A method and apparatus are disclosed for an RF guidewire for applying RF energy to create a channel through a region of tissue within a patient's body. The RF guidewire is configured to have a hydrophilic coating disposed thereon to reduce friction to facilitate traversal through vasculature while maintaining its mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. The RF guidewire includes an electrode tip at a distal end of the guidewire for delivering the energy and an electrically insulative thermal shield between the electrode tip and electrical insulation for thermally protecting the electrical insulation from heat produced by delivering the energy. Some embodiments include electrical insulation inside of the electrically insulative thermal shield.

Embodiments of medical devices and methods are disclosed. The medical devices typically comprises a needle with a rigid proximal shaft, a flexible distal shaft and a distal tip. The distal tip includes an electrode for delivering energy to puncture a tissue. In some embodiments, the distal shaft comprises a superelastic material. In other embodiments, the distal shaft is comprised of both a superelastic material and a non-superelastic material.

A device for (RF) skin treatment comprising an active electrode having a first skin contact surface for electrical contact with a skin of a user and during use A return electrode having a second skin contact surface for electrical contact with the skin of the user during use. An RF generator to supply an RF treatment voltage between the active electrode and the return electrode to heat the skin below the active electrode. A coupling member arranged on the first skin contact surface comprising an electrically conductive material to improve the electrical coupling of the active electrode to the skin surface. The coupling member comprising a first layer of a first electrically conductive material arranged on the first skin contact surface, and a second layer of a second electrically conductive material, arranged on a side of the first layer remote from the first skin contact surface.

An elongated medical needle assembly includes an elongated electrically-conductive flexible tube assembly configured to be maneuvered, at least in part, within the patient and toward the biological feature. An electrically-exposed outer surface is located between spaced-apart electrically-insulated layers, and covers, at least in part, an outer surface of the elongated electrically-conductive flexible tube assembly. The electrically-exposed outer surface is configured to selectively emit energy toward the biological feature of the patient.

An ultrasonic treatment tool comprises: a blade including a treatment portion at a distal side of the blade, the blade configured to transmit an ultrasonic vibration from a proximal side of the blade to the treatment portion and the treatment portion configured to treat a body tissue, a grasper movable relative to the treatment portion between an open position and a closed position to grasp the body tissue between the grasper and the treatment portion, a coating provided on the grasper, the coating is formed by a first resin, when the grasper is in the closed position, the coating contacts the treatment portion.

A method for making an electrode assembly comprises overlaying an electrode on an electrode support, the electrode comprising a plurality of openings extending at least partially through a thickness of the electrode; supporting the electrode support with a jaw body; stitching a filament made of electrically insulative material comprising a first inset segment and exposed segment into a first opening of the plurality of openings such that the first inset segment is positioned in the first opening and at least a portion of the exposed segment is positioned to overlie an exposed working surface of the electrode; and affixing at least an end portion of the first inset segment of the filament to the electrode, electrode support, and/or the jaw body.

A medical device includes a body and at least one electrode disposed thereon. The electrode includes a metallic substrate, such as a platinum group metal, an alloy of platinum group metals, or gold. The surface of the substrate is modified in a manner that increases its effective surface area without inducing bulk heating. For example, the surface of the substrate can be laser textured and/or coated, such as with titanium nitride or iridium oxide.

A medical device for treating coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease or varicose veins includes an elongated support and a heat expandable element of muscle polymer carried on that elongated support. The medical device may also include a heating element. When activated, the heating element produces heat that causes the muscle polymer to expand into a position in closer proximity to the tissue to be treated.

An electrosurgical blade (900) configured to couple to an RF electrosurgical instrument (100). The electrosurgical blade (900) includes a proximal portion (900a) configured to couple to a blade receptacle (104) of an RF electrosurgical instrument (100), a coagulation section (920) extending distally from the proximal portion (900a), a blade edge (940) defined around a periphery of the electrosurgical blade (900), and a ramped surface (930) extending between the coagulation section (920) and the blade edge (940). The blade edge (940) includes a right-angled tip (944) and is defined by a first side (941) extending longitudinally, a second side (942) extending longitudinally and having a curved portion (942c), and a distal side (943) extending laterally.

A surgical system includes a surgical instrument having a body, a shaft extending distally from the body, an ultrasonic transducer supported by the body, and an end effector at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade configured to be driven by the ultrasonic transducer with ultrasonic energy, and an RF electrode operable to seal tissue with RF energy. A generator is operatively coupled with the surgical instrument and is operable to generate a combined drive signal having an ultrasonic energy component and an RF energy component. Filter circuitry arranged externally of the body of the surgical instrument is operable to convert the combined drive signal to an ultrasonic drive signal configured to energize the ultrasonic transducer to drive the ultrasonic blade with ultrasonic energy, and an RF drive signal configured to energize the RF electrode with RF energy sufficient to seal tissue.