A system and method for prostate cancer treatment under local anesthesia includes creating a superficial skin and subcutaneous block in a perineal area of a patient by administering a first anesthetizing agent; creating a deep nerve block under ultrasound guidance by administering a second anesthetizing agent, the second anesthetizing agent infiltrating cavernosal nerve bundle tissue and periprostatic space; and ablating prostate tissue. The office-based method, statistical models and computer generated treatment plans identify and ablate prostate tissue containing cancer through or via the perineum while preserving prostate function, and critical anatomical structures. Multiple technologies are integrated and processed to deliver a safe treatment procedure, under local anesthesia by integrating the information of magnetic resonance imaging and planning the ablative treatment using algorithms that ensure maximal precision in both killing cancerous tissue and preserving healthy tissue along with its corresponding function.

Method for ameliorating secondary pulmonary hypertension in a patient including determining a pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) of the patient suffering from secondary pulmonary hypertension; assessing a change in the PVR in response to a selection treatment; and treating the patient with a pulmonary artery manipulation device to provide pulmonary artery denervation if the patient is determined to suffer from fixed PH, thereby ameliorating the secondary pulmonary hypertension of the patient.

Described herein are catheters for use in analyzing neural activity of nerves that surround a biological lumen. Such a catheter comprises a handle including a first, second, and third actuators, and a shaft extending from the handle and including proximal and distal electrodes that are selectively deployable. The first actuator is configured to selectively deploy the proximal electrode in response to the first actuator being manually maneuvered. The second actuator is configured to selectively deploy the distal electrode in response to the second actuator being manually maneuvered. The third actuator is configured to selectively adjust a longitudinal distance between the proximal and distal electrodes in response to the third actuator being manually maneuvered.

A catheter for ultrasonic-driven bladder therapeutic agent delivery, including: a tube having a proximal expandable portion and a distal end, and at least one transducer sleeve accommodating at least one ultrasound transducer mounted on the tube between the proximal expandable portion and the distal end.

Modulation of neural activity in the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) or cervical sympathetic trunk (CST) is effective in treating diseases and conditions mediated by thyroid and parathyroid hormones, in particular diseases associated with calcitonin secretion (e.g. osteoporosis) or diseases associated with thyroxine secretion (e.g. hypothyroid syndrome).

An apparatus comprises a source of ultrasound energy comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducers. Each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers is configured to direct ultrasound energy to a treatment region located at a depth below a skin surface associated with a patient. The apparatus further comprises a control system for controlling power to the plurality of ultrasound transducers and a water circulation system for controlling a temperature associated with the plurality of ultrasound transducers. The apparatus further comprises an imaging transducer for spatially registering the location of the treatment region.

Some embodiments relate to a method of reducing excess mucosa production and/or secretion in the respiratory tract, comprising: introducing into a respiratory tract lumen a device configured for damaging nerve tissue or blocking neural conduction in the surroundings of said lumen, the device comprising a plurality of energy emitters; positioning the energy emitters of the device inside the lumen at a distance from walls of the lumen; and activating the energy emitters to emit energy suitable to damage the nerve tissue enough to suppress parasympathetic nerve activity which causes excess mucosa production and/or secretion.

Apparatus and methods for deactivating bronchial nerves extending along the secondary bronchial branches of a mammalian subject to treat asthma and related conditions. An ultrasonic transducer (11) is inserted into the bronchus as, for example, by advancing the distal end of a catheter (10) bearing the transducer into the secondary bronchial section to be treated. The ultrasonic transducer emits circumferential ultrasound so as to heat tissues throughout circular impact volume (13) as, for example, at least about 1 cm.sup.3 encompassing the bronchus to a temperature sufficient to inactivate nerve conduction but insufficient to cause rapid ablation or necrosis of the tissues. The treatment can be performed without locating or focusing on individual bronchial nerves. The apparatus and methods utilized for lung tumor ablation.

Neuromodulation catheter systems with controlled irrigation capabilities and methods for using such systems are disclosed herein. One such method includes, for example, positioning an irrigated neuromodulation catheter at a treatment site within a renal blood vessel of a human patient, delivering neuromodulation energy at the treatment site, and delivering irrigation fluid to the treatment site having characteristics coordinated with the delivered energy. The characteristics can be adjusted to maintain an energy delivery element and/or tissue of the blood vessel at a constant temperature as power is increased. The method can further include monitoring at least one parameter of the tissue and/or of the energy delivery element, and adjusting the neuromodulation energy and/or the characteristics of the irrigation fluid if the at least one parameter falls outside of a treatment range of values.

A method of removing microvessels includes applying a burst of acoustic energy at a target location, applying a pulse of optical energy at the target location, and promoting cavitation at the target location by synchronizing an arrival of the burst of acoustic energy and the optical energy at the target location. The burst of acoustic energy has a pressure below 5.0 MPa. The pulse of optical energy at the target location has a fluence less than 100 mJ/cm.sup.2. At least a portion of the pulse is concurrent with the burst and the optical energy has an optical area that is overlapping with an acoustic area of the acoustic energy at the target location.