; while the power is delivered to the ablation

Abstract: A medical device includes a body defining an exterior surface, and a coating including a therapeutic agent-containing nanoparticle disposed on the exterior surface of the medical device. The nanoparticle may include a brush-arm star polymer. The therapeutic agent may be paclitaxel.

Abstract: An ablation catheter configured to ablate tissue in a lung of a patient including: a flexible shaft that advances endobronchially into an airway of the lung and has an outer diameter of 2.0 mm or less; an ablation electrode attached to a distal portion of the flexible shaft and to deliver radiofrequency (RF) electrical current to the tissue and conductively connectable to an RF electrical energy source external to the patient; wherein an outer diameter of an assembly of the flexible shaft and the ablation electrode is no greater than 2.0 mm; a liquid outlet on the distal portion and configured to be in fluid communication with a source of hypertonic saline solution; and a first occluder attached to the flexible shaft proximal to the ablation electrode and proximal to the liquid outlet, wherein the first occluder is configured to expand to occlude the airway.

Abstract: A system for treatment of a target region of lung tissue including: a flow regulator configured to be interposed between a conductive fluid source and a conductive fluid outlet positionable at or in proximity of the target region of lung tissue, the flow regulator being further configured for controlling a flow rate or a bolus quantity of conductive fluid coming from the fluid source and delivered to the conductive fluid outlet; and a controller communicatively connectable with said flow regulator and with at least one sensor, with the at least one sensor being configured for detecting values taken by at least one control parameter representative of a physical property, wherein the physical property is one of temperature (T), pressure (p), electric impedance (Z), or electric conductivity (C) of material present at or in proximity of the target region of lung tissue.

Abstract: A medical device includes a body defining an exterior surface, and a coating including a therapeutic agent-containing nanoparticle disposed on the exterior surface of the medical device. The nanoparticle may include a brush-arm star polymer. The therapeutic agent may be paclitaxel.

Abstract: An ablation catheter configured to ablate tissue in a lung of a patient including: a flexible shaft that advances endobronchially into an airway of the lung and has an outer diameter of 2.0 mm or less; an ablation electrode attached to a distal portion of the flexible shaft and to deliver radiofrequency (RF) electrical current to the tissue and conductively connectable to an RF electrical energy source external to the patient; wherein an outer diameter of an assembly of the flexible shaft and the ablation electrode is no greater than 2.0 mm; a liquid outlet on the distal portion and configured to be in fluid communication with a source of hypertonic saline solution; and a first occluder attached to the flexible shaft proximal to the ablation electrode and proximal to the liquid outlet, wherein the first occluder is configured to expand to occlude the airway.

Abstract: A medical device includes a body defining an exterior surface, and a coating including a therapeutic agent-containing nanoparticle disposed on the exterior surface of the medical device. The nanoparticle may include a brush-arm star polymer. The therapeutic agent may be paclitaxel.

Abstract: A medical device includes a catheter, an expandable balloon on the distal portion of the catheter, and a sheath that is configured to enclose and protect the expandable balloon. The sheath extends within a sheath lumen of the catheter and out from the catheter through a distal opening of the sheath lumen. When in a deployed configuration, the sheath extends proximally to enclose at least a portion of the expandable balloon. The sheath may be axially movable within the sheath lumen of the catheter to actuate from the deployed configuration to a retracted configuration. In moving to the retracted configuration, the sheath may expose the outer surface of the expandable balloon.

Abstract: An ablation catheter configured to ablate tissue in a lung of a patient including: a flexible shaft that advances endobronchially into an airway of the lung and has an outer diameter of 2.0 mm or less; an ablation electrode attached to a distal portion of the flexible shaft and to deliver radiofrequency (RF) electrical current to the tissue and conductively connectable to an RF electrical energy source external to the patient; wherein an outer diameter of an assembly of the flexible shaft and the ablation electrode is no greater than 2.0 mm; a liquid outlet on the distal portion and configured to be in fluid communication with a source of hypertonic saline solution; and a first occluder attached to the flexible shaft proximal to the ablation electrode and proximal to the liquid outlet, wherein the first occluder is configured to expand to occlude the airway.

Abstract: A medical device includes a catheter, an expandable balloon on the distal portion of the catheter, and a sheath that is configured to enclose and protect the expandable balloon. The sheath extends within a sheath lumen of the catheter and out from the catheter through a distal opening of the sheath lumen. When in a deployed configuration, the sheath extends proximally to enclose at least a portion of the expandable balloon. The sheath may be axially movable within the sheath lumen of the catheter to actuate from the deployed configuration to a retracted configuration. In moving to the retracted configuration, the sheath may expose the outer surface of the expandable balloon.

Abstract: A medical device includes a body defining an exterior surface, and a coating including a therapeutic agent-containing nanoparticle disposed on the exterior surface of the medical device. The nanoparticle may include a brush-arm star polymer. The therapeutic agent may be paclitaxel.