Methods are provided herein for affecting a region of a subject's body, comprising exposing the region to a cooling element under conditions effective to cool subcutaneous adipose tissue in said region; and increasing the blood flow rate to the cooled tissue by exposing the tissue to an energy source. Methods are also provided for treating subcutaneous adipose tissue in a region of a subject's body, comprising exposing said region to a cooling element under conditions effective to cool said tissue; and exposing the tissue to an energy source to increase the blood flow rate to the cooled tissue, thereby stimulating reperfusion in, and/or causing an ischemia-reperfusion injury to, the cooled tissue.

A surgical probe includes a connection hub, an antenna assembly, and an outer jacket. The antenna assembly is coupled to the connection hub, extends distally from the connection hub, and includes a radiating portion coupled thereto at the distal end thereof. The radiating portion is configured to deliver energy to tissue to treat tissue. The outer jacket is coupled to the connection hub, extends distally therefrom, and is disposed about the radiating portion. The outer jacket includes a distal end member configured to be spaced-apart from the radiating portion a target axial distance. One or more of the couplings between the antenna assembly and the connection hub, the radiating portion and the antenna assembly, and the outer jacket and the connection hub defines a flexible configuration permitting axial movement therebetween to maintain the target axial distance between the radiating portion and the distal end member.

The present invention relates to comprehensive systems, devices and methods for delivering energy to tissue for a wide variety of applications, including medical procedures (e.g., tissue ablation, resection, cautery, vascular thrombosis, treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and dysrhythmias, electrosurgery, tissue harvest, etc.). In certain embodiments, systems, devices, and methods are provided for delivering energy to difficult to access tissue regions (e.g. peripheral lung tissues), and/or reducing the amount of undesired heat given off during energy delivery.

Disclosed are methods of obtaining zero vergence ultrasound waves for providing sonodynamic therapy with ultrasound waves. The method includes coupling a sonodynamic therapy device with an array of flat piezoelectric transducers to a skin surface. A controller is configured to generate an electrical drive signal at a frequency, modulate the drive signal, and drive the transducer with the modulated drive signal at the frequency to produce a zero vergence ultrasound wave to produce an average acoustic intensity sufficient to activate a sonosensitizer in a treatment region without damaging healthy cells in the treatment region.

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.

A hand piece for handling an optical fiber during a laser-surgical intervention comprises a handle body elongated along a main axis and having a through hole extending along the main axis. A guide tube having a tube lumen aligned and communicating with the through hole is attached to the handle body. A fixing device is provided in the handle body for fixing the optical fiber extending through the through hole and the tube lumen in direction of the main axis. The guide tube is made of a shaped memory alloy, which has a transition temperature between 50° C. and 120° C., and which has a straight base shape. Below the transition temperature, the guide tube is bendable by plastic deformation out of the straight base shape into a curved shape, and, when heated up above the transition temperature, the guide tube returns to its straight base shape.

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.

Provided herein are methods and devices for inductively heating a tissue to effect a biological response in the tissue or in a biomolecule comprising the same. The methods and devices comprise means for applying a high frequency alternating magnetic field via an inductive coil comprising an applicator to the tissue and means for monitoring feedback from the alternating magnetic field to control and/or adjust heat, for example, in the tissue, which further includes a means for cooling the tissue. Particularly, the device may be a hand held piece that incorporates or has at least an applicator, including a radiofrequency energy generator and output, an inductive coil, an impedance matching system, a cooling system, including a thermally conductive surface and a coolant housing containing a coolant that circulates through the thermally conductive surface, and a feedback monitor. Optionally, the device may comprise a tissue-shaper.

Described herein are methods, devices, and support structures for assembling optical fibers in catheter tips and facilitating alignment and structural support. A method for assembling a plurality of optical fibers and lenses in a support structure for an ablation catheter includes providing a support structure with a proximal end, a body, and a distal end, the distal end including a plurality of alignment orifices or slits. A plurality of optical fibers are threaded through the alignment orifices or slits, such that each optical fiber is threaded through a corresponding alignment orifice or slit. An adhesive material is applied at each alignment orifice or slit to secure the optical fibers, and the plurality of optical fibers are then cleaved at the distal end to remove portions of the fibers extending out of the distal end. Finally, a lens is attached to each of the ends of the plurality of optical fibers.

A side-firing laser system with a standoff catheter includes an optical fiber configured to emit therapeutic laser radiation in a direction generally transverse to an axis of the fiber; and a catheter through which the optical fiber is inserted during a surgical procedure. The catheter includes a transparent end section through which the therapeutic laser radiation passes to vaporize tissue outside the catheter, an open distal end to permit exit of irrigation fluid from the catheter, and an opening in a side of the end section, the opening having dimensions that are approximately equal to or less than cross-sectional dimensions of the therapeutic laser radiation. When the fiber is moved to a position at which the therapeutic laser radiation passes through the opening, the laser radiation causes coagulation or vaporization of tissues.