A device, system, and method for enhancing cooling uniformity and efficiency of cryogenic fluids and providing a treatment element the shape of which can be adjusted for multiple purposes. The device may include a balloon catheter and fluid dispersion element, the fluid dispersion element directing the flow of coolant from a fluid injection element the interior wall of the balloon. The method of changing the shape of the treatment element may include retracting and extending a shaft to which the distal neck of a balloon is coupled, so that the balloon goes from a first shape to a second shape.

Apparatus and methods for treating conditions such as rhinitis are disclosed herein where a distal end of a probe shaft is introduced through the nasal cavity where the distal end has an end effector with a first configuration having a low-profile which is shaped to manipulate tissue within the nasal cavity. The distal end may be positioned into proximity of a tissue region having a post nasal nerve associated with a middle or inferior nasal turbinate. Once suitably positioned, the distal end may be reconfigured from the first configuration to a second configuration which is shaped to contact and follow the tissue region and the post nasal nerve may then be ablated via the distal end. Ablation may be performed using various mechanisms, such as cryotherapy, and optionally under direct visualization.

Apparatus and methods for treating conditions such as rhinitis are disclosed herein where a distal end of a probe shaft is introduced through the nasal cavity where the distal end has an end effector with a first configuration having a low-profile which is shaped to manipulate tissue within the nasal cavity. The distal end may be positioned into proximity of a tissue region having a post nasal nerve associated with a middle or inferior nasal turbinate. Once suitably positioned, the distal end may be reconfigured from the first configuration to a second configuration which is shaped to contact and follow the tissue region and the post nasal nerve may then be ablated via the distal end. Ablation may be performed using various mechanisms, such as cryotherapy, and optionally under direct visualization.

Disclosed is a cryotherapy device comprising at least one inflow channel, at least one outflow channel, control means for controlling the evacuation of expanded cryo-fluid from a body lumen, wherein the control means receive data from at least one sensor that gathers data regarding at least one parameter of the body lumen and wherein the cryotherapy device is introduced into the body lumen via an endoscope.

A cryogenic ablation catheter includes a catheter shaft, a balloon and a connector respectively at the catheter shaft proximal and distal ends, a refrigerant delivery tube assembly including a refrigerant delivery tube rotatable within the catheter shaft lumen, and a refrigerant delivery element with an outlet located inside the balloon which directs refrigerant outwardly against the balloon at different rotary positions as it rotates. A cryogenic balloon ablation system includes the cryogenic ablation catheter, a catheter coupler mating with the connector, a motor including a rotatable hollow motor shaft, and a delivery line fluidly coupled to a cryogenic gas source for supplying cryogenic gas to the refrigerant delivery tube. At least one of the refrigerant delivery tube and the delivery line passes at least partway through the hollow motor shaft. The coupling tip of the connector and the refrigerant delivery tube rotate with the motor shaft.

An objective of this invention is to provide an apparatus and method to more accurately determine the parameters of a storage cavern before and during use, including fluid filled storage caverns. Another object of this invention is to provide a granular inspection of the storage cavern. Another object of this invention is to provide precision positioning information of sample points.

Apparatus and methods for treating conditions such as rhinitis are disclosed herein where a distal end of a probe shaft is introduced through the nasal cavity where the distal end has an end effector with a first configuration having a low-profile which is shaped to manipulate tissue within the nasal cavity. The distal end may be positioned into proximity of a tissue region having a post nasal nerve associated with a middle or inferior nasal turbinate. Once suitably positioned, the distal end may be reconfigured from the first configuration to a second configuration which is shaped to contact and follow the tissue region and the post nasal nerve may then be ablated via the distal end. Ablation may be performed using various mechanisms, such as cryotherapy, and optionally under direct visualization.

A cryogenic medical device for delivery of subcooled liquid cryogen to various configurations of cryoprobes is designed for the treatment of damaged, diseased, cancerous or other unwanted tissues. The device is a closed or semi-closed system in which the liquid cryogen is contained in both the supply and return stages. The device is capable of generating cryogen to a supercritical state and may be utilized in any rapid cooling systems. As designed, the device comprises a number of parts including a vacuum insulated outer dewar, submersible cryogen pump, baffled linear heat exchanger, multiple pressurization cartridges, a return chamber, and a series of valves to control the flow of the liquid cryogen interconnected with cryotreatment devices including cryoprobes and catheters. The cryogenic medical device promotes subcooling to the tips of various external cryogenic instrument configurations.

A method of creating a lesion in cardiac tissue where the method includes deploying a distal treatment section of an ablation catheter into a heart chamber and manipulating the distal treatment section against the cardiac tissue and into a curved shape that encloses a plurality of vessel entries in the heart chamber. The method further includes commencing a first application of ablation energy from the distal treatment section to the cardiac tissue and halting the first application of ablation energy to the cardiac tissue. The first application of ablation energy causes formation of a first continuous lesion in the cardiac tissue that encloses the plurality of vessel entries.

A cryotreatment catheter for treating tissue. The catheter may include an outer elongate body, a balloon treatment element coupled to the distal portion of the elongate body with a plurality of balloon lobes radially arranged around the outer elongate body, an inner elongate body rotatably movable within the lumen of the outer elongate body, and a fluid delivery lumen located within the lumen of the outer elongate body and at least partially within the lumen of the inner elongate body. The fluid delivery lumen may be branched at a distal portion into a plurality of linear segments, each linear segment being in fluid communication with one of the plurality of balloon lobes. Each of the balloon lobes may be inflated independently of each other by the linear segments of the fluid delivery lumen.