Systems and methods for performing and assessing neuromodulation therapy are disclosed herein. One method for assessing the efficacy of neuromodulation therapy includes positioning a neuromodulation catheter at a target site within a renal blood vessel of a human patient and delivering neuromodulation energy at the target site with the neuromodulation catheter. The method can further include obtaining a measurement related to a blood flow rate through the renal blood vessel via the neuromodulation catheter. The measurement can be compared to a baseline measurement related to the blood flow rate through the renal blood vessel to assess the efficacy of the neuromodulation therapy. In some embodiments, the baseline and post-neuromodulation measurements are obtained by injecting an indicator fluid into the renal blood vessel upstream of the target site and detecting a transient change in vessel impedance caused by the indicator fluid.

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.

A catheter adapted for deflection in a narrow tubular region and/or sharp turn, has an elongated body, a deflection section having a support member adapted for heat activation to assume a trained configuration, and a lead wire configured to deliver a current to the support member for heat activation. The support member is constructed of a shaped memory alloy, for example, nitinol, and the lead wire is adapted to directly heat the support member. Moreover, the catheter may include a thermally insulating layer covering at least a portion of the support member. The trained configuration of the support member extends in a single dimension, in two dimensions or in three dimensions.

A method and tool are described for relieving lower back pain via destruction and removal of suprapedicular tissues, particularly via the destruction and removal of the peridural membrane. The tool comprises a narrow tubular body having one of a plurality of tip designs at one end and a handle at the other end. The tool is inserted through the suprapedicular canal, and mechanical manipulation of the tool effects the destruction of the target tissues responsible for chronic lower back pain.

Cryosurgical devices, such as cryosurgical probes (cryoprobes) are disclosed. Some example embodiments may include an elongated shaft at least partially housing or delineating a fluid supply conduit and a fluid exhaust conduit, the elongated shaft including a distal ablation section terminating at a closed distal end, a housing at least partially circumscribing at least a portion of a proximal end of the elongated shaft and receiving or delineating at least a portion of the fluid supply conduit and a portion of the fluid exhaust conduit; and/or a flow restricting element in fluid communication with the fluid exhaust conduit, the flow restricting element regulating the flow of fluid through at least a portion of the fluid exhaust conduit.

Cryogenic devices and methods of using and manufacturing cryogenic devices are disclosed. An exemplary cryogenic device may include an enclosed distal tip delineating a cavity in fluid communication with an egress orifice and an ingress orifice, where at least a portion of an exterior of the distal tip comprises a thermal application zone; an exhaust conduit in fluid communication with the egress orifice; a supply conduit in fluid communication with the ingress orifice, the supply conduit helically extending around at least a portion of the exhaust conduit; and/or a deformable wrap at least partially circumscribing the supply conduit and leaving exposed the thermal application zone.

An apparatus includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive one or more magnetic-positioning signals from one or more position sensors coupled to one or more body-surface patches attached to a body of a patient, the magnetic-positioning signals indicative of respective positions of the position sensors. The processor is configured to (i) detect an inadvertent stimulation of a phrenic nerve of the patient, which occurs due to cardiac pacing applied by an intra-cardiac electrode in a heart of the patient, (ii) estimate, based on the magnetic-positioning signals, a motion of one or more of the body-surface patches occurring during the detected stimulation of the phrenic nerve, (iii) estimate, based on the estimated motion of the body-surface patches, a distance between the pacing electrode and the phrenic nerve, and (iv) send an output derived from the estimated distance to the output device.

An effortless means for deflating a balloon of a catheter. A catheter system includes a catheter, a circuit for making fluid flow through the catheter, and a drive device having a bidirectionally drivable pump and a controller. The catheter includes an inflatable balloon, and a first lumen and a second lumen that allow the fluid to flow through the balloon. The controller drives the pump in a first direction to make the fluid flow from a buffer tank via a first flow path into the first lumen and to make the fluid flow out from the second lumen via a second flow path to the buffer tank, and drives the pump in a second direction opposite to the first direction to make the fluid flow from the first lumen via the first flow path into the buffer tank.

Systems, devices, and methods for transvascular ablation of target tissue. The devices and methods may, in some examples, be used for splanchnic nerve ablation to increase splanchnic venous blood capacitance to treat at least one of heart failure and hypertension. For example, the devices disclosed herein may be advanced endovascularly to a target vessel in the region of a thoracic splanchnic nerve (TSN), such as a greater splanchnic nerve (GSN) or a TSN nerve root. Also disclosed are methods of treating heart failure, such as HFpEF, by endovascularly ablating a thoracic splanchnic nerve to increase venous capacitance and reduce pulmonary blood pressure.

A system is provided for stimulating renal nerves. The system includes an interstitial device to provide stimulation and denervation of the renal nerves from outside the renal artery. The interstitial device extends through non-vascular tissue and into a periarterial space. The system also includes a control unit in communication with the interstitial device, configured to: obtain, from a sensor, first information pertaining to a blood pressure or heart rate; stimulate, using one or more electrodes of the interstitial device, renal sympathetic nerves associated with the renal artery; and obtain, from the sensor, second information pertaining to the blood pressure or heart rate of the subject. Based on a difference between the first information and the second information, the control unit determines whether the subject is suitable for a sympathetic denervation procedure and causes the interstitial device to perform the sympathetic denervation procedure if the subject is suitable.