Abstract: An improved rod and reel attachment for a fishing rod that provides an improved method for securing a reel to the rod wherein the reel is attachable to the foot on the attachment that slides through a dovetail channel and is secured thereon with a locking pin that allows for quick and secure attachment and de-attachment of a reel to a rod.

Abstract: An ablation catheter comprises: an elongated catheter body extending longitudinally between a proximal end and a distal end along a longitudinal axis; a distal member disposed adjacent the distal end, the distal member including an ablation element to ablate a biological member; one or more acoustic transducers disposed in the distal member and each configured to direct an acoustic signal toward a respective target ablation region and receive reflection echoes therefrom; and an acoustic redirection member disposed in the distal member to at least partially redirect the acoustic signal from at least one of the acoustic transducers toward a tissue target. The distal member includes a most-distal portion, a proximal portion, and a deflectable portion between the most-distal portion and proximal portion to permit deflection between the most-distal portion and proximal portion of the distal member. The transducers and redirection member are mounted on opposite sides of the deflectable portion.

Abstract: An ablation catheter comprises an elongated catheter body; at least one ablation element disposed in a distal portion which is adjacent the distal end of the catheter body; an illumination optical element disposed in the distal portion, the illumination optical element being light-transmissive to emit light from the illumination optical element to the targeted tissue region; and a collection optical element disposed in the distal portion, the collection optical element being light-transmissive to collect one or more of returned, backscattered or newly excited light from the targeted tissue region. The illumination or excitation optical element and the collection optical element are axially spaced from one another and axially optically isolated from one another within the distal portion to substantially prevent light from traveling between the illumination optical element and the collection optical element along a path within the distal portion.

Abstract: An ablation catheter comprises: an elongated catheter body extending longitudinally between a proximal end and a distal end along a longitudinal axis; a distal member disposed adjacent the distal end, the distal member including an ablation element to ablate a biological member; one or more acoustic transducers disposed in the distal member and each configured to direct an acoustic signal toward a respective target ablation region and receive reflection echoes therefrom; and an acoustic redirection member disposed in the distal member to at least partially redirect the acoustic signal from at least one of the acoustic transducers toward a tissue target. The distal member includes a most-distal portion, a proximal portion, and a deflectable portion between the most-distal portion and proximal portion to permit deflection between the most-distal portion and proximal portion of the distal member. The transducers and redirection member are mounted on opposite sides of the deflectable portion.

Abstract: An ablation catheter comprises: an elongated catheter body extending along a longitudinal axis; at least one ablation element disposed in a distal portion which is adjacent the distal end of the catheter body to ablate a targeted tissue region outside the catheter body; a single pulse-echo ultrasonic transducer disposed in the distal portion and arranged to emit and receive an acoustic beam along a centroid in a beam direction, at a transducer angle of about 30-60 degrees relative to a distal direction of the longitudinal axis at a location of intersection between the longitudinal axis and the beam direction of the centroid of the acoustic beam; and a mechanism to manipulate the distal portion in movement including rotation of at least the distal portion around the longitudinal axis. The single ultrasonic transducer emits and receives acoustic pulses to provide lesion information in the targeted tissue region being ablated.

Abstract: An ablation catheter with acoustic monitoring comprises an elongated catheter body; a distal member disposed adjacent a distal end and including an ablation element to ablate a biological member at a target region outside the catheter body; and one or more acoustic transducers each configured to direct an acoustic beam toward a respective target ablation region and receive reflection echoes therefrom. The distal member includes a transducer housing in which the acoustic transducers are disposed, the transducer housing including at least one transducer window which is the only portion in the distal member through which the acoustic beam passes, at least the at least one transducer window portion of the distal member being made of a material comprising at least 50% carbon by volume, the transducer window material having an acoustic impedance between that of the acoustic transducers and that of the biological member.

Abstract: A system for ablation with acoustic feedback comprises: a catheter which includes an elongated catheter body; at least one ablation element to ablate a targeted tissue region; and a pulse-echo ultrasonic transducer arranged to emit and receive an acoustic beam along a centroid in a beam direction, at a transducer beam angle of between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees relative to a distal direction of the longitudinal axis at a location of intersection between the longitudinal axis and the beam direction of the centroid of the acoustic beam of the ultrasonic transducer, wherein the transducer transmits and receives acoustic pulses to provide lesion information in the targeted tissue region; an ablation power subsystem; an ultrasonic transmit and receive subsystem to operate the ultrasonic transducer; a control subsystem to control operation of the ablation power subsystem and the ultrasonic transmit and receive subsystem; and a display.

