A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall within a body of a patient includes an energy source, a balloon, and an energy guide. The energy source generates energy. The balloon includes a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior. The balloon is configured to retain a balloon fluid within the balloon interior. The balloon is selectively inflatable with the balloon fluid to expand to an inflated state, wherein when the balloon is in the inflated state the balloon wall is configured to be positioned substantially adjacent to the treatment site. The balloon further includes a balloon central axis that extends through a geometric center of the balloon when the balloon is in the inflated state. The energy guide selectively receives energy from the energy source and guides the energy from the energy source into the balloon interior. The energy guide including a guide distal end that is positioned on the balloon central axis when the balloon is in the inflated state.

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, so as 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.

Systems, devices, and methods for guiding an ablation procedure are provided. For example, in one embodiment, a system for guiding ablation includes a processor circuit in communication an electrophysiology (EP) catheter comprising a plurality of electrodes. The EP catheter is positioned near an ablation balloon during placement at the ablation site, and is used to detect blood flow within a cavity of the heart by detecting electrical signals relating to dielectric properties. It can then be determined whether any gaps are present at the interface between the balloon and the ablation site. For example, the processor circuit can determine, based on the detected blood flow, whether a balloon occludes a region of interest. The processor then outputs a visualization indicating whether the balloon occludes the region of interest to a display.

A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve, includes a light source, a balloon, a light guide and an optical analyzer assembly. The light source generates first light energy. The balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site. The balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The light guide receives the first light energy and guides the first light energy in a first direction from a guide proximal end toward a guide distal end positioned within the balloon interior. The optical analyzer assembly optically analyzes a second light energy from the light guide that moves in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. The optical analyzer assembly includes a safety shutdown system to inhibit the first light energy from being received by the guide proximal end of the light guide.

Described herein is a system including a catheter, an optical circuit, a pulsed field ablation energy source, and a processing device. The catheter includes a proximal section, a distal section, and a shaft coupled between the proximal section and the distal section. The optical circuit is configured to transport light at least partially from the proximal section to the distal section and back. The pulsed field ablation energy source is coupled to the catheter and configured to transmit pulsed electrical signals to a tissue sample. The processing device is configured to analyze one or more optical signals received from the optical circuit to determine changes in polarization or phase retardation of light reflected or scattered by the tissue sample, and determine changes in a birefringence of the tissue sample based on the changes in polarization or phase retardation.

The present disclosure relates to methods, devices, kits and systems for enhancing the efficacy and longevity of denervation procedures.

A cryoballoon control device (2), catheter system and temperature display method are disclosed. The control device (2) acquires a plurality of balloon circumference temperature values obtained by circumference temperature sensors (4) circumferentially disposed on a cryoballoon (1) and a balloon center temperature value obtained from a center temperature sensor (5) disposed at a center of the cryoballoon (1) and, automatically adjusts a flow rate of a coolant introduced into the cryoballoon (1) based on a comparison between a preset balloon temperature value and a comparative temperature value, to enable a temperature adjustment to the cryoballoon (1), wherein the comparative temperature value is the balloon center temperature value, any one of the balloon circumference temperature values, or a computational temperature value derived by a predefined algorithm from the plurality of balloon circumference temperature values. The cryoballoon catheter system is configured to display, on the display device (3), a plurality of balloon circumference temperature representation graphs surrounding a balloon center temperature representation graph, wherein when one of the balloon circumference temperature values exceeds a first predetermined threshold range, a corresponding one of the balloon circumference temperature representation graphs indicates a first alert condition which prompts an operator to adjust temperature of the cryoballoon (1).

In general, devices, systems, and methods for control of one visualization with another are provided.

A system for use with a balloon disposed at a distal end of an intrabody probe includes an output device, configured to produce an output indicating whether the balloon is elongated, and a processor. The processor is configured to calculate, based on respective locations of multiple elements disposed on a surface of the balloon, multiple values, over an interval, of a parameter indicative of a radius of the balloon. The processor is further configured to modify a state of the output based on at least one of the values. Other embodiments are also described.

Devices and methods for the treatment of heart conditions, hypertension, and other medical disorders are described. For example, this document describes 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. Additionally, in some embodiments, particulate matter, such as thrombus or crystalline drug compounds, created during the ablation is captured and removed from the patient using devices and methods provided herein. Further, devices and methods for non-thermal methods of causing cell death, such as tissue suction and tissue stretching, are also described.