Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device includes an ablation system. The ablation system may include an elongate shaft having a distal region. A plurality of ablation tines may be disposed at the distal region. Each of the ablation tines may include a tubular member having a flexible circuit disposed therein. The flexible circuit may include a substrate, one or more electrodes coupled to the substrate, and a temperature sensor coupled to the substrate and positioned adjacent to the one or more electrodes. The plurality of ablation tines may include a first ablation tine and a second ablation tine. A pair of bipolar electrodes may defined by a first electrode disposed at the first ablation tine and a second electrode disposed at the second ablation tine.

Systems and methods are provided for modeling and for providing a graphical representation of tissue heating and electric field distributions for medical treatment devices that apply electrical treatment energy through one or a plurality of electrodes. In embodiments, methods comprise: providing one or more parameters of a treatment protocol for delivering one or more electrical pulses to tissue through a plurality of electrodes; modeling electric and heat distribution in the tissue based on the parameters; and displaying a graphical representation of the modeled electric and heat distribution. In another embodiment, a treatment planning module is adapted to generate an estimated target ablation zone based on a combination of one or more parameters for an irreversible electroporation protocol and one or more tissue-specific conductivity parameters.

Methods and systems for modulating intraosseous nerves (e.g., nerves within bone) are provided. For example, the methods and systems described herein may be used to modulate (e.g., denervate, ablate) basivertebral nerves within vertebrae. The modulation of the basivertebral nerves may facilitate treatment of chronic back pain. The modulation may be performed by a neuromodulation device (e.g., an energy delivery device).

A medical system for ablating a tissue site with real-time monitoring during an electroporation treatment procedure. A pulse generator generates a pre-treatment (PT) test signal prior to the treatment procedure and intra-treatment (IT) test signals during the treatment procedure. A treatment control module determines impedance values from the PT test signal and IT test signals and determines a progress of electroporation and an end point of treatment in real-time based on the determined impedance values while the treatment progresses.

An instrument and method for tissue thermotherapy including an inductive heating means to generate a vapor phase media that is used for interstitial, intraluminal, intracavity or topical tissue treatment. In one method, the vapor phase media is propagated from a probe outlet to provide a controlled vapor-to-liquid phase change in an interface with tissue to thereby apply ablative thermal energy delivery.

A treatment device includes a flexible sheath; a wire configured to be inserted into the sheath; a first treatment member disposed at distal side from the wire; a second treatment member disposed at a distal side from the first treatment member; and a protection member configured to cover the second treatment member when the first treatment member projects from a distal end of the sheath.

A phacoemulsification device includes a needle, one or more piezoelectric crystals, and one or more thermocouples. The needle is configured for insertion into a lens capsule of an eye. The one or more piezoelectric crystals are configured to vibrate the needle. The one or more thermocouples are thermally coupled directly to the respective piezoelectric crystals and are configured to measure respective temperatures of the one or more piezoelectric crystals as the crystals vibrate, and to output indications of the respectively measured temperatures.

A microneedling system may reciprocate a plurality of microneedles disposed on a handpiece into the skin of a patient. The microneedles and/or electrode plates may deliver RF energy to the patient for inducing collagen coagulation and regeneration. An interrogative modality such as ultrasound may combined into the microneedling handpiece or used as a separate instrument to interrogate the skin and identify or measure the thicknesses of constituent layers. The data obtained from the interrogative modality may be displayed and can be used to automatically adjust operating parameters of the microneedling device, including the penetration depth of the needles, the pulse duration, and/or the power level of the RF energy to optimize the treatment for the specific patient and/or condition being treated. The microneedling system may recall the skin measurements for distinct sectors of the skin which are expected to have different properties.

A control handle of a treatment probe is manipulated to advance and/or deploy one or more treatment structures into tissue. The treatment probe is coupled to a display to show an image field including target tissue for treatment. Virtual treatment and safety boundaries are overlaid over the image field. The boundaries include virtual stop positions for the needle and tines. A joystick or directional pad on the probe handle, operable independently from the user interface to advance and/or deploy the one or more treatment structures, can be manipulated to adjust the size and/or position of these boundaries. Sensors within the probe detect the real-time position of the one or more treatment structures, and the sensed positions are displayed in real-time. The user can observe the display to deploy the one or more treatment structures to the displayed virtual stop positions.

Embodiments described herein include devices, systems, and methods for reducing the distance between two locations in tissue. In one embodiment, an anchor may reside within the right ventricle in engagement with the septum. A tension member may extend from that anchor through the septum and an exterior wall of the left ventricle to a second anchor disposed along a surface of the heart. Perforating the exterior wall and the septum from an epicardial approach can provide control over the reshaping of the ventricular chamber. Guiding deployment of the implant from along the epicardial access path and another access path into and through the right ventricle provides control over the movement of the anchor within the ventricle. The joined epicardial pathway and right atrial pathway allows the tension member to be advanced into the heart through the right atrium and pulled into engagement along the epicardial access path.