A microwave ablation probe is disclosed. The microwave ablation probe includes an applicator arranged to apply microwave radiation to heat surrounding tissue; a feeding cable arranged to supply electromagnetic energy to the applicator; an antenna portion of an inner conductor of the feeding cable, the antenna portion extending distally from a distal end of an outer conductor of the feeding cable; and an overlapping portion of the inner conductor at least partly overlapping the antenna portion along the length of the antenna portion of the inner conductor and extending along a helical path around the antenna portion of the inner conductor.

A controller for a cooled radiofrequency ablation system is configured to sequentially activate a plurality of pump assemblies with a pump activation time delay between the activation of each of the plurality of pump assemblies, measure a temperature drop delay time for each of a plurality of cooled radiofrequency ablation probes, map each respective pump assembly of the plurality of pump assemblies to a corresponding cooled radiofrequency ablation probe of the plurality of cooled radiofrequency ablation probes based on the temperature drop delay time and an activation time of each of the plurality of pump assemblies, and confirm the mapping of each respective pump assembly to the corresponding cooled radiofrequency ablation probe by comparing, for each of the plurality of cooled radiofrequency probes, the measured temperature drop delay time to an expected temperature drop delay time.

A balloon is provided for selectively moving an esophagus away from an ablation site. The balloon is received through an oral cavity and into the esophagus of a patient. A deflecting member is provided in the tube, the balloon, or both, so as to selectively distort to bend the balloon and/or the tube to move the esophagus away from the ablation site. The deflecting member may comprise at least one of a strip made of a shape memory material that is responsive to the receipt of a stimulus to deflect to a predetermined shape, a strip that is made of or contains a ferrous material and that deflects in response to the presence of a magnetic field, and a selectively tensionable cable, wire, or string. The deflecting member may be supplemented by a stiffening strip that is located in the balloon and that causes the balloon to expand circumferentially and asymmetrically when inflated.

Methods are provided herein for affecting a region of a subject's body, comprising exposing the region to a cooling element under conditions effective to cool subcutaneous adipose tissue in said region; and increasing the blood flow rate to the cooled tissue by exposing the tissue to an energy source. Methods are also provided for treating subcutaneous adipose tissue in a region of a subject's body, comprising exposing said region to a cooling element under conditions effective to cool said tissue; and exposing the tissue to an energy source to increase the blood flow rate to the cooled tissue, thereby stimulating reperfusion in, and/or causing an ischemia-reperfusion injury to, the cooled tissue.

An end effector of an electrosurgical device may include a discharge port, an aspiration port, two electrodes, and a diverter formed from a porous material. The diverter includes a matrix having voids to receive fluid from the discharge port. A releasable diverter assembly may include an assembly body configured to receive a pair of electrodes and a diverter composed of a porous material. A shaft assembly of an electrosurgical device may include two electrodes and two fluid cannulae. Each cannula may be disposed proximate to a surface of each of the electrodes. An end effector of an electrosurgical device may include a fluid discharge port, two electrodes, and a diverter disposed therebetween. A proximal edge of the diverter may form a secant line with respect to the end of the discharge port so that fluid emitted by the discharge port is disposed on a surface of the diverter.

A hand piece for handling an optical fiber during a laser-surgical intervention comprises a handle body elongated along a main axis and having a through hole extending along the main axis. A guide tube having a tube lumen aligned and communicating with the through hole is attached to the handle body. A fixing device is provided in the handle body for fixing the optical fiber extending through the through hole and the tube lumen in direction of the main axis. The guide tube is made of a shaped memory alloy, which has a transition temperature between 50° C. and 120° C., and which has a straight base shape. Below the transition temperature, the guide tube is bendable by plastic deformation out of the straight base shape into a curved shape, and, when heated up above the transition temperature, the guide tube returns to its straight base shape.

A vapor delivery device includes an induction coil system. The induction coil system can include a coiled fluid tube, a coiled wire, a capsule between the coiled fluid tube and the wire, and a cooling fluid supply configured to force a cooling fluid through the capsule across the coiled wire. The induction coil system can include a closed loop ferrite core, a wire coiled around a first portion of the ferrite core, and a fluid tube coiled around a second portion of the ferrite core. A wire coil can be contained in a cartridge system removably coupleable to a disposable vapor delivery device. The system can include a fluid flow controller and induction power regulation to maintain a specific operating pressure range for vapor within a uterus or other bodily cavity, tract, or duct.

A cooled radiofrequency ablation system and method are provided. In particular, a method to map active radiofrequency channels to respective pump assemblies for cooled radiofrequency ablation is provided. The system includes a pump system having a plurality of pump assemblies, a radiofrequency generator unit, and a plurality of cooled radiofrequency probes, wherein each cooled radiofrequency probe comprises a cable-tubing assembly having a radiofrequency cable connected to the radiofrequency generator unit and fluid tubing in communication with a pump assembly and connected to a cooling fluid source. Each pump assembly of the plurality of pump assemblies is activated individually in sequence. The system and method map each cooled radiofrequency probe to a respective pump assembly connected thereto by measuring a temperature drop delay time at the tip of each probe. The system and method can further detect the presence of multiple probes daisy-chained to a single pump assembly.

A vapor delivery device includes an induction coil system. The induction coil system can include a coiled fluid tube, a coiled wire, a capsule between the coiled fluid tube and the wire, and a cooling fluid supply configured to force a cooling fluid through the capsule across the coiled wire. The induction coil system can include a closed loop ferrite core, a wire coiled around a first portion of the ferrite core, and a fluid tube coiled around a second portion of the ferrite core. A wire coil can be contained in a cartridge system removably coupleable to a disposable vapor delivery device. The system can include a fluid flow controller and induction power regulation to maintain a specific operating pressure range for vapor within a uterus or other bodily cavity, tract, or duct.

Described herein are methods, devices, and support structures for assembling optical fibers in catheter tips and facilitating alignment and structural support. A method for assembling a plurality of optical fibers and lenses in a support structure for an ablation catheter includes providing a support structure with a proximal end, a body, and a distal end, the distal end including a plurality of alignment orifices or slits. A plurality of optical fibers are threaded through the alignment orifices or slits, such that each optical fiber is threaded through a corresponding alignment orifice or slit. An adhesive material is applied at each alignment orifice or slit to secure the optical fibers, and the plurality of optical fibers are then cleaved at the distal end to remove portions of the fibers extending out of the distal end. Finally, a lens is attached to each of the ends of the plurality of optical fibers.