This disclosure is directed to a catheter having a dual node multiray electrode assembly at the distal end of the catheter body. The dual node multiray electrode assembly includes a proximal multiray array with a plurality of spines connected at one end, each spine having at least one ablation electrode, and a distal node. The dual node multiray electrode assembly may have an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration wherein the spines are arranged generally along a longitudinal axis of the catheter body. The distal node may be configured to be deployed within a vessel and the proximal multiray array may be configured to engage tissue forming an ostium of the vessel with the ablation electrodes. In some embodiments, the relative distance between the proximal multiray array and the distal node is adjustable.

Devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure can overcome physical constraints associated with catheter introduction to facilitate the use of a catheter with a large distal portion as part of a medical procedure benefitting from such a large distal portion, such as, for example, cardiac ablation. More specifically, devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure can compress an expandable tip of a catheter from an expanded state to a compressed state along a tapered surface of an insertion sleeve for advancement of the expandable tip into vasculature of a patient. The tapered surface of the insertion sleeve can, for example, apply compressive forces at an angle against the advancing expandable tip. As compared to other approaches to the application of compressive force to an expandable tip, compressing the expandable tip using an angled force can reduce the likelihood of unintended deformation of the expandable tip.

In an illustrative embodiment, systems and methods for treatment of nerves present in a wall of a human renal pelvis are described. One system uses a sheath to access a position in or near the renal pelvis via the urinary tract. An effector inserted through the sheath has an uncooled distal region formed with a superelastic wire that supports at least four non-insulated, preferably spherical electrodes distributed along the distal region. The distal region expands within the renal pelvis, and vacuum applied through the sheath at least partially evacuates the renal pelvis to draw opposing walls of the renal pelvis inwards and compress the distal region somewhat from its expanded form, placing the electrodes in intimate contact with different points along the renal pelvic wall. Energy is applied to the electrodes to create discrete lesions at the points of contact of the electrodes.

In at least a medical system including a structure, a plurality of transducers located on the structure, a shaft member configured to percutaneously deliver the structure to a location within a patient, a plurality of conductors at least partially within the shaft member and coupled to the transducers, and a controller operatively coupled to the transducers via the conductors, the controller may cause first electrical power to be delivered to one or more of the transducers for a first period of time, where second electrical power less than the first electrical power, if delivered for a second period of time longer than the first period time would result in a steady-state temperature of a portion of the shaft member that would be just below a safe temperature limit for at least the portion of the shaft member.

A medical device system is disclosed including a high-density arrangement of transducers, which may be configured to ablate, stimulate, or sense characteristics of tissue inside a bodily cavity, such as an intra-cardiac cavity. High-density arrangements of transducers may be achieved, at least in part, by overlapping elongate members on which the transducers are located, and varying sizes, shapes, or both of the transducers, especially in view of the overlapping of the elongate members. Also, the high-density arrangements of transducers may be achieved, at least in part, by including one or more recessed portions in an elongate member in order to expose one or more transducers on an underlying elongate member in a region adjacent an elongate-member-overlap region.

Electrosurgical lysing methods. In some implementations, the method may comprise delivering a lysing tip through an entrance incision into a patient's body, wherein the lysing tip comprises at least one bead comprising an at least substantially electrically non-conductive surface; and at least one lysing segment extending within a recess defined, at least in part, by the at least one bead. The at least one bead may protrude both distally and proximally relative to the at least one lysing segment. The method may further comprise forming opposing tissue planes using the lysing tip to create an implant pocket; and inserting an implant through the entrance incision and into the implant pocket.

A method, consisting of providing a metal wire having a wire diameter and an end, and positioning a conductor at a distance from the end of the wire. The method further includes creating an electrical discharge between the conductor and the end, while setting the distance and an electrical potential of the discharge, so as to create a bead of a predefined size on the end. The method also includes assembling the wire with the created bead into an invasive probe, so that the bead is positioned at an outer surface of the probe.

Ablation systems of the present disclosure facilitate the safe formation of wide and deep lesions. For example, ablation systems of the present disclosure can allow for the flow of irrigation fluid and blood through an expandable ablation electrode, resulting in efficient and effective cooling of the ablation electrode as the ablation electrode delivers energy at a treatment site of the patient. Additionally, or alternatively, ablation systems of the present disclosure can include a deformable ablation electrode and a plurality of sensors that, in cooperation, sense the deformation of the ablation electrode, to provide a robust indication of the extent and direction of contact between the ablation electrode and tissue at a treatment site.

Surgical devices, systems and methods for treating tissue are provided. Also provided are systems for treating tissue and methods of treating tissue. An exemplary surgical device comprises a handle (20a) having a proximal end and a distal end; a shaft extending distally beyond the distal end of the handle, the shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; an electrode tip (45), at least a portion of the electrode tip extending distally beyond the distal end of the shaft, the electrode tip extending distally beyond the distal end of the shaft comprising a spherical end surface portion (25) and a cylindrical side surface portion, the spherical end surface portion located distal to the cylindrical side surface portion and comprising at least a portion of the distal end surface of the surgical device; and a fluid passage directed to provide a fluid towards the cylindrical side portion of the electrode tip.

The present invention is directed to a medical device for providing treatment to diseased tissue and cells. The medical device is configured to ablate a target tissue surface, optionally within a resection cavity, and further deliver a therapeutic that targets diseased (e.g., cancer) cells via a marker whose expression is upregulated by the ablation. The ablation directly kills diseased cells associated with the tissue surface. While some diseased cells evade direct ablation, those cells nevertheless upregulate certain cell surface markers in response to the ablation, even while other, healthy or normal cells do not upregulate expression of the marker in response to the ablation. Devices and methods disclosed herein are used to deliver a therapeutic that uses the upregulated cell surface marker to cause the death of those diseased cells.