An apparatus includes a catheter and an end effector. At least a portion of the catheter is sized and configured to fit within a lumen of a human cardiovascular system. The end effector is positioned at a distal end of the catheter. The end effector includes an expandable assembly and at least one flex circuit. The expandable assembly is configured to transition between a non-expanded state and an expanded state. The expandable assembly includes at least one deformable strut or cage. Each flex circuit includes a flexible substrate secured, without an adhesive, to the expandable assembly and an electrode secured to the flexible substrate. The expandable assembly in the expanded state is configured to urge the electrode into contact with tissue. The electrode has a fishbone-like configuration that defines a longitudinally elongated portion and a plurality of fingers extending transversely from the longitudinally elongated portion.

A cutting system for use prior to valve replacement that includes a cutting assembly and a sheath. The cutting assembly includes an expansion member that is movable between a stowed position and an expanded position, and at least a first cutting member associated with the expansion member. The first cutting member is configured to incise a first leaflet. The sheath defines a lumen therethrough and the cutting assembly is movable within the lumen.

A device for ablating target tissue of a patient with electrical energy is provided. An elongate shaft includes a proximal portion and a distal portion, and a radially expandable element is attached to the distal portion. An ablation element for delivering electrical energy to target tissue is mounted to the radially expandable element. The device can be constructed and arranged to ablate the duodenal mucosa of a patient while avoiding damage to the duodenal adventitial tissue. Systems and methods of treating target tissue are also provided.

Disclosed herein is a system for ablating and characterizing tissue. The system comprises an ablation element configured to emit ablative energy toward a tissue of interest, an imaging apparatus configured to emit energy and collect imaging data including reflected signals from the tissue of interest, and a characterization application. The characterization application comprises a signal analyzer for analyzing the imaging data and determining one or more signal properties from the reflected signals, and a correlation processor configured to associate the one or more signal properties to pre-determined tissue signal properties of different tissue components through a pattern recognition technique. The pre-determined tissue signal properties are embodied in a database, and the correlation processor is configured to identify a tissue component and an ablation level of the tissue of interest based on the pattern recognition technique.

Systems and methods deploy a therapeutic or diagnostic element into contact with a body tissue region. The systems and methods can sense position of the therapeutic or diagnostic element relative to a targeted tissue region without direct or indirect visualization, by sensing fluid pressure in a fluid path having an outlet located at or near the therapeutic or diagnostic element. The systems and methods can also inflate the therapeutic or diagnostic element during use, while taking steps to avoid over-inflation and/or while dynamically monitoring the pressure conditions within the expanded element.

Navigation and tissue capture systems and methods for navigation to and/or capture of selected tissue using the innate electrical activity of the selected tissue and/or other tissue are described. In the context of left atrial appendage closure, the systems and methods can be used to navigate to the left atrial appendage and capture/control the appendage while a closure instrument (suture, clip, ring) is placed over the appendage and tightened down or a closure method (ablation, cryogenic procedures, stapling, etc.) is performed to close the left atrial appendage. The use of innate electrical activity for navigating devices may be used in connection with other tissues and/or areas of the body.

A metallic tube arrangement includes an electrode region configured to expand radially and contract radially in response to increasing and decreasing a temperature at the electrode region, respectively. The electrode region is configured for intravascular deployment and delivery of high frequency energy to target tissue of a target vessel of the body. The electrode region is configured to expand radially to a diameter sufficient to contact an inner wall of the target vessel in response to a decrease in electrode region temperature and to contract radially to a diameter smaller than a diameter of the target vessel in response to an increase in electrode region temperature.

Provided herein are methods, systems, and devices for increasing heat shock protein expression and treating conditions for which increased heat shock protein expression is expected to be beneficial using thermal ablation.

The various embodiments described herein provide devices and methods for neuroablation in the tympanic cavity. Devices include an ablation effector that can be navigated into the tympanic cavity to ablate nerves therein in order to treat diseases caused due to the malfunction of these nerves.

A system for use in a renal denervation procedure includes a catheter having proximal and distal end portions, a sensor configured to sense a condition of one or more nerves, the sensor operatively associated with the distal end portion of the catheter, and at least one electrode disposed on the distal end portion of the catheter for delivering energy to renal tissue. A catheter includes a catheter body defining a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, and a sensor for sensing a renal sympathetic nerve, the sensor disposed on the distal end portion of the catheter body, wherein the sensor is configured to sense an electromagnetic signal from the renal sympathetic nerve.