A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve, includes a light source, a balloon, a light guide and an optical analyzer assembly. The light source generates first light energy. The balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site. The balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The light guide receives the first light energy and guides the first light energy in a first direction from a guide proximal end toward a guide distal end positioned within the balloon interior. The optical analyzer assembly optically analyzes a second light energy from the light guide that moves in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. The optical analyzer assembly includes a safety shutdown system to inhibit the first light energy from being received by the guide proximal end of the light guide.

A combined isolator-diplexer device for supplying radiofrequency (RF) energy and microwave energy obtained from separate sources to a probe via a common signal pathway. The invention combines into a single unit all the necessary components to isolate a microwave channel from an RF channel whilst providing a high withstanding voltage (e.g. greater than 10 kV). The device comprises a waveguide isolator for isolating the microwave channel having a pair of DC isolation barriers arranged therein to provide a pair of series-connected capacitive structures between a ground conductor at an output of the combining circuit and a conductive input section of the waveguide isolator.

Described herein is a system including a catheter, an optical circuit, a pulsed field ablation energy source, and a processing device. The catheter includes a proximal section, a distal section, and a shaft coupled between the proximal section and the distal section. The optical circuit is configured to transport light at least partially from the proximal section to the distal section and back. The pulsed field ablation energy source is coupled to the catheter and configured to transmit pulsed electrical signals to a tissue sample. The processing device is configured to analyze one or more optical signals received from the optical circuit to determine changes in polarization or phase retardation of light reflected or scattered by the tissue sample, and determine changes in a birefringence of the tissue sample based on the changes in polarization or phase retardation.

A dual-mode microwave applicator for treating tissue comprises a control unit, a rod-shaped element, a coaxial line, and a metal sleeve. The control unit controls the applicator in an application mode and a sensing mode. In the application mode microwave radiation is applied and during the sensing mode tumorous tissue is detected. The rod-shaped element comprises a tip. The coaxial line is formed in the rod-shaped element to relay microwaves to the tip for treatment of the tissue. The coaxial line comprises an inner conductor and an outer conductor. The outer conductor includes a slot of a slot length formed at a slot distance from the tip. The metal sleeve at a sleeve distance from the slot. The sleeve distance is about 0.55 mm, the slot length is about 1.75 mm, and the slot distance is about 7.7 mm.

A suction or other component of an endoscope system may be cycled on and off or otherwise controlled without requiring direct user input, such as automatically or semi-automatically using a current or historical state of a laser generator, a blurriness or other information from an image of the working area, a count of fragments of a calculi stone, an intraoperative pressure, an intraoperative temperature, or one or more other characteristics of the laser generator or the targeted calculi stone.

A laser can be controlled based on different tissue compositions, such as in real time. After a first time period, a first composition of a in vivo target site can be identified. Based on the first composition, a plurality of lasers can be controlled to emit light at a first wavelength where controlling includes activating a first combination of the plurality of lasers. After a second time period, a second composition of the in vivo target site different from the first composition can be identified. Based on the second composition, a plurality of lasers can be controlled to emit light at a second wavelength, such as can include activating a second combination of the plurality of lasers. The first combination of the plurality of lasers can be different from the second combination of the plurality of lasers.

A method for determining a characteristic of material at a target is provided. A target is illuminated with a pulsed light source. A fluorescence signal from the target when the pulsed light source is an “off” state is then sensed. Based on analysis of the fluorescence signal, a characteristic of material at the target is identified. A device can then be controlled based on the identified characteristic of the material at the target.

A platform device for material excision or removal from vascular structures for either handheld or stereotactic table or robotics platform use may comprise a work element or elements configured to selectively open and close at least one articulable beak or scoopula configured to penetrate and remove intra-vascular materials or obstructions, or follow a central lumen of another device or over a wire in a longitudinal direction. Flush and vacuum tissue transport mechanisms may be incorporated as well as single or multiple arrays of image guidance elements, directional elements, ablation elements and other interventional assistance elements. A single tube or an inner sheath and an outer sheath which may be co-axially disposed relative to a work element may be configured to actuate a beak or beaks or scoopulas and provisions for simultaneous or differential beak or scoopula closing under their differential rotation may be incorporated.

An electrosurgical apparatus and method for performing thermal treatment in the gastrointestinal tract, e.g. to ablate duodenal mucosal tissue. The apparatus comprises an instrument having a flexible cable and an applicator suitable for use with a gastroscope, which can be deployed within a patient to delivery energy in a targeted or otherwise controllable manner. The applicator can deliver microwave energy by radiation. The direct and depth-limited nature of microwave energy can be make it more effective than treatments that rely on thermal conduction. The applicator may include a radially extendable portion arranged to move an microwave energy delivery structure into contact with duodenal mucosal tissue at the treatment region. The applicator may comprise any of a balloon, bipolar radiator, movable paddle, and rotatable roller element.

An ablation probe tip 100 having a shaft 102 with an insertion end 104 and an annular aperture 120 near the insertion end 104. A center of ablation 124 is located within the shaft 102 and surrounded by the annular aperture shaft 102. The ablation probe tip 100 may be part of an ablation probe system 50 that includes an ablation source 60 that provides ablation means 62 to the ablation probe tip 100. The center of ablation 124 is a focal region from which the ablation means 62 radiates through the annular aperture 120 to form an ablation zone 150, 160, 170. The system 50 has at least one intra-operative control selected from the group of: ablation zone positioning control, ablation zone shaping control, ablation center control, ablation zone temperature control, guided ablation volume/diameter control, and power loading control.