A vapor delivery system and method is provided that is adapted for ablating bladder tissue to treat overactive bladder (OAB). The vapor delivery system includes an anchor tip configured anchor the system in the bladder while condensable vapor is delivered to target tissue. In one method, the vapor delivery system is advanced transurethrally into the patient to access the target tissue of the bladder, which can include a surface sensor of the bladder responsible for creating an urge incontinence sensation. The vapor delivery system includes a vapor source that provides a high quality vapor for delivery to tissue.

This invention relates to a novel surgical device scalable to small dimensions for thermally-mediated treatments or thermoplasties of targeted tissue volumes. An exemplary embodiment is adapted for fusing, sealing or welding tissue. The instruments and techniques utilize a thermal energy delivery means, for example an electrical energy source, to instantly elevate the temperature of a biocompatible fluid media within an electrically insulated instrument portion. The altered media which may then be a gas is characterized by a (i) a high heat content, and (ii) a high exit velocity from the working end, both of which characteristics are controlled to hydrate tissue and at the same time denature proteins to fuse, seal, weld or cause any other thermally-mediated treatment of an engaged tissue volumewhile causing limited collateral thermal damage and while totally eliminating electrical current flow the engaged tissue volume. The system can further utilize a piezoelectric material that carried fluid channels to apply compressive forces to the fluid eject the fluid from the working end of make it require less electrical energy to convert it to a gas.

An ultrapolar telescopic electrosurgery pencil with argon beam capability that is capable of using monopolar energy in a bipolar mode for cutting and coagulation and also using ionized gas for cutting and coagulation.

An ultrapolar electrosurgery blade assembly with argon beam capability and an ultrapolar electrosurgery pencil with argon beam capability that are both capable of using monopolar energy in a bipolar mode for cutting and coagulation and using ionized gas for cutting and coagulation.

A preparation instrument comprising an HF-instrument with an electrode that is partially insulated by means of an insulating body, which is combined with a fluid applicator having a channel arranged in the insulating body for the application of a fluid to or into tissue. In some embodiments of the preparation instrument, the electrode is a spatula electrode which is inserted in the insulating body that does not cover sections of the surface of the electrode so that these sections may be in contact with the tissue. The insulating body preferably forms the channel wall that delimits the channel. The insulating body and the electrode may be flexible in order to adapt the form of the insulating body and the electrode, together, to the surgical task.

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.

The present invention teaches minimally invasive apparatuses and methods for stabilizing and/or guiding medical instruments used in a variety of medical procedures, including (a) introducing one or more substances into a subject's body, (b) removing one or more substances from a subject's body, (c) manipulating a region of a subject's body, or (d) combinations thereof. Among the many advantages of the inventive apparatuses are their simplicity and adaptability to attach to a variety of retractors.

The ablation system (10) according to the invention works with an ablation probe (12, 12a) that comprises two alternatingly working spark plasma electrodes (31, 32). They generate a plasma beam (47, 48) having a non-circular cross-section, which beam is to be guidedtransversely with respect to the large longitudinal axis of its preferably oval cross-sectionover the tissue to be ablated, in particular the mucosa (14). In doing so, it is possible to treat large-area tissue regions by means of a reliable and easily controllable procedure.

An energy delivery probe is provided that may include any of a number of features. One feature of the energy delivery probe is that it can apply energy to tissue, such as a prostrate, to shrink, damage, denaturate the prostate. In some embodiments, the energy can be applied with a vapor media. The energy delivery probe can include a vapor delivery member configured to extend into a transition zone prostate tissue. A condensable vapor media can be delivered from the vapor delivery member into the transition zone tissue, wherein the condensable vapor media can propagate interstitially in the transition zone tissue and be confined in the transition zone tissue by boundary tissue adjacent to the transition zone tissue. Methods associated with use of the energy delivery probe are also covered.

An ultrapolar telescopic electrosurgery pencil with argon beam capability that is capable of using monopolar energy in a bipolar mode for cutting and coagulation and also using ionized gas for cutting and coagulation.