A catheter includes an elongate shaft extending longitudinally between a proximal portion defining a proximal end and a distal portion defining a distal end. A lumen extends through the shaft from the proximal end to the distal end. The shaft includes a heat-shielding layer and an outer layer adjacent the heat-shielding layer. The heat-shielding layer includes an inner liner layer adjacent the lumen and a heat-shielding layer adjacent the inner liner layer. In the distal portion, at least a section of the outer layer is radiopaque.

Described here are devices, systems, and methods for forming a fistula between two blood vessels. The systems may comprise a first catheter including a housing and an electrode having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is fixed relative to the housing and the distal end is longitudinally slidable within the housing.

Systems and methods can be used to retrieve and remove blood clots from blood vessels. For example, this document describes catheter-based cryogenic devices that are used to retrieve and remove blood clots. The systems and methods provided herein can be used to remove blood clots from all types of blood vessels including, but not limited to, peripheral vessels, coronary arteries, central veins, pulmonary arteries, cerebral arteries, and any other type of blood vessel that can contain blood clots.

Embodiments of medical devices and methods are disclosed. The medical devices typically comprise a flexible elongate member defining a lumen, and a support spine affixed to the distal end and extending proximally therefrom within the elongate member lumen. In some embodiments, the support spine is pre-shaped such that the support spine biases the distal region of the elongate member to adopt a straight configuration, or the support spine biases at least a portion of the distal region of the elongate member to adopt a curved shape to form a curved portion. Some embodiments include apertures at or near the distal end for enabling fluid communication between the lumen and the outside environment. In some embodiments, the support wire extends proximally from the distal end within a distal portion of the lumen such that a proximal portion of the lumen is substantially unobstructed.

A multi-functional electrosurgical plasma accessory having a handpiece and an extendable probe assembly. The extendable probe assembly has a shaft member, a tube, an electrode, a spacer and a collet. The shaft member and tube each may be formed of a plurality of structures assembled together, each may be of a single unitary design, or both together may be of a single unitary design. The shaft member has an interior channel, a distal end and a proximal end comprised of a neck portion at the distal end of the shaft member, a grip. The elongated portion of the shaft is movable within the spacer between a first position in which a portion of a distal end of the electrode extends out of the tube and a second portion in which the distal end of the electrode does not extend out of the tube.

Ablation systems of the present disclosure facilitate the safe formation of wide and deep lesions. For example, ablation systems of the present disclosure can allow for the flow of irrigation fluid and blood through an expandable ablation electrode, resulting in efficient and effective cooling of the ablation electrode as the ablation electrode delivers energy at a treatment site of the patient. Additionally, or alternatively, ablation systems of the present disclosure can include a deformable ablation electrode and a plurality of sensors that, in cooperation, sense the deformation of the ablation electrode, to provide a robust indication of the extent and direction of contact between the ablation electrode and tissue at a treatment site.

A tool has a handle and an elongate shaft that extends distally from the handle. A distal portion of the shaft is inserted into a subject during a surgical procedure. An optical fiber delivers laser energy to a tip at the distal portion of the shaft. The tip includes a mechanical cutting mechanism including a moving part that absorbs the laser energy, thermally conducts the absorbed energy to tissue that is disposed between the moving part and another part, and moves with respect to the other part in order to cut tissue that is disposed between the parts using a mechanical force that is lower than a mechanical force that would be required to cut the tissue in the absence of the laser energy. Other embodiments are also described.

A surgical treatment device includes: a treatment portion including a treatment surface that treats biological tissue by supplying at least one type of energy; a heat insulation coating that covers at least a part of an outer surface of the treatment portion; and a protection coating that is provided in a manner to cover the heat insulation coating and is higher in coating strength than the heat insulation coating.

Ablation electrode assemblies include an inner core member and an outer shell surrounding the inner core member. The inner core member and the outer shell define a space or separation region therebetween. The inner core member is constructed from a thermally insulative material having a reduced thermal conductivity. In an embodiment, the space is a sealed or evacuated region. In other embodiments, irrigation fluid flows within the space. The ablation electrode assembly further includes at least one thermal sensor in some embodiments. Methods for providing irrigation fluid during cardiac ablation of targeted tissue are disclosed that include calculating the energy delivered to irrigation fluid as it flows within the ablation electrode assembly through temperature measurement of the irrigation fluid. Pulsatile flow of irrigation fluid can be utilized in some embodiments of the disclosure.

Methods and devices that displace bone or other hard tissue to create a cavity in the tissue. Where such methods and devices rely on a driving mechanism for providing moving of the device to form a profile that improves displacement of the tissue. These methods and devices also allow for creating a path or cavity in bone for insertion of bone cement or other filler to treat a fracture or other condition in the bone. The features relating to the methods and devices described herein can be applied in any region of bone or hard tissue where the tissue or bone is displaced to define a bore or cavity instead of being extracted from the body such as during a drilling or ablation procedure.