A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall includes a light source, a balloon, a light guide, and an optical analyzer assembly. The light source generates light energy. The balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the vascular lesion. The balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The light guide receives light energy from the light source at a guide proximal end and guides the light energy toward a guide distal end and into the balloon interior. The optical analyzer assembly is configured to optically analyze light energy emitted from the guide proximal end of the light guide.

A method for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve, includes the steps of (i) generating light energy with a light source; (ii) positioning a balloon substantially adjacent to the treatment site, the balloon having a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid; (iii) receiving the light energy from the light source with a light guide at a guide proximal end; (iv) guiding the light energy with the light guide in a first direction from the guide proximal end toward a guide distal end that is positioned within the balloon interior; and (v) optically analyzing with an optical analyzer assembly light energy from the light guide, wherein the light energy that is analyzed moves in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

The present invention relates to a treatment apparatus and a method of controlling the same. There are provided a treatment apparatus, including a handpiece, an RF generator generating RF energy, an insertion unit configured to advance and retract toward one direction of the handpiece, selectively inserted into a tissue, and electrically connected to the RF generator to transfer the RF energy to the inside of the tissue, and a substance storage unit receiving a therapeutic substance therein and detachably installed on one side of the handpiece to transfer the substance to the inside of the tissue by the advancing operation of the insertion unit and a method of controlling the same.

A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve within a body of a patient includes an energy source, an inflatable balloon, an energy guide, and an acoustic sensor. The energy source generates energy. The inflatable balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site. The inflatable balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The energy guide receives energy from the energy source and guides the energy into the balloon interior. The acoustic sensor is positioned outside the body of the patient. The acoustic sensor senses acoustic sound waves generated in the balloon fluid within the balloon interior. The acoustic sensor generates a sensor signal based at least in part on the sensed acoustic sound waves. A system controller receives the sensor signal from the acoustic sensor and controls operation of the catheter system based at least in part on the sensor signal.

The current invention concerns systems, devices and methods for the ablation of a ablation of the wall of one or more pulmonary veins (PV) from the inside, preferably transmural ablation and preferably at the level of the antrum. Hereby, one or more implant devices can be implanted in the vessels and can subsequently be heated by external energy-providing means.

The present invention provides an optical irradiation apparatus including: a dual laser light source unit which simultaneously or selectively outputs multiple light sources created with different outputs; an optical fiber which is connected to the dual laser light source unit, receives the light outputted from the dual laser light source unit, and emits the received light through an embossed end surface; and an inflatable balloon catheter which is formed to surround the embossed end surface of the optical fiber and expands constricted tissue. With the present invention, it is possible to effectively treat constricted tissue during a procedure of performing an anticancer therapy on entire human bodies with various types of cancers, and it is possible to mitigate patient's pain by reducing a relapse rate of stenosis after the photothermal therapy.

An energy delivery system for delivering electrical energy to tissue, includes an elongate catheter member defining a longitudinal axis and dimensioned for passage within a body vessel and an expandable treatment member mounted to the catheter member. The treatment member includes an inflatable element adapted to transition between an initial condition and an at least partially expanded condition upon introduction of an anesthetic solution within the inflatable element, an electrode for delivering electrical energy to at least the nerve tissue associated with the body vessel to cause at least partial denervation thereof and at least one aperture dimensioned to permit passage of the anesthetic solution from the inflatable element to contact the body vessel whereby the solution at least enters the body vessel to at least partially anesthetize the nerve tissue therewithin. The electrode may be mounted to at least the inflatable element of the treatment member and may be generally helical.

This document provides devices and methods for the treatment of heart conditions, hypertension, and other medical disorders. For example, this document provides devices and methods for treating atrial fibrillation by performing thoracic vein ablation procedures, including pulmonary vein myocardium ablation. In some embodiments, the ablation is performed in coordination with the delivery a pharmacological agent that can abate the formation of tissue stenosis or neointimal hyperplasia caused by the ablation.

Presented are an apparatus and method for fluid evacuation. An exemplary fluid evacuation system includes a surgical apparatus having a fluid conduit therethrough. The fluid conduit includes a gaseous fluid sorbent material. Additionally, the fluid conduit is fluidly coupled with a vacuum tube fluidly coupled with a vacuum source, wherein the vacuum source is operable to create a flow of fluid through the surgical apparatus fluid conduit and the vacuum tube.

An ablation cannula comprising a tubular body, a tip at an end of the tubular body adapted to facilitate the insertion of the cannula into a vein or body cavity, the tip having a distal end, a transducer disposed within the tip, and at least one bore hole in the tip through which a medication or other fluid may be administered, wherein the borehole is separated from the distal end of the tip by a first distance, which may be approximately 2.5 millimeters. The tip may contain at least three boreholes substantially equally spaced around the circumference of the tip. The boreholes may have a diameter of approximately 0.21-0.51 millimeters. Additional configurations are described herein. The transducer is preferably a radio frequency transducer, and an insulative material may be disposed on a selected portion of the tip to attenuate energy emitted from the radio frequency transducer through the insulative material.