An electrosurgical ablation device provides pulse width modulated DC power to a heating segment in a catheter for use in providing treatment. In some embodiments the DC power to be modulated is sourced from an AC/DC power converter coupled to a source of AC power. In some embodiments the DC power to be modulated is sourced from a battery. In some embodiments the device switchably selects for modulation DC power sourced from either the AC/DC power converter or the battery, for example based on availability of power from the AC/DC power converter.

A medical device, including: a cooling system; a heating system; and an applicator including a cold base operationally coupled to the cooling system and a heating element operationally coupled to the heating system, and an applicator head collocated with the cold base and the heating element and adapted for applying a combination of heat and cold to a target area such as target tissue.

An endoscopic instrument containing a retractable tool at its end that is articulated by engaging an actuator that moves pull wires to angularly move the tip of the instrument along a plane for conducting a procedure at a target site. The tool of instrument is linearly move from an extension position to a retracted position by another actuator. The instrument provide rotational control of the tool and instrument tip portion with a rotational actuator for rotating housings that carry both pull wires and a conducting wire connected to the tool.

Transducer-based systems and methods may be configured to display a graphical representation of a transducer-based device, the graphical representation including graphical elements corresponding to transducers of the transducer-based device, and also including between graphical elements respectively associated with a set of the transducers and respectively associated with a region of space between the transducers of the transducer-based device. Selection of graphical elements and/or between graphical elements can cause activation of the set of transducers associated with the selected elements. Transducer activation characteristics, such as initiation time, activation duration, activation sequence, and energy delivery characteristics, can vary based on numerous factors. Visual characteristics of graphical elements and between graphical elements can change based on an activation-status of the corresponding transducers. Activation requests for a set of transducers can be denied if it is determined that a transducer in the set of transducers is unacceptable for activation.

An improved multifunction cable for use in an operating room avoids the usual tangle of wires and tubes can be a significant hazard. The cable comes pre-sterilized with a number of wires and tubes pre-installed in a protective housing making it easy to conduct myriad wires and tubes from one region of the operating room to another without any possibility of tangling or violation of sterility. At the sterile end of the cable a special terminus acts as a holder to keep the various operating instrument organized. The terminus is designed to accept a special smoke evacuating monopolar electrosurgery instrument.

An ablation system, configured to create a shunt between a left atrium and a coronary sinus of a patient, includes an ablation device comprising a proximal body defining a distal-facing surface configured to contact the coronary sinus wall, a distal body defining a proximal-facing surface positioned opposite the distal-facing surface and configured to contact the left atrium wall, and first and second heating elements disposed on the distal-facing and proximal-facing surfaces, respectively. The heating elements are configured to ablate tissue between the left atrium and the coronary sinus of the patient to create the shunt. The system further includes an expandable dilation element configured to dilate a puncture formed through the coronary sinus wall and the left atrium wall to facilitate introduction of the distal body of the ablation device into the left atrium.

An instrument and method for tissue thermotherapy including an inductive heating means to generate a vapor phase media that is used for interstitial, intraluminal, intracavity or topical tissue treatment. In one method, the vapor phase media is propagated from a probe outlet to provide a controlled vapor-to-liquid phase change in an interface with tissue to thereby apply ablative thermal energy delivery.

Various methods of treating a heart of a patient having a cardiac arrhythmia are disclosed. The method can comprise dissecting tissue at an inferior aspect of a right inferior pulmonary vein of the patient to create an oblique sinus defect, dissecting tissue to open a space between a superior vena cava and a left atrium, and dissecting tissue to open a space across a transverse sinus between a pulmonary artery and a roof of the left atrium. The method can further comprise passing a catheter through an oblique sinus defect underneath the heart and beyond a left ventricle and passing a first flexible guiding device across the transverse sinus and under the superior vena cava and the pulmonary artery.

A system and a method are disclosed for forming an anastomosis between a first layer of tissue and a second layer of tissue of a patient's body. The system includes a first anastomosis device component and a second anastomosis device component configured to interact with the first anastomosis device component. The first anastomosis device component is configured to be delivered to a first lumen inside the patient's body. The second anastomosis device component is configured to be delivered to a second lumen inside the patient's body. The second anastomosis device includes one or more sensors configured to capture sensor data for determining an alignment of the second anastomosis device component relative to the first anastomosis device component, or for characterizing the position or orientation of the second anastomosis device component in three-dimensional space.

Systems and methods for delivering energy to passageways in a patient, such as airways in the lung of a patient for treating asthma. One embodiment of a method for delivering energy to a passageway comprises positioning an access device in a lung airway of a patient and advancing an elongated body of a treatment device along the access device until an energy delivery unit at a distal portion of the elongated body projects from the access device. The method can further include expanding the energy delivery unit such that energy delivery elements contact a sidewall of the airway and activating an energy supply coupled to the treatment device such that energy is delivered to the sidewall of the airway. A single person physically operates both the access device and the treatment device while expanding the energy delivery unit and activating the energy supply.