An apparatus includes a balloon adapted to be placed adjacent a calcified region of a body. The balloon is inflatable with a liquid. The apparatus further includes a shock wave generator within the balloon that produces shock waves that propagate through the liquid for impinging upon the calcified region adjacent the balloon. The shock wave generator includes a plurality of shock wave sources distributed within the balloon.

The devices and method described herein allow for therapeutic damage to increase volume in these hyperdynamic hearts to allow improved physiology and ventricular filling and to reduce diastolic filling pressure by making the ventricle less stiff.

A distal end portion of an elongate shaft member of a catheter may be inserted into a liquid within a vessel. While the distal end portion of the elongate shaft member is inserted in the liquid in the vessel, a manipulable portion of the catheter may be manipulated within the liquid to remove an undesired fluid therefrom. The liquid may be pressurized to cause the liquid to flow into a lumen of the elongate shaft member from a distal end of the elongate shaft member at least toward a proximal end of the elongate shaft member to facilitate flushing of the undesired fluid from the lumen. The distal end portion of the elongate shaft member of the catheter may be inserted into the liquid within the vessel while at least the elongate shaft member is in a substantially horizontal orientation.

An electrosurgical apparatus for generating a plasma discharge beam is provided. In one aspect, the electrosurgical apparatus includes a first fluid flow housing, a second fluid flow housing, and an electrode. A first gas is provided to the distal end of the first fluid flow housing, where the electrode is energized to ionize the first gas and generate a plasma discharge beam. A second gas is provided to the distal end of the second fluid flow housing, where the distal end of the second fluid flow housing injects the second gas into the plasma discharge beam. In another aspect, the electrosurgical apparatus includes a single fluid flow housing having an external electrode and an internal electrode. In another aspect, the electrosurgical apparatus includes a transformer assembly having a plurality of serially-connected transformers.

A hydrogel 1 having a laminate structure of layer A 10 and layer B 20, wherein layer A 10 contains a monomer-derived component, water, a humectant, a water-insoluble polymer having tackiness and an amphiphilic polymer, the water-insoluble polymer is contained in a proportion of 3 to 20 wt % based on a total amount of layer A, and the amphiphilic polymer is a polyvinyl alcohol having a saponification degree of 50 to 75% and is contained in a proportion of 0.05 to 5 wt % based on the total amount of layer A; layer B 20 contains a monomer-derived component, water and a humectant and is substantially free of a water-insoluble polymer having tackiness and a polyvinyl alcohol; and an amount of the water based on a total amount of layer B is the amount of water based on the total amount of layer A±10 wt %.

A vessel sealing device having a pair of electrodes that are maintained in spaced apart configuration when closed by non-uniform coating formed from a non-conductive material that has been applied to roughened electrodes so that the coating allows for the passage of a predetermined amount of radiofrequency (RF) energy between the electrodes. The coating has a predetermined thickness that spaces the electrodes apart while also having the predetermined non-uniformity that allows RF energy to pass between the electrodes when a vessel is trapped therein, thus desiccating the vessel positioned in the jaws. The electrodes may include a series of grooves in a herringbone pattern, with each electrode having the pattern oriented in the same direction or in opposite directions.

A method for assembling a catheter is disclosed. The method includes printing conductive traces on at least one flexible substrate and encapsulating the at least one flexible substrate to provide for environmental protection. The at least one encapsulated flexible substrate is inserted into a shaft of a catheter. Then, connectors are attached to each end of the at least one encapsulated flexible substrate. One set of the connectors are further attached to sensors located at a distal end of the catheter and another set of the connectors are further attached to electronics in a handle of the catheter.

A surgical instrument connectable to a surgical energy module that is configured to provide a first drive signal at a first frequency range for driving a first energy modality and a second drive signal at a second frequency range for driving a second energy modality is provided. The surgical instrument can comprise a surgical instrument component configured to receive power from a direct current (DC) power source, an end effector, and a circuit. The circuit can be configured to convert the first electrical signal to a DC voltage, apply the DC voltage to the surgical instrument component, and deliver the second energy modality to the end effector according to the second drive signal. Alternatively, the circuit can be disposed within a cable assembly configured to connect the surgical instrument to the surgical energy module.

A surgical instrument connectable to a surgical energy module that is configured to provide a first drive signal at a first frequency range for driving a first energy modality and a second drive signal at a second frequency range for driving a second energy modality is provided. The surgical instrument can comprise a surgical instrument component configured to receive power from a direct current (DC) power source, an end effector, and a circuit. The circuit can be configured to convert the first electrical signal to a DC voltage, apply the DC voltage to the surgical instrument component, and deliver the second energy modality to the end effector according to the second drive signal. Alternatively, the circuit can be disposed within a cable assembly configured to connect the surgical instrument to the surgical energy module.

A modular energy system including a header module configured to removably connect to an energy module. The energy module can comprise a port configured to deliver one or more energy modalities to a surgical instrument connected thereto. The header module can comprise a display screen configured to display a user interface. The header module can further include a control circuit configured to detect attachment of energy modules to the modular energy system and control the display of the user interface to display UI portions for each connected module and reconfigure the displayed UI portions to accommodate the new UI portions as additional energy modules are connected to the modular energy system.