A method for treating a treatment site (106) within or adjacent to a heart valve (108) within a body of a patient includes the steps of generating energy with an energy source (124); receiving energy from the energy source (124) with an energy guide (122A); positioning a balloon assembly (104) adjacent to the treatment site (106), the balloon assembly (104) including an outer balloon (104B) and an inner balloon (104A) that is positioned within and at least partially spaced-apart from the outer balloon (104B) to define an interstitial space (146A) therebetween that is configured to retain a balloon fluid (132); and positioning a portion of the energy guide (122A) that receives the energy from the energy source (124) within the interstitial space (146A) between the balloons (104A, 104B) so that a plasma-induced bubble (134) is formed in the balloon fluid (132) within the interstitial space (146A).

Devices for therapeutic nasal neuromodulation and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. A system for therapeutic neuromodulation in a nasal region configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a shaft and a therapeutic element at a distal portion of the shaft. The shaft can locate the distal portion intraluminally at a target site inferior to a patient's sphenopalatine foramen. The therapeutic element can include an energy delivery element configured to therapeutically modulate postganglionic parasympathetic nerves at microforamina of a palatine bone of the human patient for the treatment of rhinitis or other indications. In other embodiments, the therapeutic element can be configured to therapeutically modulate nerves that innervate the frontal, ethmoidal, sphenoidal, and maxillary sinuses for the treatment of chronic sinusitis.

A method for performing a medical procedure in an intestine of a patient is provided. The method comprises providing a system comprising: a catheter for insertion into the intestine, the catheter comprising: an elongate shaft comprising a distal portion; and a functional assembly positioned on the shaft distal portion and comprising at least one treatment element. The catheter is introduced into the patient, and target tissue is treated with the at least one treatment element. The target tissue comprises mucosal tissue of the small intestine, and the medical procedure can be configured to treat at least one of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

An energy delivery system for delivering electrical energy to tissue, includes an elongate catheter member defining a longitudinal axis and dimensioned for passage within a body vessel and an expandable treatment member mounted to the catheter member. The treatment member includes an inflatable element adapted to transition between an initial condition and an at least partially expanded condition upon introduction of an anesthetic solution within the inflatable element, an electrode for delivering electrical energy to at least the nerve tissue associated with the body vessel to cause at least partial denervation thereof and at least one aperture dimensioned to permit passage of the anesthetic solution from the inflatable element to contact the body vessel whereby the solution at least enters the body vessel to at least partially anesthetize the nerve tissue therewithin. The electrode may be mounted to at least the inflatable element of the treatment member and may be generally helical.

A medical device including an outer tube, an expandable chamber coupled to the outer tube, and an injection tubular member in fluid communication with an interior of the expandable chamber. The injection tubular member is coupled to a source of fluid and a distal end within the expandable chamber and a fluid nozzle is located in a distalmost end face of the distal end of the injection tubular member. A fluid dispersion unit is coupled to the injection tubular member with a longitudinal axis, the fluid nozzle being within the fluid dispersion unit and configured to direct a flow of fluid into the fluid dispersion unit. The fluid dispersion unit has an opening to direct a flow path of the flow of fluid expelled by the fluid nozzle within the fluid dispersion unit and into an interior surface of the expandable chamber from the opening at the distalmost end face.

An apparatus, including a flexible insertion tube having a distal end for insertion into a body cavity, and first and second conduits configured to deliver first and second fluids, respectively, to the distal end. The distal end includes a first balloon coupled to the first conduit so that the first fluid inflates the first balloon and is delivered, via one or more spray ports in the first balloon, to tissue in the body cavity, a second balloon contained within the first balloon and coupled to the second conduit so that the second fluid inflates the second balloon, and multiple splines including a flexible, resilient material and extending along a longitudinal axis of the distal end, and configured to constrain the second balloon so that inflation of the second balloon creates lobes that form, along the longitudinal axis between the lobes, channels that direct the first fluid to the spray ports.

A photoacoustic catheter adapted for placement within a blood vessel having a vessel wall includes an elongate shaft, a balloon and a photoacoustic transducer. The elongate shaft can extend from a proximal region to a distal region. The elongate shaft can include a light guide that is configured to be placed in optical communication with a light source. The balloon is coupled to the elongate shaft, and can be configured to expand from a collapsed configuration suitable for advancing the photoacoustic catheter through a patient's vasculature to a first expanded configuration suitable for anchoring the photoacoustic catheter in position relative to a treatment site. The photoacoustic transducer can be disposed on a surface of the balloon and in optical communication with the light guide. The photoacoustic transducer can include a light-absorbing material and a thermal expansion material.

Systems for imparting pulsatile energy to cardiovascular tissue are provided. Aspects of the systems include a console assembly comprising a potential source, a manifold assembly operably connected to an output of the console assembly, wherein the manifold assembly comprises an oscillator configured to generate pulse energy from energy transmitted from the potential source and a catheter assembly operably connected to an output of the manifold assembly. Catheter assemblies of the present invention include a connector operably connecting the catheter assembly to the manifold assembly and configured to transduce a first pulse energy generated by the manifold assembly to a second pulse energy, a catheter comprising a fluidic passage operably connected to the output of the connector and configured to transmit the second pulse energy and a heart-tissue-conforming element configured to receive the second pulse energy transmitted through the fluidic passage of the catheter to apply pulsatile energy to cardiovascular tissue. Also provided are methods for imparting pulsatile energy to cardiovascular tissue, e.g., deploying a system so that a heart-tissue-conforming element of the system is adjacent to cardiovascular tissue and engaging the system in a manner that the heart-tissue-conforming element imparts energy to the cardiovascular tissue. In addition, standalone catheter assemblies as well as kits comprising components of the systems described herein are provided. The systems, assemblies, methods and kits find use in a variety of different applications, including balloon angioplasty applications or other catheter-based therapies or treatments.

A method for performing bronchial denervation, the method comprising an electromyography system having a cryoablation device with at least two recording electrodes. The electromyography system being configured to calculate a difference between a first electromyogram signal received from the first recording electrode and a second electromyogram signal received from the second recording electrode to generate a recorded electromyogram and compare the recorded electromyogram to a reference electromyogram.

Cardiac ablation catheters include an outer balloon positioned at a distal end of the catheter and configured to have an inner balloon disposed therein. The outer balloon is inflated with a first fluid that has a temperature less than 100 degrees Celsius, while the inner balloon is inflated with heated vapor. An area of contact between the two balloons, comprising a surface area less than the total surface area of either balloon, creates a hot zone for ablating cardiac tissue through the transfer of thermal energy from the contact area to the cardiac tissue.