An electrode catheter for use with an endocardial ablation catheter, wherein the electrode catheter receives the transmitted energy for ablating a portion of the heart. The electrode catheter comprises a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a longitudinal structure there between; and an electrode in communication with said electrode catheter, wherein said electrode receives the transmitted energy from the endocardial ablation catheter, or alternatively an epicardial ablation catheter.

A surgical device integrating a suction mechanism with a coagulation mechanism is provided for improving lesion creation capabilities. The device comprises an elongate member having an insulative covering attached about means for coagulating soft tissue. Openings through the covering expose regions of the coagulation-causing elements and are coupled to lumens in the elongate member which are routed to a vacuum source. A fluid source to passively transport fluid along the contacted soft tissue surface may be provided in order to push the maximum temperature deeper into tissue.

A system and method for performing a radiofrequency (RF) ablation procedure with a cooled RF probe includes measuring one or more local perfusion characteristics at an ablation site within a patient. The method also includes determining a heat transfer due to local perfusion at the ablation site based on the one or more local perfusion characteristics. Further, the method includes determining an operating threshold for the cooled RF probe based, at least in part, on the heat transfer. Moreover, the method includes controlling the cooled RF probe based on the operating threshold to create a lesion at the ablation site within the patient.

Methods for detecting tubing in a pump assembly of a pump system are provided. For example, a method comprises connecting a power supply to each of a plurality of pump motors of the pump system. Each pump motor of the plurality of pump motors has a power supply cable configured to connect to the power supply and drives a pump head of a plurality of pump heads of the pump system. The method also comprises sensing a motor current from each of the power supply cables, determining whether tubing is loaded in each pump head, and, if tubing is not loaded in a pump head, then disconnecting from the power supply the power supply cable of the pump motor associated with the pump head in which tubing is not loaded. Systems for detecting the presence of tubing within a pump head of a plurality of pump heads also are provided.

Controlling conductive fluid flow during an electrosurgical procedure. At least some of the example embodiments are methods including: flowing conductive fluid from a source lumen to a suction lumen of an electrosurgical wand, the flowing with the electrosurgical wand in a first orientation; sensing a change in orientation of the electrosurgical wand to a second orientation different than the first orientation; and changing a control parameter associated with the conductive fluid flow, the changing responsive to the change in orientation of the electrosurgical wand.

Cooling systems for medical probe assemblies are provided. For example, a cooling system comprises a pump assembly including a control unit having a controller, a motor, and a pump head driven by the motor; a fluid reservoir; a lumen for delivering a cooling fluid to the medical probe assembly distal end; tubing extending through the pump head for conveying the cooling fluid from the fluid reservoir to the lumen; and a flow sensor for sensing the cooling fluid flow rate. The pump head is disposed between the fluid reservoir and the medical probe assembly to pump the cooling fluid from the fluid reservoir to the lumen. The flow sensor is disposed between the pump head and the medical probe assembly to sense the cooling fluid flow rate. Methods for controlling fluid flow rate through a cooling circuit and systems for using a plurality of medical probe assemblies also are provided.

A microwave ablation probe including a probe body including a shielded portion and a radiation window that is at least partially transparent to microwave energy. The shielded portion includes a cannula, a coaxial cable within the probe body, and an antenna comprising a radiating portion for emission of microwave energy at a distal portion of the probe body, wherein the radiating portion is aligned with the radiation window. The probe body defines an irrigation path configured to carry cooling fluid to and from the distal portion of the probe body. At least one wall defining the irrigation path comprises a heat exchange surface having an average radius, wherein a surface area of the heat exchange surface is larger than a surface area of a smooth surface with a radius equal to the average radius.

A surgical system comprises a surgical instrument having distal and proximal portions. The surgical system also comprises a reference fixture positioned in a first reference frame and a shape sensor extending from the distal portion through the proximal portion to the reference fixture. The surgical system also comprises a processor configured to perform a registration step to register the first reference frame to a fixed world reference frame. The registration step includes receiving a set of shape information of the shape sensor with a distal point of the surgical instrument located at a patient reference point. A first portion of the shape sensor is in a known geometrical shape at a fixed location along a length of the shape sensor. The registration step also includes computing a location of the patient reference point and computing a pose of the first reference frame relative to the fixed world reference frame.

A hand piece for handling an optical fiber during a laser-surgical intervention comprises a handle body elongated along a main axis and having a through hole extending along the main axis. A guide tube having a tube lumen aligned and communicating with the through hole is attached to the handle body. A fixing device is provided in the handle body for fixing the optical fiber extending through the through hole and the tube lumen in direction of the main axis. The guide tube is made of a shaped memory alloy, which has a transition temperature between 50 C. and 120 C., and which has a straight base shape. Below the transition temperature, the guide tube is bendable by plastic deformation out of the straight base shape into a curved shape, and, when heated up above the transition temperature, the guide tube returns to its straight base shape.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for regulating, maintaining and/or controlling the temperature of fluids and tissues during therapeutic or ablative tissue treatment applications. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a multi-purpose subassembly that is easy to use, supports all infusion and fluid-cooled ablation systems, and readily and reliably accepts a variety of tubing designs to decrease preparation time and minimize user error during setup and use.