Apparatus, systems, and methods of controlling energy delivered to electrodes used in electrically and/or thermally induced neuromodulation are provided to improve neuromodulation. In particular, a catheter treatment device having a control algorithm that regulates current or current density delivered to an electrode is provided. The electrode may maintain a known and consistent electrode contact surface area with the vessel. The control algorithm controls energy delivery to provide consistent current or current density to the treatment site, even though the tissue impedance Z may vary from patient to patient and vessel to vessel, and despite changes in impedance of the treatment, site during the course of the treatment. The controlled delivery of energy can be used to control and maintain placement of the zone of thermal treatment and reduce undesirable energy delivery to unwanted locations near the treatment site.

A system for deploying needles in tissue includes a controller and a visual display. A treatment probe has both a needle and tines deployable from the needle which may be advanced into the tissue. The treatment probe also has adjustable stops which control the deployed positions of both the needle and the tines. The adjustable stops are coupled to the controller so that the virtual treatment and safety boundaries resulting from the treatment can be presented on the visual display prior to actual deployment of the system.

An ablation probe tip 100 having a shaft 102 with an insertion end 104 and an annular aperture 120 near the insertion end 104. A center of ablation 124 is located within the shaft 102 and surrounded by the annular aperture shaft 102. The ablation probe tip 100 may be part of an ablation probe system 50 that includes an ablation source 60 that provides ablation means 62 to the ablation probe tip 100. The center of ablation 124 is a focal region from which the ablation means 62 radiates through the annular aperture 120 to form an ablation zone 150, 160, 170. The system 50 has at least one intra-operative control selected from the group of: ablation zone positioning control, ablation zone shaping control, ablation center control, ablation zone temperature control, guided ablation volume/diameter control, and power loading control.

A self-contained, battery powered transseptal crossing system is disclosed. An elongate, flexible electrically conductive needle body has a proximal end and a distal end. An insulation layer surrounds the sidewall and leaves exposed a distal electrode tip. A generator is configured to deliver RF energy to the electrode tip, and includes a processor configured to take impedance measurements at the tip to confirm contact with the intra atrial septum and/or confirm entry into the left atrium.

A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve, includes a light source, a balloon, a light guide and an optical analyzer assembly. The light source generates first light energy. The balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site. The balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The light guide receives the first light energy and guides the first light energy in a first direction from a guide proximal end toward a guide distal end positioned within the balloon interior. The optical analyzer assembly optically analyzes a second light energy from the light guide that moves in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. The optical analyzer assembly includes a safety shutdown system to inhibit the first light energy from being received by the guide proximal end of the light guide.

A system, method and leak signal discriminator for detection of a leak or mechanical breach in a catheter shaft in the presence of an electrical interferer are disclosed. According to one aspect, a leak signal discriminator having a leak detection circuit is configured to distinguish between a leak signal arising from a leak in a catheter and an interfering signal arising from an electrical interferer. The leak signal discriminator includes circuitry configured to receive from the leak detection circuit a response signal responsive to a test signal the test signal having component signals, each component signal being at a different frequency, and distinguish between a leak and an electrical interferer based at least in part on an evaluation of the response signal

A method of operating a modular surgical system including a control module, a first surgical module, and a second surgical module is disclosed. The method includes detachably connecting the first surgical module to the control module by stacking the first surgical module with the control module in a stack configuration, detachably connecting the second surgical module to the first surgical module by stacking the second surgical module with the control module and the first surgical module in the stack configuration, powering up the modular surgical system, and monitoring distribution of power from a power supply of the control module to the first surgical module and the second surgical module.

A system and method of controlling the application of energy to tissue using measurements of impedance are described. The impedance, correlated to the temperature, may be set at a desired level, such as a percentage of initial impedance. The set impedance may be a function of the initial impedance, the size and spacing of the electrodes, the size of a targeted passageway, and so on. The set impedance may then be entered into a PID algorithm or other control loop algorithm in order to extract a power to be applied to a treatment device.

Systems, devices, and methods for controlling cooperative surgical instruments are provided. Various aspects of the present disclosure provide for coordinated operation of surgical instruments accessing various surgical sites from different or shared surgical approaches to achieve a common or cooperative surgical purpose. For example, various methods, devices, and systems disclosed herein can enable the coordinated treatment of tissue by disparate minimally invasive surgical systems that approach the tissue from varying anatomical spaces and must operate differently, but in concert with, one another to effect a desired surgical treatment.

An electrosurgical generator configured to generate electrical energy to be applied to biological tissue via electrical communication with an electrosurgical instrument, the electrosurgical generator including a power source configured to activate to output the electrical energy to the electrosurgical instrument, a measurement circuit configured to measure a resistive value associated with an erodible coating deposited on a portion of the electrosurgical instrument, and a control circuit configured to compare a measured resistive value of the erodible coating to a threshold resistive value of the coating, and control activation of the power source based on the comparison between the measured resistive value and the threshold resistive value.