A cooled radio-frequency (RF) ablation probe is provided. The RF ablation probe includes a first tubular portion defining at least part of an internal cavity for circulating coolant through the cooled RF ablation probe; a second tubular portion surrounding the first tubular portion along a first portion of the length of the cooled RF ablation probe; a third tubular portion surrounding the second tubular portion along a second portion of the length of the cooled RF ablation probe; and a fourth tubular portion surrounding the third tubular portion along a third portion of the length of the cooled RF ablation probe. A gap is defined between the third tubular portion and the fourth tubular portion that can be filled with air or a vacuum can be formed in the gap to insulate one or more thermocouples attached to the fourth tubular portion from the coolant in the internal cavity.

A system and method for providing greater control over the temperature of a thermal treatment element of a medical device, enabling an operator to extend a thawing period of a cryoablation procedure. The system may include a fluid flow path that bypasses a subcooler, giving the operator selective control over the temperature of refrigerant delivered to the treatment element and, therefore, treatment element temperature. Additionally or alternatively, the system may include a fluid delivery conduit that is in communication with a liquid refrigerant and a gaseous refrigerant. Adjustment of the ratio of liquid to gaseous refrigerant also offers control over the treatment element temperature. Additionally or alternatively, the system may include one or more valves and/or heating elements in the fluid delivery and recovery conduits to control the treatment element temperature.

A system including a catheter navigable to a location within a patient, a lumen extending through the catheter and ending at the distal end in an orifice, a fluid controller in fluid communication with the lumen of the catheter and capable of supplying a fluid to or removing a fluid from an area proximate the desired location. The control of the fluid in the area proximate the desired location affecting a dielectric constant of the area proximate the desired location. The system includes a microwave energy source, and a microwave ablation probe connected to the microwave energy source, the microwave ablation probe being navigable to a desired location within the patient. Application of energy from the microwave energy source to the microwave ablation probe in an area proximate the desired location having the affected dielectric constant results in a substantially spherical tissue effect in the area proximate the desired location.

A balloon is provided for selectively moving an esophagus away from an ablation site. The balloon is received through an oral cavity and into the esophagus of a patient. A deflecting member is provided in the tube, the balloon, or both, to selectively distort to bend the balloon and/or the tube to move the esophagus away from the ablation site. The deflecting member may comprise at least one of a strip made of a shape memory material that is responsive to the receipt of a stimulus to deflect to a predetermined shape, a strip that is made of or contains a ferrous material and that deflects in response to the presence of a magnetic field, and a selectively tensionable cable, wire, or string. The deflecting member may be supplemented by a stiffening strip that is located in the balloon and that causes the balloon to expand circumferentially and asymmetrically when inflated.

A microwave ablation probe (200; 300; 400), comprising: an applicator (202; 302; 402) arranged to apply microwave radiation to heat surrounding tissue; a feeding cable (204; 304; 404) arranged to supply electromagnetic energy to the applicator; a coolant flow path (206) via which coolant is able to flow; and a choke arranged to reduce power reflected from the applicator (202; 302; 402) along the feeding cable (204; 304; 404). The choke comprises a choke member (208; 209; 308; 408) cooled by coolant flowing in the coolant flow path (206). The choke member (208; 209; 308; 408) extends between two points spaced apart in a direction having at least a component parallel to a longitudinal axis of the feeding cable. The choke member (208; 209; 308; 408) comprises one or more turns extending around the longitudinal axis of the feeding cable. The choke member may be a spiral member (208; 308; 408).

A system for mounting a pump head to a pump assembly enclosure is provided. The system includes a mounting plate having an opening extending between a first side and a second side of the mounting plate, where the first side of the mounting plate is sized and configured for coupling to a pump head and the second side of the mounting plate is sized and configured for coupling to a pump assembly enclosure, and a cover plate configured to be disposed upon and coupled to the first side of the mounting plate, the cover plate including a tubing guide extending in a direction away from a first side of the cover plate and the first side of the mounting plate, the tubing guide including a guide channel extending through the tubing guide sized and configured to receive a pump tubing.

An image analysis device is capable of outputting evaluation information for use in the balloon catheter treatment for subjects, in real time during a procedure using a balloon catheter. The image analysis device includes: an input unit configured to input captured image data of a two-dimensional captured image of a balloon catheter inserted into an organ of the subject and pressed against an inner surface of the organ; a processing unit configured to obtain evaluation image data of the two-dimensional evaluation image, by executing an image processing on the captured image based on the captured image data input by the input unit, and configured to obtain evaluation information regarding a state of the balloon catheter pressed against the inner surface of the organ based on the evaluation image data; and an output unit configured to output the evaluation information acquired by the processing unit.

An instrument (14) is suitable for treatment of lung tumors and other tissues and a respective apparatus (15) detects the correct positioning of instrument (14) and its two electrodes (19, 20) in a suitable target tissue by observation of two parameters (G1, G2) and particularly their time-dependent change. If the change (V1, V2) of the two parameters (G1, G2) exceeds defined thresholds (S1, S2) respectively, a contact between the instrument and the tissue to be treated and thus also the positioning of the instrument in a desired position can be derived therefrom. This remarkably increases treatment safety.

A multi-probe system and a method of lesioning for targeting a region of a vertebral body are disclosed. The method includes inserting a first introducer assembly into a first target location of the vertebral body to provide a first trajectory to access the vertebral body, the first introducer assembly including a first cannula. The method also includes inserting a second introducer assembly into a second target location of the vertebral body to provide a second trajectory to access the vertebral body, the second introducer assembly including a second cannula. The method further includes inserting a first bipolar probe through the first cannula of the first introducer assembly, the first bipolar probe including a first active tip at a distal end of the first bipolar probe, the first active tip including at least two electrodes. The method includes inserting a second bipolar probe through the second cannula of the second introducer assembly, the second bipolar probe including a second active tip at a distal end of the second bipolar probe, the second active tip including at least two electrodes.

Methods of treating tumors by administering compounds to a patient are provided. Compounds such as pro drugs, e.g., 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), may be administered to the patient orally, by injection, intravenously, or topically, which then accumulate preferentially as compounds such as protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in tumor cells. After such accumulation, compounds such as PpIX are then activated in various aspects to treat tumors cells, thereby treating cancer. Cancers such as glioblastoma may be treated.