A catheter for intraluminal lithotripsy including a first lumen, an energy delivery member supported by the catheter body. The energy delivery member includes a passageway, a valve positioned in the passageway and an energy emitter configured to communicate energy to target tissue. A method for performing intraluminal lithotripsy is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to comprehensive systems, devices and methods for delivering energy to tissue for a wide variety of applications, including medical procedures (e.g., tissue ablation, resection, cautery, vascular thrombosis, treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and dysrhythmias, electrosurgery, tissue harvest, etc.). In certain embodiments, systems, devices, and methods are provided for treating a tissue region (e.g., a tumor) through application of energy.

Tumor treating fields (TTFields) can be delivered by implanting a plurality of sets of implantable electrode elements within a person's body. Temperature sensors positioned to measure the temperature at the electrode elements are also implanted, along with a circuit that collects temperature measurements from the temperature sensors. In some embodiments, an AC voltage generator configured to apply an AC voltage across the plurality of sets of electrode elements is also implanted within the person's body.

An ablation probe tip 100 having a shaft 102 with an insertion end 104 and an annular aperture 120 near the insertion end 104. A center of ablation 124 is located within the shaft 102 and surrounded by the annular aperture shaft 102. The ablation probe tip 100 may be part of an ablation probe system 50 that includes an ablation source 60 that provides ablation means 62 to the ablation probe tip 100. The center of ablation 124 is a focal region from which the ablation means 62 radiates through the annular aperture 120 to form an ablation zone 150, 160, 170. The system 50 has at least one intra-operative control selected from the group of: ablation zone positioning control, ablation zone shaping control, ablation center control, ablation zone temperature control, guided ablation volume/diameter control, and power loading control.

A laser device for skin treatment, includes: a laser generating unit including one or a plurality of diode lasers configured to generate a diode laser pulse, one or a plurality of diode laser drivers each arranged to correspond to the diode laser and configured to vary diode laser pulses generated from the diode laser into pulses having different durations, a laser amplifying unit configured to amplify the pulse transmitted from the diode laser generating unit, and a controller configured to control the diode laser generating unit and the laser amplifying unit to control a wavelength and intensity of a laser output from the laser amplifying unit.

Described herein are various implementations of systems and methods for accessing and modulating tissue (for example, systems and methods for accessing and ablating nerves or other tissue within or surrounding a vertebral body to treat chronic lower back pain). Assessment of vertebral endplate degeneration or defects (e.g., pre-Modic changes) to facilitate identification of treatment sites and protocols are also provided in several embodiments. Several embodiments comprise the use of biomarkers to confirm or otherwise assess ablation, pain relief, efficacy of treatment, etc. Some embodiments include robotic elements for, as an example, facilitating robotically controlled access, navigation, imaging, and/or treatment.

Methods, devices, and systems employ cryolysis of oropharyngeal adipose tissues to selectively remove fat cells from the tissues causing obstructive sleep apnea. In various embodiments, a chilled liquid—e.g., a liquid or air—is applied to the target tissue at a temperature and for a duration sufficient to cause cryolysis.

It is possible to highly precisely determine a surface temperature of a balloon. A balloon catheter includes: a balloon; an outer cylinder shaft connected to a proximal end of the balloon; an inner cylinder shaft passing through the outer cylinder shaft to extend into the balloon to be connected to a distal end of the balloon; and a heating component disposed in the balloon for heating a liquid in the balloon. A liquid delivery path in communication with the balloon is formed between the outer cylinder shaft and the inner cylinder shaft. A temperature sensor is disposed in the liquid delivery path.

An ablation catheter system includes: a catheter shaft; a balloon attached to the catheter shaft; a lumen extending through the catheter shaft in a longitudinal direction thereof and communicating with the interior of the balloon; a heating electrode and a temperature sensor provided in the interior of the balloon; a heater that applies electrical energy to the heating electrode; a pressure sensor; a balloon volume sensor; and a processor that calculates the estimated depth of ablation, using as variables, heating temperature of a generator, ablation time of the generator, a value of balloon pressure obtained from the pressure sensor and a value of balloon volume obtained from the balloon volume sensor.

In one aspect, recording instruments, probes, probe sheaths, and probe sleeves may include one or more recording elements, such as one or more ECG wires, EEG wires, and/or SEEG wires. A recording element may be used for lesion localization and assessment at the time of cryotherapy, thermal therapy, or temperature modulation therapy. A recording element may be used to provide positioning and monitoring during functional neurosurgery; to apply local tissue stimulation responsive to detection of an abnormal event to regulate cellular behaviors during treatment; to effect deep brain stimulation during a neurosurgical operation; to monitor internal electrical signals and identify abnormalities. Recording instruments may be deployed in vivo for hours or days while monitoring and analyzing signals. For signal analysis, leads disposed between recording element contact surfaces and along a shaft of the recording instrument may deliver recorded signals to a controller external to the patient for analysis.