An electrosurgical device having a pair of jaws, at least one electrode supported by one of the pair of jaws, and a sheet of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene positioned in covering relation to at least a portion of the at least one electrode. The sheet may have a porosity of between thirty and ninety percent. The sheet may have a plurality of pores with an average diameter of between 0.2 and 1.0 micrometers.

Some implementations include a coaxial bipolar ablation instrument comprising an outer needle and an inner needle inserted into the outer needle. The instrument can also include a first insulating layer disposed between the inner needle and the outer needle, and a second insulating layer disposed over a portion of the outer needle. The instrument can further include a first exposed region of the instrument disposed near a proximate end of the instrument, the first exposed region including a first exposed portion of the inner needle and a first exposed portion of the outer needle, the first exposed region constructed to provide contact to a connector, and a second exposed region of the instrument disposed near a distal end of the instrument, the second exposed region forming the active region of the instrument and including a second exposed portion of the inner needle and a second exposed portion of the outer needle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a balloon-type ablation catheter that can measure the electric potential around the entire circumference of the pulmonary vein at a position near the left atrium with electrodes attached to a catheter distal end part of an electrode catheter inserted in a shaft in a state where a balloon is pressed against the area around the ostium of the pulmonary vein. The balloon-type ablation catheter of the present invention includes a catheter shaft (10) having a multi-lumen structure in which a plurality of lumens (11 to 17) are formed that include a liquid feeding lumen (13), (16) and an electrode catheter insertion lumen (12), a distal end tip (30) attached to the distal end of the catheter shaft (10), a balloon (50) attached to the distal end part of the catheter shaft (10), and a high-frequency current application electrode (70) provided in the balloon (50). A side hole (32) that communicates with the electrode catheter insertion lumen (12) and that opens on the side peripheral surface of the distal end tip (30) is formed in the distal end tip (30).

The present invention relates to systems for use for radio frequency ablation. The systems can include one or more of an ablation tool, power source for use with the ablation tool and a backstop for use in conjunction with the ablation tool during surgical procedures. Preferred ablation tools comprise a series of three or more blade-shaped electrodes disposed in a linear, curved, curvilinear or circular array. The backstops are useful for reducing direct physical and thermal heat transfer injuries to the patient or surgeon during procedures using radiofrequency (RF) ablation devices.

An apparatus includes a tube, a support element, multiple spines proximally coupled to the tube, and multiple electrodes coupled to the spines. The spines include respective expandable superelastic elements, and respective polymeric elements extending from respective distal ends of the superelastic elements and coupled to a surface of the support element by virtue of being bent proximally, into alignment with the surface, at a distal end of the support element. Other examples are also described.

A method for treating or diagnosing cancer with and endosurgical device comprising at least two lengthwise extending channels (2,3,4,5; 2′,3′,4′,5′), two opposite jaws (9,10;9′,10′;9″,10″) with use of diathermy and flushing a tissue specimen to a proximal end of the endosurgical device. The method allows the surgeon to take several tissue specimens from an organ and to perform several functionalities when the device is inside the organ. The endosurgical device for use in the method is also disclosed.

A tissue resecting or other medical device includes a handle coupled to an elongated shaft. A radiofrequency (RF) electrode is carried at a distal end of the elongated shaft, and the electrode is moveable across a window in a sleeve or other component of the shaft. The shaft has an interior channel connectable to a negative pressure source to remove debris from the channel. A motor is carried by the handle and operatively coupled to the electrode for moving the electrode relative to the window. An electronic image sensor and lens are disposed at a distal end of the shaft, and a plurality of conductors may extend through the shaft to the image sensor. The image sensor, lens and sensor conductors are disposed within a first tubular member, and an LED or other light source is also positioned at a distal end of the shaft with LED conductors or leads extending through a second tubular member of the shaft to the LED.

An electrode for an electrosurgical unit is used for ablating and necrosing a living tissue by RF electric energy. The electrode can be a hollow electrode formed in an elongated hollow tube shape, including a non-insulating region of a predetermined length formed on one side, and an insulating region formed on an outer surface other than the non-insulating region. The electrode further can include a saline solution circulation structure that supplies pressurized saline solution for cooling a living tissue which is in contact with the hollow electrode from the outside of the living tissue to the inside of the hollow electrode, and one or more saline solution discharge holes formed in the non-insulating region of the hollow electrode to discharge some of the circulating pressurized saline solution to the living tissue.

A medical probe includes a shaft and a basket assembly. The shaft is configured for insertion into a cavity of an organ of a patient. The basket assembly, which is connected at a distal end of the shaft, includes (a) multiple electrically-conductive spines that are electrically-connected to one another so as to form a distributed electrode, and (b) a plurality of spine mounted electrodes, which are disposed along the spines and are configured to (i) sense electrical activity in the cavity, (ii) ablate and (iii) prevent the distributed electrode from indenting tissue in the cavity.

An electrode assembly for an electrosurgical instrument includes an active electrode and retainer arrangement that are inserted to a cavity of an insulator and then welded together to secure the active electrode in the insulator for use in tissue treatment. The active electrode and retainer are configured to interlock with at least one internal retention surface of the cavity. Once assembled in the cavity, both the active electrode and the retainer may have a portion that extends out of the cavity to protrude from the insulator. This allows opposing biasing forces to be exerted on the active electrode and the retainer respectively so as to push the two components against a retention surface within the cavity. When the active electrode and the retainer are welded together, any clearance with the retention surfaces inside the cavity, caused by variations between parts during the manufacturing process, is removed or at least minimized.