Abstract: An ablation system comprises a catheter including a pulse-echo ultrasonic transducer disposed in a distal portion and arranged to emit and receive an acoustic beam. The transducer emits and receives acoustic pulses to provide transducer detected information regarding the targeted tissue region being ablated. A rotation mechanism rotates at least the distal portion around a longitudinal axis of the catheter. A control and interface system processes the transducer detected information and provides feedback to a user via a user interface and/or the control and interface system to be used to control ablation. The transducer detected information includes a detected lesion depth along a beam emanation direction. The control and interface system includes a lesion depth correction module which converts the detected lesion depth along the beam direction to a corrected lesion depth in a normal direction which is perpendicular to the tissue surface in contact with the ablation element.

Abstract: A high intensity focused ultrasound transducer includes an ultrasonic emitter having a surface that emits ultrasonic energy along a beam path, at least one low attenuation polymeric ultrasonic lens acoustically coupled to the surface in the beam path of the ultrasonic energy, such that the lens can direct the ultrasonic energy in at least one direction, and at least one stress mitigation feature, such as a kerf, a heat sink, or an acoustic matching layer, to mitigate thermal expansion mismatch stresses within the transducer. For manufacturing simplicity, the first surface is typically either flat or monotonically curvilinear. The lens may take a variety of shapes, including Fresnel features, and may focus, collimate, or defocus the ultrasonic energy. Any orientation and positioning of the at least one ultrasonic lens relative to the first ultrasonic emitter is contemplated. Manufacture is further simplified by molding, casting, or thermoforming the lens.

Abstract: A high intensity focused ultrasound transducer includes an ultrasonic emitter having a surface that emits ultrasonic energy along a beam path, at least one low attenuation polymeric ultrasonic lens acoustically coupled to the surface in the beam path of the ultrasonic energy, such that the lens can direct the ultrasonic energy in at least one direction, and at least one stress mitigation feature, such as a kerf, a heat sink, or an acoustic matching layer, to mitigate thermal expansion mismatch stresses within the transducer. For manufacturing simplicity, the first surface is typically either flat or monotonically curvilinear. The lens may take a variety of shapes, including Fresnel features, and may focus, collimate, or defocus the ultrasonic energy. Any orientation and positioning of the at least one ultrasonic lens relative to the first ultrasonic emitter is contemplated. Manufacture is further simplified by molding, casting, or thermoforming the lens.

Abstract: A high intensity focused ultrasound transducer includes an ultrasonic emitter having a surface that emits ultrasonic energy along a beam path, at least one low attenuation polymeric ultrasonic lens acoustically coupled to the surface in the beam path of the ultrasonic energy, such that the lens can direct the ultrasonic energy in at least one direction, and at least one stress mitigation feature, such as a kerf, a heat sink, or an acoustic matching layer, to mitigate thermal expansion mismatch stresses within the transducer. For manufacturing simplicity, the first surface is typically either flat or monotonically curvilinear. The lens may take a variety of shapes, including Fresnel features, and may focus, collimate, or defocus the ultrasonic energy. Any orientation and positioning of the at least one ultrasonic lens relative to the first ultrasonic emitter is contemplated. Manufacture is further simplified by molding, casting, or thermoforming the lens.

Abstract: A high intensity focused ultrasound transducer includes an ultrasonic emitter having a surface that emits ultrasonic energy along a beam path, at least one low attenuation polymeric ultrasonic lens acoustically coupled to the surface in the beam path of the ultrasonic energy, such that the lens can direct the ultrasonic energy in at least one direction, and at least one stress mitigation feature, such as a kerf, a heat sink, or an acoustic matching layer, to mitigate thermal expansion mismatch stresses within the transducer. For manufacturing simplicity, the first surface is typically either flat or monotonically curvilinear. The lens may take a variety of shapes, including Fresnel features, and may focus, collimate, or defocus the ultrasonic energy. Any orientation and positioning of the at least one ultrasonic lens relative to the first ultrasonic emitter is contemplated. Manufacture is further simplified by molding, casting, or thermoforming the lens.

Abstract: An ablating device has a cover which holds an interface material such as a gel. The cover contains the interface material during initial placement of the device. The ablating device may also have a removable tip or a membrane filled with fluid. In still another aspect, the ablating device may be submerged in liquid during operation.

Abstract: Techniques for managing tiered communication services in a composite communication service are disclosed. Component communication services for providing a composite communication service are arranged into tiers in a structure of the composite communication service. The tiers and order facilitate visualization of composite communication services and assessment of the effects of events which impact a portion of a composite communication service on other portions of the composite communication service, for example. Related data structures and user interfaces are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ultrasound transducer is provided. The ultrasound transducer is activated and the activity across the transducer is measured to determine whether the activity at any area does not meet an acceptance criteria. The transducer is then modified so that the area meets the acceptance criteria. The transducer may be modified with a laser which removes material from the area which does not meet the accceptance criteria.

Abstract: An ablating device has a cover which holds an interface material such as a gel. The cover contains the interface material during initial placement of the device. The ablating device may also have a removable tip or a membrane filled with fluid. In still another aspect, the ablating device may be submerged in liquid during operation.