A tool for cryosurgery for handling tissue is disclosed, which is particularly suited for ophthalmic applications. The tool for cryosurgery (1) comprises a tubular body (2), a container (3) positioned within the tubular body (2) for holding cryogenic fluid and a treatment tip (4) connected to a distal end (2a) of the tubular body (2). A capillary (5) for transporting cryogenic fluid from the container (3) to the treatment tip (4) is also provided. The treatment tip (4) comprises a closed off end tip (6) and a shaft (7) of thermally insulating material having an inner lumen (8) with a diameter (d.sub.l) which is larger than an outer diameter (d.sub.o) of the capillary (5), the shaft (7) being sealingly coupled to the closed off end tip (6).

Devices for therapeutic nasal neuromodulation and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. A system for therapeutic neuromodulation in a nasal region configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a shaft and a therapeutic element at a distal portion of the shaft. The shaft can locate the distal portion intraluminally at a target site inferior to a patient's sphenopalatine foramen. The therapeutic element can include an energy delivery element configured to therapeutically modulate postganglionic parasympathetic nerves at microforamina of a palatine bone of the human patient for the treatment of rhinitis or other indications. In other embodiments, the therapeutic element can be configured to therapeutically modulate nerves that innervate the frontal, ethmoidal, sphenoidal, and maxillary sinuses for the treatment of chronic sinusitis.

The invention disclosed here generally relates to devices that can modify a property of a nerve. Specifically, the subject invention is contemplated to modify the posterior nasal nerve signal conduction in such a way so as to reduce the signals transmitted to the nasal cavity. Reduction or interruption of the nerve signals results in the reduction of the distal organ activity. In particular, embodiments of the present invention allow for increased lateral contact or apposition of the target tissue region having at least one posterior nasal nerve with the end effector surface by lateral and/or longitudinal translation of the end effector relative to the surgical probe shaft. This improved lateral surface contact has several benefits, including improved patient outcomes and patient safety as the end effector is adequately in contact with target tissue for subsequent ablation therapy.

A cryogenic device with a housing having a cryogen pathway for conducting a cryogen from a cryogen cartridge toward a needle probe, wherein the cryogen is configured to deliver cryotherapy to a target tissue via the one or more needles; an auxiliary pathway coupled to the cryogen pathway and exposed to a relatively low-pressure environment; and a movable sealing element configured to seal the cryogen pathway from the auxiliary pathway when the movable sealing element is in a closed position, and further configured to open the cryogen pathway to the auxiliary pathway so as to vent an amount of the cryogen to the relatively low-pressure environment when the movable sealing element is in an open position, wherein the movable sealing element is configured to be moved by a user-actuatable element coupled to the movable sealing element and separately configured to be moved by an automatic pressure relief mechanism.

A mapping catheter comprises a flexible shaft having a proximal end and an opposite distal end, and an expandable mapping element attached to the distal end of the shaft. The expandable mapping element is configured to self-expand from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration. The expanded configuration is defined by a proximal portion extending from the distal end of the shaft and forming a proximally-facing concave recess, an intermediate portion extending distally from the proximal portion and defining a maximum diameter of the mapping element when in the expanded configuration, and a distal portion having a conical shape with a distal portion diameter that decreases in a direction distally of the intermediate portion. The mapping element further includes a plurality of electrodes located in one or both of the intermediate portion or the distal portion.

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.

Systems and methods for localized cryotherapy treatments with improved gas delivery and safety features are disclosed. The systems and methods incorporate a high-pressure supply of cryogenic fluid that is dispersed through an atomizing nozzle. Utilization of a high-pressure supply of cryogenic liquid allows the delivery of cryogenic fluid to a user's skin without the need to heat or otherwise increase the thermal energy of the cryogenic fluid prior to dispersion. The systems and methods also incorporate a thermographic imaging camera to measure the body surface temperature of a patient during the cryotherapy treatment. The thermographic imaging camera can measure the body surface temperature from a distance, which reduces the risk of inaccurate readings due to ambient temperature changes and improves the safety of the patient.

A method and system for automated and semi-automated predictable, consistent, safe, effective, and lumen-specific and patient-specific cryospray treatment of airway tissue in which treatment duration is automatically set by the system following entry of patient information and treatment location information into the system by the user, and treatment spray is automatically stopped by the system when the automatically selected treatment duration has been achieved as determined by the system.

The present disclosure is generally directed to a swab and an apparatus for testing dental cold sensitivity. The swab comprises a hollow tube and an absorbent tip fixedly attached to the distal end of the hollow tube. The dispensing apparatus includes a pressurized container and an actuator. The actuator may include a flow control valve to limit the flow of coolant to the absorbent tip or to limit the volume to a metered dose and to prevent the swab from being ejected from the actuator due to excess force.

Described herein are cryolipolysis devices, systems, and methods for facilitating percutaneous access to a target blood vessel by performing cryolipolysis on subcutaneous adipose tissue obscuring the target blood vessel (e.g., a vessel used for hemodialysis treatment). Generally, the devices include a cooling member carrying a coolant that cools a selected portion of adipose tissue overlying the target blood vessel to reduce the selected portion of adipose tissue, thereby forming a depression in the adipose tissue and allowing the target blood vessel closer to the surface of the skin. In some variations, the cooling member is placed subcutaneously to directly cool the selected portion of adipose tissue. In other variations, the cooling member is placed external to the patient to indirectly cool the selected portion of adipose tissue through the skin.