A microwave ablation device including a cable assembly configured to connect a microwave ablation device to an energy source and a feedline in electrical communication with the cable assembly. The microwave ablation device further includes a balun on an outer conductor of the feedline, and a temperature sensor on the balun sensing the temperature of the balun.

A microwave antenna has a radiating portion connected by a feedline to a power generating source, e.g., a generator. Proximal and distal radiating portions of the antenna assembly are separated by a junction member. A reinforcing member is disposed within the junction member to increase structural rigidity.

An electrosurgical snare, e.g. suitably sized for insertion down the instrument channel of an endoscope, arranged to radiate microwave frequency energy (e.g. having a frequency greater than 1 GHz) from an elongate conductive element within an area encircled by a retractable loop. The elongate conductive element and retractable loop may be independently slidable relative to a snare base at a distal end of a sleeve to provide an appropriate device configuration. By controlling the shape of the emitted microwave field, the risk of collateral thermal damage can be reduced.

A surgical snare comprising a means of delivering thermal plasma on to biological tissue encircled by the snare. The snare may be cold snare, i.e. formed from insulating material, or active, i.e. connected to receive RF and/or microwave energy to be radiated into the area encircled by the snare. The surgical snare may thus deliver into biological tissue encircled by a retractable loop any one of (i) a plasma to perform surface coagulation, (ii) a non-ionising microwave field (in the absence of plasma) to perform coagulation at a deeper level, and (iii) an RF field to assist with cutting.

A novel microwave ablation applicator includes a flexible tubular shaft and a partially encapsulated antenna. The applicator is adapted to be used with an endoscope in order to access remote targets deep within an organ of a patient. Microwave power is emitted from the antenna in a desired radiation pattern by circulating an attenuating liquid through the shaft and across a portion of the antenna. Microwave ablation systems and methods are described.

A microwave antenna has a radiating portion connected by a feedline to a power generating source, e.g., a generator. Proximal and distal radiating portions of the antenna assembly are separated by a junction member. A reinforcing member is disposed within the junction member to increase structural rigidity.

An antenna assembly for microwave ablation can include a radiator for emitting a microwave for ablation; a coaxial cable for transmitting the microwave for ablation generated by a microwave generator to the radiator; an annular composite structure is provided around the coaxial cable for inhibiting an electromagnetic wave from propagating backwards along the coaxial cable. In some embodiment, the annular composite structure comprises an annular nonmetallic layer and an annular metallic layer located outside the annular nonmetallic layer. In some embodiments, the annular metallic layer is electrically insulated from the coaxial cable. In some embodiments, the antenna assembly can be used with a microwave ablation needle. The annular composite structure can inhibit the backward propagation of the microwave along the coaxial cable exterior wall. In some embodiments, circulation water enters the radiation zone, to avoid high temperatures of the head the ablation needle.

The invention refers to a Raman spectroscopy probe, comprising an elongate body having a distal end and a proximal end, at least one Raman fibre within the elongate body for guiding light between the proximal end and the distal end, and an instrument lumen within the elongate body and extending between the distal end and the proximal end, wherein the instrument lumen is configured to receive an elongate instrument, wherein the at least one Raman fibre is arranged outside of the instrument lumen.

A flexible instrument comprises an antenna having a distal tip portion shaped to perforate tissue, a proximal base, and an antenna body therebetween. The antenna body comprises a patterned cylindrical structure having antenna body elements spatially separated from each other and having a proximal end coupled to the proximal base and a distal end coupled to the distal tip portion. The distal tip portion is disposed distally of the distal end. The antenna comprises a first material having a flexible plastic deformation limit and a second material plated onto the first material. The second material is more conductive than the first material. The flexible instrument further comprises an adjustment device configured to adjust pitch lengths between adjacent antenna body elements and is configured to generate a radiation pattern from the antenna that varies based on the pitch length between the adjacent antenna body elements to ablate tissue.

An electrosurgical instrument capable of performing both thermal ablation and electroporation in a minimally invasive manner. The instrument is dimensioned to fit within an instrument channel of an endoscope to enable non-percutaneous insertion. The instrument comprises a radiating tip mounted at a distal end of a coaxial transmission line to receive microwave EM energy from the coaxial transmission line and emit it as a field around the radiating tip. The instrument further comprises an auxiliary transmission line arranged to convey electromagnetic energy having an electroporation waveform to a microelectrode array mounted on the radiating tip. The electroporation waveform may be a radiofrequency or low frequency electromagnetic (EM) signal. The microelectrode array may comprise a plurality of nanoscale conductive electrode elements.