The disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a flexible circuit electrode assembly and an apparatus manufactured by said method. According to the method, an electrically conductive sheet is laminated to an electrically insulative sheet. An electrode is formed on the electrically conductive sheet. An electrically insulative layer is formed on a tissue contacting surface of the electrode. The individual electrodes are separated from the laminated electrically insulative sheet and the electrically conductive sheet. In another method, a flexible circuit is vacuum formed to create a desired profile. The vacuum formed flexible circuit is trimmed. The trimmed vacuum formed flexible circuit is attached to a jaw member of a clamp jaw assembly.

Disclosed embodiments include devices and methods for shaping, bending, and/or volumetrically reducing rigid cartilaginous structures, such as hyaline cartilage in the septum. In the case of septal cartilage, shaping, bending, or reducing the cartilage would be useful for reducing nasal obstruction or to improve the cosmetic appearance of the nose.

An arthroscopic or other medical device includes an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a working end. At least one electrode for treating tissue is located at the working end of the shaft, and a fluid outflow path extends proximally from the working end through a first channel portion in the shaft. A handpiece is coupled to the proximal end of the shaft and has a body with a second channel portion formed along an axis therein. The second channel is receives a heated or other outflow from a proximal end of the first channel in the shaft, and the second channel runs along an axis of the handpiece. A thin wall sleeve is located in the handpiece so that it surrounds at least a portion of the second channel. The thin wall sleeve is surrounded by an air gap or otherwise provides a thermal barrier between an exterior surface of the thin wall sleeve and an inner surface of the body of the handpiece in order to limit heat transfer from the heated or other fluid outflow through the second channel.

A cryogenic medical device is disclosed for use in minimally invasive surgical procedures. Various configurations of cryoprobes are designed in combination with a clamp to form a cryoclamp for the treatment of damaged, diseased, cancerous or other unwanted tissues. The device is an integrated cryoablation probe with a hinged clamp that allows for single entry into the chest cavity through a thorascopic port, by surgical or other means. The integrated cryoablation probe allows for the clamping of tissue as well as freezing with a single device. The clamp acts as an outer sheath so that when closed, directional freezing of the cryoprobe is achieved on the opposing probe surface away from the clamp or on an internal surface that is between the clamp. The cryoclamp may be a removable attachment or integrated into the unitary device.

A lumen extension member is provided for a catheter having a catheter body and an elongate electrode coupled to the catheter body. The elongate electrode defines an electrode lumen extending therethrough. The lumen extension member is positioned within the electrode lumen and is coupled to the catheter body. The lumen extension member includes a tubular member including a sidewall and at least one opening that extends through the sidewall.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for an RF guidewire for applying RF energy to create a channel through a region of tissue within a patient's body. The RF guidewire is configured to have a hydrophilic coating disposed thereon to reduce friction to facilitate traversal through vasculature while maintaining its mechanical, electrical and thermal properties.

A system for the recovery of expanded refrigerant from a cryotreatment system for storage and disposal may generally include first fluid flow path having a first compressor and a fluid recovery reservoir, and a closed-loop second fluid flow path having a thermal exchange device that is in thermal communication with the fluid recovery reservoir, a second compressor, and a condenser. The first fluid flow path may include a primary refrigerant from a cryotreatment system and the closed-loop second fluid flow path may contain a secondary refrigerant for cooling the primary refrigerant within the fluid recovery reservoir. The refrigerant recovery conduit may be in fluid communication with both the cryotreatment system and a medical facility scavenging system. The refrigerant recovery conduit and the cryotreatment system may be located within the same cryotreatment console.

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.

Ablation systems and methods of the present disclosure include a catheter including one or more image sensors. The one or more image sensors can facilitate, for example, positioning an ablation electrode at a treatment site of an anatomic structure and, additionally or alternatively, can facilitate controlling delivery of therapeutic energy to a treatment site of an anatomic structure.

An electrosurgical device is disclosed. The electrosurgical device includes a handle, a shaft extending distally from the handle, and an end effector coupled to a distal end of the shaft. The end effector comprises a first electrode and a second electrode. The second electrode includes a first position and a second position. The second electrode is configured to move from the first position to the second position when a force is applied to the end effector by a tissue section. The first electrode and the second electrode define a treatment area when the second electrode is in the second position.