A catheter system includes a catheter with an elongate catheter body, a catheter tip coupled to a distal end of the catheter body, and at least one light-emitting element configured to emit light to excite flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) molecules. The catheter system further including at least one light sensor configured to sense a light emitted by the excited FAD molecules.

An electrosurgical generator arranged to supply radio frequency (RF) energy to fuse tissue is provided. The generator is arranged to supply RF energy through a removably coupled electrosurgical instrument to fuse tissue grasped by the instrument. The generator monitors a phase angle of the supplied RF energy and adjusts or terminates the supplied RF energy based on the monitored phase angle in comparison to predetermined thresholds and conditions to optimally fuse the tissue. The electrosurgical instrument conducts radio frequency energy to fuse tissue captured between the jaws and a blade to mechanically cut tissue between the jaws. A conductive post positioned on the jaw adjacent to the blade.

A variable length interstitial probe apparatus includes: a probe for effecting thermal therapy and/or cryotherapy to a tissue; a flexible umbilical sheath permanently affixed to the probe, including at least one interface for supplying energy, cooling fluid, cooling gas, heating fluid, and/or heating gas to the probe; and an adjustable depth stop configured to slide along a length of a shaft region of the probe, and lock to the shaft region at a selected position. The adjustable depth stop is configured to engage a probe driver and/or a skull mount apparatus to stabilize positioning of the probe and to control a depth of entry of the probe into a patient. The probe may be configured to effect temperature modulation therapy, where processing circuitry activates a modulation pattern of thermal therapy emission and cryogenic therapy emission for applying a thermal dose to the tissue.

Cystic lesions can be treated by electroporation. For example, this document describes methods and devices for endoscopic ultrasound-guided ablation of cystic lesions using a needle for electroporation.

An intravascular catheter for nerve activity ablation and/or sensing includes one or more needles advanced through supported guide tubes (needle guiding elements) which expand to contact the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the needles to be advanced though the vessel wall into the extra-luminal tissue including the media, adventitia and periadvential space. The catheter also includes structures which provide radial and lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes open uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall. Electrodes near the distal ends of the needles allow sensing of nerve activity before and after attempted renal denervation. In a combination embodiment ablative energy or fluid is delivered from the needles in or near the adventitia to ablate nerves outside of the media while sparing nerves within the media.

A system for monitoring ablation size includes a power source including a microprocessor for executing one or more control algorithms. A microwave antenna is configured to deliver microwave energy from the power source to tissue to form an ablation zone. A plurality of spaced-apart electrodes is operably disposed along a length of the microwave antenna. The plurality of spaced-apart electrodes is disposed in electrical communication with one another and each of the plurality of spaced-apart electrodes has a threshold impedance associated therewith corresponding to the radius of the ablation zone.

A catheter system includes a catheter. The catheter includes a catheter tip and an ultrasound assembly at least partially positioned within the catheter tip. The ultrasound assembly includes a first optical fiber coupled to an optical-to-ultrasound transducer and a second optical fiber coupled to an ultrasound-to-optical transducer. The optical-to-ultrasound transducer is configured to generate an ultrasound signal in response to a pulsed optical signal. The ultrasound-to-optical transducer is configured to generate an optical signal in response to a received ultrasound signal.

The present invention relates to a visualization apparatus (1) comprising a signal processor (2) for processing measurement signals from an ultrasound measurement (3) and a rendering device (4) coupled to a processor for rendering a representation for discerning a region of tissue with changed property (42) upon energy application to the tissue from a region with unchanged property (41) within two extremities (44,47) of the representation indicative of two boundaries defining the tissue thickness. The rendering of the tissue with changed property (42) and the tissue with unchanged property (41) with different visual aspects is readily absorbable by a person who applies energy to the tissue.

The present disclosure pertains to devices and methods for diagnosis and treatment of biological tissue in which the tissue is accessed by a catheter through a working channel of an endoscope and in which the degree of extension of a distal tip of the catheter beyond a distal tip of the endoscope is controlled.

The inventive ablation element comprises an elongated cannula having a proximal end and a distal end. The cannula defines an internal lumen and a cannula axis. A plurality of conductors contained within the lumen, each having a proximal end proximate the proximal end of the cannula, and a distal end proximate the distal end of the cannula. A plurality of ablation stylets each has a proximal end and a distal end, and each coupled to the distal end of a respective conductor, the conductors together with their respective stylets being mounted for axial movement. A trocar point defined proximate the distal end of the cannula. A deflection surface positioned between the trocar point and the proximal end of the cannula, the deflection surface being configured and positioned to deflect at least some of the stylets laterally with respect to the cannula axis in different directions defining an ablation volume.