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.

Improved electrode tips are provided for cardiac ablation. In accordance with certain preferred embodiments, such tips feature a plurality of conductive portions separated by nonconductive portions to form a plurality of electrodes in the tips. The materials of the tips are biocompatible and capable of sterilization. The same electrode portions may be addressed by a control device both to assess cardiac electrical signals at known cardiac loci and to deliver ablative radiofrequency energy to the same locations. The tips may be provided with perforations to permit irrigation of the catheters when in use.

A puncturing device comprising: a resin tube having a distal end and a proximal end, and extending in a longitudinal direction; a metal tube disposed in a lumen of the resin tube; a metal member disposed at a distal end portion of the metal tube; and a metal tip disposed at a distal end portion of the metal member, wherein a flow path is present between an inner surface of the resin tube and an outer surface of the metal member and is in communication with a lumen of the metal tube, the resin tube further includes an opening portion through which the flow path and outside of the resin tube are in communication with each other, and the opening portion is present on a distal side relative to a distal end of the metal tube and on a proximal side relative to the proximal end of the metal tip.

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.

An electrosurgical device coated an epoxy modified rigid silicone powder coating. This coating is applied to the surfaces of an electrosurgical device minimize the build-up of charred tissue (i.e., eschar) on the surfaces of the electrosurgical device.

The present invention provides a device for rejuvenating a region of skin or mucosal tissue, comprising: a pulsed electromagnetic frequency generator; a plurality of electrodes in communication with the pulsed electromagnetic frequency generator and an RF tissue diathermy device. The electrodes apply the pulsed electromagnetic power and the RF tissue diathermy to the tissue, heating it such that one portion of the region of mucosal tissue is maintained at a predetermined temperature range T.sub.1 while another portion of the region of mucosal tissue is at least temporarily maintained at predetermined temperature range T.sub.2.

Vaporization electrodes having functional surfaces with non-smooth semispherical shapes, and electrosurgical devices equipped therewith. The electrodes include a base oppositely disposed from its functional surface. The non-smooth semispherical shape of a functional surface is defined by a plurality of individual planar and/or cylindrical surfaces that intersect each other to define edges therebetween.

An electro-chemical surgical knife is detailed that in a single instrument provides both a chemically assisted mechanical dissector and an electrical knife. The chemically assisted mechanical dissector: includes a conductive mechanical instrument, a source, (7), of cleavage solution, a pump, (8), for feeding the cleavage solution to, a channel, (2), for transporting the cleavage solution to the operating location, and a flow controller, (8c), for controlling the volumetric feeding of cleavage solution by the pump to the channel inlet. The electric knife includes a source of high frequency AC electrical power, (5), for feeding AC current through an electric conductor, (3), to, an electrode, (6), formed by the conductive mechanical instrument and further comprises A second controller, (5c), for controlling the feeding of electric current to the electrode.

Ablation systems and methods of the present disclosure control lesion depth and width such that, for example, wide and shallow lesions can be formed in target tissue in an anatomic structure of a patient during a medical procedure. Such wide and shallow lesions can be useful for treating, for example, thin tissue such as atrial tissue in atria of the heart of the patient.

Lysing surgical instruments and related systems and methods. In some embodiments, the instrument may comprise a lysing tip comprising a plurality of beads and at least one lysing member defining at least one lysing segment extending between each pair of adjacent beads or between a tip of the instrument and an adjacent bead. Some embodiments may comprise rearward-facing lysing segments to facilitate retrograde lysing movement through patient tissue.