An ablation catheter including an elongate shaft, an inflatable balloon positioned at a distal region of the elongate shaft, a first ablation electrode disposed outside of and carried by an outer surface of the inflatable balloon, a first ultrasound transducer disposed outside of the inflatable balloon, and a flexible circuit. The flexible circuit includes a first conductor and a second conductor and is disposed outside of and carried by the outer surface of the inflatable balloon. The first conductor is in electrical communication with the first ablation electrode, and the second conductor in electrical communication with the first ultrasound transducer.

Disclosed herein are cryoablation devices and methods of using the same, including to ablate gallbladders. In certain implementations, the device is a catheter that has an expandable cryogen balloon for expansion within a gallbladder and at least one suction opening for applying suction within the gallbladder. According to other implementations, the device has a cryogen probe and a suction catheter slidably positioned on the probe.

Surgical systems and methods for administering an ablation treatment and other therapeutic or diagnostic protocols to a patient tissue involve a flexible stabilizer mechanism having an inner recess and an ablation mechanism coupled with the stabilizer mechanism.

A device for intrabody surgery comprises a cutting arrangement rotatable by a hollow driveshaft, which is formed by a hollow front cutting region and a rear region. The front region includes multiple longitudinal drilling sections interconnected by transversely oriented cutting blade sections. The drilling sections are positioned at an angle to each other defining in combination with the cutting blades a conically shaped grid formation having a hollow internal cavity. The grid formation defines a plurality of ports between the drilling sections and the blades. A low-pressure zone is formed within the hollow internal cavity, wherein cut occlusion materials are aspired by the low-pressure zone through the plurality of ports into the hollow internal cavity for further evacuation from the cutting arrangement.

A method using a guide to assist in insertion of a helicoidal member in a target biological tissue. The method includes abutting a substantially longitudinally extending portion of the guide against a target tissue exposed surface with the helicoidal member mounted thereto so that at least a portion of the guide is inserted in a helicoidal member passageway substantially parallel to a helicoidal member longitudinal axis of the helicoidal member; adhering the substantially longitudinally extending portion of the guide to the target tissue exposed surface with the helicoidal member longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the target tissue exposed surface; and advancing the helicoidal member in the target biological tissue in a substantially helicoidal movement with the guide remaining substantially fixed relative to the target biological tissue.

Methods and devices described herein facilitate improved treatment of body organs.

A pulse generator discharge circuit is disclosed. The circuit includes one or more discharge stages, each discharge stage including a plurality of control input terminals. The circuit also includes first and second discharge terminals, and a plurality of serially connected switches electrically connected between the first and second discharge terminals, where a conductive state of each of the switches is controlled by a control signal. The circuit also includes a plurality of inductive elements configured to generate the control signals for the serially connected switches, where each inductive element is configured to generate a control signal for one of the serially connected switches in response to one or more input signals at one or more of the control input terminals, and where each of the serially connected switches is configured to receive a control signal from a respective one of the inductive elements.

A needle tip for applying current is provided. The needle tip for applying current includes a needle fixing unit, and a plurality of needles disposed on one surface of the needle fixing unit, wherein each needle includes at least one active region which is formed, as an insulator is not coated on a partial area of the needle except for a distal end portion of the needle and electromagnetically conducted. The plurality of needles are connected to electrodes having alternately different polarities. When the plurality of needles include the plurality of active regions spaced apart from each other, the intensity of current applied to each of electrodes connected to the plurality of needles is adjusted, such that electric energy is transmitted between the plurality of active regions spaced apart from each other.

Electromagnetic sensing for use with ablation treatment devices are described. Generally, an elongate body may be configured for introduction into an esophageal lumen and a distal portion may be pivotably coupled to the elongate body such that actuation of the distal portion reconfigures the distal portion within a plane relative to the elongate body. The elongate body may define one or more openings along the distal portion and which are in fluid communication with a fluid port. A sensor may also be positioned near or at a distal end of the distal portion where the sensor is configured to communicate with an electromagnetic navigational system to determine a distance to an ablation catheter.

Aspects described herein pertain to restoring damaged portions of tooth or bone using plasma mediated deposition. In an embodiment, a biocompatible carrier gas is ionized to form a biocompatible atmospheric plasma stream. Restoration material, such as nano-scale powdered hydroxyapatite, is introduced into the plasma stream, which is then applied to a damaged portion of a bone or tooth. The restoration material is deposited on the damaged portion of the bone or tooth, thus restoring a shape and mechanical integrity of the bone or tooth.