A method for treating patients who suffer from chronic rhinitis that is efficient and causes fewer adverse effects than known methods. This is achieved by using a handheld surgical instrument, more particularly an electrosurgical applicator, for treatment of hypertrophic nasal conchae and/or for submucosal treatment of the posterior nasal nerve (PNN) in order to reduce at least one cardinal symptom of chronic rhinitis.

Devices and methods for the treatment of heart conditions, hypertension, and other medical disorders are described. For example, this document describes devices and methods for treating atrial fibrillation by performing thoracic vein ablation procedures, including pulmonary vein myocardium ablation. In some embodiments, the ablation is performed in coordination with the delivery a pharmacological agent that can abate the formation of tissue stenosis or neointimal hyperplasia caused by the ablation. Additionally, in some embodiments, particulate matter, such as thrombus or crystalline drug compounds, created during the ablation is captured and removed from the patient using devices and methods provided herein. Further, devices and methods for non-thermal methods of causing cell death, such as tissue suction and tissue stretching, are also described.

Methods, systems, devices, assemblies and apparatuses for treatment of hypertension in a patient using renal denervation. The therapeutic assembly includes an energy delivery element. The energy delivery element is configured to provide renal denervation energy to a nerve within a blood vessel of a patient. The therapeutic assembly includes a controller. The controller is coupled to the energy delivery element. The controller is configured to determine that the hypertension in the patient is orthostatic. The controller is configured to apply renal denervation energy to the patient using the energy delivery element.

A system for controlled neuromodulation procedures is disclosed. A system for controlled micro ablation procedures is disclosed. Systems and methods for imaging, monitoring, stimulating, and/or ablating neurological structures coupled to one or more organs of the lower urinary tract (LUT) are disclosed. Such processes may be used to alter the hormonal secretions from one or more organs, to modulate the growth of an organ, alter the growth rate or rate of perineural invasion of a tumor, or the like. In particular such processes may be used to slow, halt and/or reverse the growth of a prostate gland or a prostate tumor.

Neuromodulation catheter systems with controlled irrigation capabilities and methods for using such systems are disclosed herein. One such method includes, for example, positioning an irrigated neuromodulation catheter at a treatment site within a renal blood vessel of a human patient, delivering neuromodulation energy at the treatment site, and delivering irrigation fluid to the treatment site having characteristics coordinated with the delivered energy. The characteristics can be adjusted to maintain an energy delivery element and/or tissue of the blood vessel at a constant temperature as power is increased. The method can further include monitoring at least one parameter of the tissue and/or of the energy delivery element, and adjusting the neuromodulation energy and/or the characteristics of the irrigation fluid if the at least one parameter falls outside of a treatment range of values.

Systems and methods for controlling energy delivered to an area of tissue during a treatment procedure are provided. The system includes a device for delivering energy to the area of tissue; an energy generator for generating and supplying energy to the device; and a controller for controlling an amount of energy generated by the energy generator and delivered to the area of tissue by the device. Controlling the amount of energy delivered to the area of tissue alters a primary zone of the area of tissue to a first level, alters a secondary zone to a second level, alters a tertiary zone to a third level, or a combination thereof, where the first level, the second level, the third level, or a combination thereof is predetermined, and where a coverage area of the primary zone, the secondary zone, the tertiary zone, or a combination thereof is also predetermined.

Medical or surgical devices, instruments, systems, and methods for use in optically sensing loads acting on a patient's anatomy may include a surgical device or instrument configured for insertion to a surgical site and an interrogator coupled to the surgical device or instrument via an optical fiber having a sensing area at a location of the surgical device or instrument at which a load is to be sensed. The measured load may be used as being indicative of a load acting on a patient's anatomy. Such measured or determined load may be used to make decisions before, during, or after a patient procedure.

Devices and methods for treating rhinitis are provided. An integrated therapy and imaging device is provided for single handheld use. The device may have a hollow elongated cannula, a therapeutic element coupled to a distal portion of the cannula, an imaging assembly coupled to the cannula to provide visualization of the therapeutic element, and an articulating region operably coupled to the imaging assembly to articulate the imaging assembly. The imaging assembly may be articulated so as to translate vertically, laterally, axially, and/or rotationally.

Methods and systems for modulating intraosseous nerves (e.g., nerves within bone) are provided. For example, the methods and systems described herein may be used to modulate (e.g., denervate, ablate) basivertebral nerves within vertebrae. The modulation of the basivertebral nerves may facilitate treatment of chronic back pain. The modulation may be performed by a neuromodulation device an energy delivery device).

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.