Methods and devices described herein facilitate ablation patterns on the heart within a pericardial sac and without opening or deflating the lungs.

An atherectomy system includes a drive mechanism that is adapted to rotatably actuate an atherectomy burr and a controller that is adapted to regulate operation of the drive mechanism. In some cases, the drive mechanism includes a drive cable that is coupled with the atherectomy burr and a drive motor that is adapted to rotate the drive cable. The controller is adapted to receive an indication of an increase in torque experienced at the atherectomy burr and is further adapted to, in response, regulate operation of the drive mechanism such that the increase in torque results in a noticeable reduction in speed of the drive mechanism such that a user of the atherectomy system notices the reduction in speed and is alerted to the increase in torque.

Methods and devices are disclosed for puncturing tissue, comprising a puncture device for puncturing tissue and a supporting member for supporting the puncture device. The puncture device is capable of being insertable within the supporting member and being selectively usable in co-operation therewith during a portion of a procedure for puncturing tissue and wherein the puncture device is usable independently therefrom during another portion of the procedure. The puncture device comprises visual or tactile markers for determining the relative positioning between puncture device and supporting member.

A novel cardiac ablation catheter is based on the principle that the field gradient near the electrode surface is reduced by a truncated dome shape which reduces the ratio of the current magnitude near the electrode-tissue interface to that in the tissue. Thus, for a given power, a deeper lesion can be created at a lower applied power reducing the risk of steam pop and overheating of the surrounding blood pool. The result is a reduction in spurious current which does not contribute to tissue ablation but undesirably increases heating of the blood pool near the ablation site. Methods of use are also described.

The embodiments herein provide a method and system for building a family tree through a social network. The method includes receiving login credentials from a first person, providing access to a profile of the first person in the social network based on the login credentials, receiving a first triggering event from the first person; wherein the first triggering event occurs when the first person actuates first web element, providing a user interface for building a family tree on receiving the first triggering event from the first person, receiving a second triggering event from the first person; wherein the second triggering event occurs when the first person actuates second web element in the profile of the first person, saving the changes related to the family tree on receiving the second triggering event from the first person, and displaying the family tree on the user interface of the social network.

Apparatus, consisting of a probe configured to be inserted into contact with a myocardium, and an electrode attached to the probe. A temperature sensor, incorporated in the probe, is configured to output a temperature signal. A pump irrigates the myocardium, via the probe, with an irrigation fluid at a controllable rate, and a radiofrequency (RF) signal generator applies RF power via the electrode to the myocardium, so as to ablate the myocardium. The apparatus also has processing circuitry that measures a temperature of the probe, based on the temperature signal, while the RF power is applied and, when the measured temperature exceeds a preset target temperature, iteratively reduces the RF power applied by the signal generator and concurrently iteratively varies a rate of irrigation of the irrigation fluid provided by the pump, until the measured temperature is reduced to the preset target temperature.

Methods and devices are disclosed for puncturing tissue, comprising an assembly for puncturing a target tissue. The puncture device of the assembly has a distal tip configured to puncture the target tissue and at least one proximal marker, formed on the proximal portion of the puncture device. The supporting member of the assembly includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen for receiving the puncture device. The puncture device is configured to enable advancement and withdrawal of the supporting member overtop of the puncture device. Alignment of the proximal end of the supporting member and the at least one proximal marker of the puncture device occurs when the distal tip of the puncture device protrudes from the distal end of the supporting member.

A catheter comprises an elongated catheter body, a control handle, and a hollow tip electrode having a radially-symmetrical shell defining a cavity surrounding a center inner location from which light is emitted to pass through a plurality of openings formed in the shell for interaction with tissue and/or fluid, such as blood, outside of and in contact with the shell. Light interacting with tissue is reflected back into the cavity for collection whereas light interacting with fluid, such as blood, is absorbed. By analyzing the light collected in the cavity, a determination is made as to a ratio of light reflected by tissue versus light absorbed by fluid for indicating the amount of contact between the tip electrode and tissue. Alternatively, fluorescence may similarly be employed (light is emitted at one wavelength and detected at one or more different wavelengths) since tissue and blood have different fluorescence properties at various wavelengths. An integrated ablation and spectroscopy system further comprises an RF generator, a light source and a light analyzer adapted to analyze the light collected in the cavity.

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.

Periodontal disorders such as disorders associated with a dental implant are treated with a laser where an average laser power along with other laser parameters provide particular settings for the treatment, the treatment including one or more of creating a gingival trough or flap around the implant, ablating or denaturing infected tissue via photothermolysis, lasing a pocket around the affected implant, and compressing marginal tissues against the implant.