A catheter has a distal assembly with at least one loop with ring electrodes. A single continuous puller wire for bidirectional deflection is pre-bent into two long portions and a U-shape bend therebetween. The U-shape bend is anchored at a distal end of a deflectable section which is reinforced by at least one washer having at least two holes, each hole axially aligned with a respective lumen in the deflectable section. Each hole is centered with a lumen so that each puller wire portion therethrough is straight and subjected to tensile force only. A proximal end of the support member is flattened and serrated to provide a better bonding to the distal end of the deflectable section.

The present invention relates to a method, device, and system for improved mapping and/or ablation of a tissue. The device may generally include an elongate body and a distal assembly affixed to the elongate body that includes a treatment electrode having a conductive mapping region and a selectively conductive ablation region that is conductive of high-frequency current and substantially non-conductive of low-frequency current. Alternatively, the device may generally include a treatment electrode having a conductive mapping or ablation region and a region that is coated with an electrically insulated but thermally conductive layer.

An end effector assembly (100, 200) of an electrosurgical forceps (10, 10′) includes first and second jaw members (110, 120, 210, 220). At least one of the jaw members (110, 120, 210, 220) is movable relative to the other between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position. At least one of the jaw members (110, 120, 210, 220) includes an electrically-conductive inner member (115, 125) defining an outer surface, a first electrically-insulative layer (116, 126) disposed on a portion of the outer surface of the electrically-conductive inner member (115, 125), a second electrically-insulative layer (117, 127) disposed on another portion of the outer surface of the electrically-conductive inner member (115, 125), and an electrode (118, 128) disposed on the second electrically-insulative layer (117, 127) and electrically coupled to the electrically-conductive inner member (115, 125). The electrode (118, 128) defines a tissue-treating surface of the corresponding jaw member (110, 120, 210, 220). The first electrically-insulative layer (116, 126) has a thermal conductivity greater than that of the second electrically-insulative layer (117, 127).

A controller is used together with an energy treatment instrument including a first grasping piece, a second grasping piece, a reference electrode provided in the first grasping piece, a first counter electrode provided in the second grasping piece, and a second counter electrode provided in the second grasping piece. The controller includes a processor that acquires a first parameter relating to a thickness of a first portion of the treatment target, which is grasped between the reference electrode and the first counter electrode, and a second parameter relating to a thickness of a second portion of the treatment target, which is grasped between the reference electrode and the second counter electrode. The processor controls an amount of electric energy applied to one of the first portion or the second portion of the treatment target to be larger than another one of the first portion or the second portion.

An energy-transmitting therapeutic device having a hollow elongated assembly with a flexible tip at its distal end in which the hollow elongated assembly includes energy-transmitting elements and directional control elements. The directional control elements control the flexible tip such that it can pass through a lumen having a curve with a minimum radius of 1 cm and the energy-transmitting elements can deliver energy at an electromagnetic frequency of 300 KHz to 300 GHz.

Systems and methods are provided for separating layers of tissue along planes by delivering a gas, such as CO.sub.2, under pressure to the tissue. An instrument for dissecting tissue comprises an elongate shaft with a proximal end configured for coupling to an external source of gas and an open distal end fluidly coupled to the proximal end. An internal reservoir containing CO.sub.2 under pressure is disposed within the instrument and a valve is coupled to the internal reservoir to open and close an outlet of the reservoir, thereby allowing the CO.sub.2 from the internal reservoir to flow through the internal lumen and to a target site within the patient. The internal reservoir of gas allows the CO.sub.2 to be delivered to the target site at a substantially higher flow rate, which increases the performance of the device in separating tissue layers.

An apparatus comprises a first jaw, a second jaw, a first handle, and a second handle. The second jaw is pivotally coupled with the first jaw. The first jaw and the second jaw are configured to grasp tissue. The jaws provide offset electrode surfaces that are operable to deliver bipolar RF energy to tissue grasped between the jaws. The apparatus is further operable to sever tissue. A lockout feature selectively prevents tissue severing, based on an energization state of the jaws.

The present invention relates to a method, device, and system for improved mapping and/or ablation of a tissue. The device may generally include an elongate body and a distal assembly affixed to the elongate body that includes a treatment electrode having a conductive mapping region and a selectively conductive ablation region that is conductive of high-frequency current and substantially non-conductive of low-frequency current. Alternatively, the device may generally include a treatment electrode having a conductive mapping or ablation region and a region that is coated with an electrically insulated but thermally conductive layer.

A medical device for the diagnosis or treatment of tissue in a body and method for fabricating the same are provided. The device includes comprises a first shaft and a second shaft. The first shaft includes a longitudinal axis, and the second shaft includes a second shaft axial end disposed within the first shaft. The second shaft is connected to the first shaft by a first nested lap joint formed between the first shaft and the second shaft.

An electrophysiology catheter is provided. In one embodiment, the catheter includes an elongate, deformable shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and a basket electrode assembly coupled to the distal end of the shaft. The basket electrode assembly has a proximal end and a distal end and is configured to assume a compressed state and an expanded state. The electrode assembly further includes one or more tubular splines having a plurality of electrodes disposed thereon and a plurality of conductors. Each of the plurality of conductors extends through the tubular spline from a corresponding one of the plurality of electrodes to the proximal end of the basket electrode assembly. The tubular splines are configured to assume a non-planar (e.g., a twisted or helical) shape in the expanded state.