A handheld therapeutic apparatus and method of treatment are disclosed. In one example, the apparatus includes a valve system, a detachable gas cartridge housing unit that houses a gas cartridge or gas delivery from an outside gas cylinder in fluid communication with said valve system, a detachable treatment receptacle for the delivery of gas therapies is in fluid communication with said valve system, and a detachable nozzle in fluid communication with said valve system.

The present disclosure describes a system for the delivery of therapeutic substances to the cavities of a patient. The system can include a wearable micropump that is fluidically coupled with a handpiece. The handpiece can be inserted, for example, into the middle ear via a surgical tympanotomy approach. The system can enable a controlled injection of a therapeutic substance directly into the patient's cavity.

An illustrated view of an exemplary endocervical labor induction medicine injection apparatus for administering medication prior to or in the early stages of childbirth. The endocervical labor induction medicine injection apparatus is a medication apparatus that provides for controlled insertion of tablet style medication in an endocervical or lower uterine body area. The endocervical labor induction medicine injection apparatus provides increased functionality over the current manual placement methods ensuring maximum benefit and reduction of unwanted side effects. The endocervical labor induction medicine injection apparatus has a guide tube and an ejector tube. The ejector tube has an ejector head with a receiving cavity at a distal end of the ejector tube for receiving and dispensing the medication. A wire couples the receiving cavity at the distal end to a handle at a proximal end of the ejector tube. The guide tube is inserted into the cervical cavity of a patient. After determining proper positioning and loading of the medication into the receiving cavity, the distal end of the ejector tube is slid through the guide tube. The handle is then manipulated to release the medication at the desired location.

An everting balloon system is disclosed that can be used for biopsy within a body of a patient or animal. The everting balloon system can be used to access a bodily cavity or vessel for tissue specimen collection at specific bodily locations. The everting catheter system described simplifies the process of tissue biopsy.

A tissue resecting instrument includes a housing, a shaft rotatable relative to the housing and defining a proximal end portion disposed within the housing and a distal end portion distally-spaced from the housing, a cutting member operably associated with the distal end portion of the shaft, a turbine disposed within the housing and operably associated with the proximal end portion of the shaft, and a fluid outflow tube operably associated with the housing. The fluid outflow tube is adapted to connect to a suction source to enable the suctioning of fluid and resected tissue proximally through a lumen of the shaft, an interior of the housing, and into the fluid outflow tube. The turbine is configured such that proximal fluid flow across the plurality of fins of the turbine urges the turbine to rotate, thereby rotating the shaft relative to the housing to enable tissue resection with the cutting member.

A method of ablating a target body tissue, such as uterine endometrial lining tissue, includes applying an agent comprising HAuCl.sub.4 to the target body tissue, wherein the HAuCl.sub.4 has a molecular size greater than 50 microns.

A hysteroscopic fluid management system includes a saline source with an electrolyte concentration, at least one pressure mechanism for circulating saline to and from a targeted site and through a filter having filter characteristics back to the source, and a controller. The controller provides a saline inflow in a first flow path to the site and a saline outflow in a second flow path from the site through the filter and back to the source at a controlled flow rate. A diagnostic or therapeutic procedure is performed at the site in the presence of the saline. The filter characteristics and the controlled flow rate are selected to (1) cause substantially no change in the electrolyte concentration in the saline, (2) to prevent hemolysis of greater than 5% of filtered red blood cells exposed to the saline, and/or (3) to minimize effect on prothrombin time of plasma exposed to the filter.

A surgical fluid management system delivers fluid for distending a uterine cavity to allow cutting and extraction of uterine fibroid tissue, polyps and other abnormal uterine tissue. The system comprises a fluid source, fluid deliver lines, one or more pumps, and a filter for re-circulating the distension fluid between the source and the uterine cavity. A controller can monitor fluid retention by the patient.

A surgical system can include a first instrument defining a first channel and a second instrument receivable by the first channel. The second instrument can include a second channel. A valve coupled to the first instrument controls fluid flow through the first channel. The valve has at least two positions and in one position, the impedance of fluid flow through the valve into the first channel (when the second instrument is not received in the first channel) is substantially the same as when the valve is the other position and the first channel partially blocked by the second instrument. In another aspect, a surgical system can include an outer member and the first instrument can be received within the outer member to define a second channel there between. The first instrument can include a visualization system and an illumination system.

Methods and apparatus for the treatment of a body cavity or lumen are described where a heated fluid and/or gas may be introduced through a catheter and into treatment area within the body contained between one or more inflatable/expandable members. The catheter may also have optional pressure sensing elements which may allow for control of the pressure within the treatment zone and also prevent the pressure from exceeding a pressure of the inflatable/expandable members to thereby contain the treatment area between these inflatable/expandable members. Optionally, a chilled or room temperature fluid such as water may then be used to rapidly terminate the treatment session.