A surgical apparatus and methods for severing and welding tissue, in particular blood vessels. The apparatus includes an elongated shaft having a pair of relatively movable jaws at a distal end thereof. A first heating element on one of the jaws is adapted to heat up to a first temperature and form a welded region within the tissue, while a second heating element on one of the jaws is adapted to heat up to a second temperature and sever the tissue within the welded region. The first and second heating elements may be provided on the same or opposite jaws. A control handle provided on the proximal end of the elongated shaft includes controls for opening and closing the jaws, and may include an actuator for sending current through the first and second heating elements. The first and second heating elements may be electrically connected in series, and the first heating element may be bifurcated such that it conducts about one half of the current as the second heating element. A force-limiting mechanism provided either within the control handle, in the elongated shaft, or at the jaws limits the pressure applied to the tissue by the jaws to ensure that the tissue is severed and the ends effectively welded within a short amount of time.

The present invention relates to flexible sheath assemblies capable of maintaining a desired positioning at a desired tissue region during medical procedures involving use insertion and withdrawal of medical tools through the flexible sheath, and related systems and methods.

A multiple thermocouple assembly with a reduced wire count is configured for use in an ablation catheter tip. In at least one embodiment, the assembly comprises a first metal material comprising a plurality of junctions; a plurality of conductors comprising a second metal material, each conductor connected to the first metal material at one of the plurality of junctions; and a common conductor that is physically paired with at least one of the plurality of conductors at a corresponding common conductor junction such that the common conductor forms a thermocouple pair with each of the plurality of conductors.

Various methods and systems are provided for fabricating a backing material for an acoustic probe. In one example, the backing material may include an additively manufactured meta-structure formed from layers of a tessellation pattern. A geometry of the tessellation pattern and an alignment of the layers may affect acoustic properties of the backing material.

Method for treatment of the body with localized energy application in combination with other treatments to facilitate cluster tissue ablation and increase immune response including a method of treatment of a localized treatment area of a body including injection, IV or otherwise to entrap and/saturate a localized treatment area to be used singularly or in combination with: a high electric conductive material comprising a saline solution, hypertonic saline solution, a solution with metallic compounds, metals, nanoparticles, gel, polymers, high-polarity molecules, peptides, liposomes to treat and cause preferential heating and effect secondary conductive heating from cluster sites to adjacent tissues using external or intracavitary energy applicators.

The current invention concerns a kit suitable for the non-surgical treatment of skin lesions including warts, verrucae, corns, and skin tags said kit comprising a cryogenic body comprising a housing hosting a coolant container and further comprising a cryogenic applicator head, whereby the housing and the cryogenic applicator head extend axially; said cryogenic applicator head is provided with a cryogenic tip for performing a cryogenic treatment to a skin lesion, whereby said coolant container contains a coolant suitable for cooling said tip; the kit further comprises an acid body comprising an acid container containing an acidic composition and having an acid outlet, and an acid dispenser head that axially extends from said acid container, is in fluid communication with said acid outlet, and is suitable for applying a dose of said acidic composition to a skin lesion. The invention also concerns a dosage regimen.

A method of sealing tissue includes providing an end effector assembly including first and second jaw members. One or both of the jaw members includes an interior electrode and one or both of the jaw members includes first and second exterior electrodes disposed on either side of the interior electrode. The method further includes grasping tissue between the first and second jaw members and conducting energy between the interior and exterior electrodes to seal tissue grasped between the first and second jaw members. During tissue sealing, tissue disposed adjacent the exterior electrodes boils faster than tissue disposed adjacent the interior electrodes.

Devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure can overcome physical constraints associated with catheter introduction to facilitate the use of a catheter with a large distal portion as part of a medical procedure benefitting from such a large distal portion, such as, for example, cardiac ablation. More specifically, devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure can compress an expandable tip of a catheter from an expanded state to a compressed state along a tapered surface of an insertion sleeve for advancement of the expandable tip into vasculature of a patient. The tapered surface of the insertion sleeve can, for example, apply compressive forces at an angle against the advancing expandable tip. As compared to other approaches to the application of compressive force to an expandable tip, compressing the expandable tip using an angled force can reduce the likelihood of unintended deformation of the expandable tip.

The present invention relates to flexible sheath assemblies capable of maintaining a desired positioning at a desired tissue region during medical procedures involving use insertion and withdrawal of medical tools through the flexible sheath, and related systems and methods.

Ablation systems of the present disclosure facilitate the safe formation of wide and deep lesions. For example, ablation systems of the present disclosure can allow for the flow of irrigation fluid and blood through an expandable ablation electrode, resulting in efficient and effective cooling of the ablation electrode as the ablation electrode delivers energy at a treatment site of the patient. Additionally, or alternatively, ablation systems of the present disclosure can include a deformable ablation electrode and a plurality of sensors that, in cooperation, sense the deformation of the ablation electrode, to provide a robust indication of the extent and direction of contact between the ablation electrode and tissue at a treatment site.