Sphincterotomes and methods for making and using sphincterotomes are disclosed. An example sphincterotome may include an elongate shaft having an outer surface and a distal end region. The sphincterotome may also include a sphincterotome wire assembly having a distal end coupled to the distal end region of the elongate shaft and a body portion extending along the outer surface of the elongate shaft. The sphincterotome wire assembly may be designed to shift the distal end region of the elongate shaft between a first configuration and a curved configuration. The body portion of the sphincterotome wire assembly may include a cutting region and a non-conductive region.

A method for removing tissues may comprise disposing a tissue resection device at a target tissue site, causing the tissue resection device to resect a core of tissue from the target tissue site, removing the core of tissue from the body, wherein the removing the core of tissue from the body creates a core cavity at the target tissue site.

The disclosure provides various embodiments of catheters having articulable ends that can be used for various procedures. Embodiments of methods are also provided that can be performed with catheters in accordance with the present disclosure

An elongate electrode is supported between two arms and configured to flex and generate plasma to incise tissue. Each of the arms is configured to penetrate tissue with the electrode supported therebetween to form a pocket with an incision. Each arm may comprise a distal tip shaped to penetrate tissue, and an internal curved structure such as a track is shaped to allow the electrode to slide over the curved structure while the electrode is tensioned. The internal curved structure may comprise an electrically insulating material that provides electrical insulation to the tensioned sliding electrode. An opening formed in a lumen allows the electrode to extended between the curved structure and the exposed portion of the electrode suspended between the two arms. The separation distance between the two arms can be adjusted to vary an exposed length of the electrode to create a pocket incision of varying width.

A tissue segmentation device, controller, and methods therefore are disclosed. The device has an active electrode, a return electrode, a mechanical force application mechanism, voltage and current sensors, and a controller. The controller has a processing component, configured to assign a circuit status to a circuit comprising the at least one electrode. IF (PF0) and ((Vrms/Irms)T), THEN the circuit status is open. IF (PF0) and ((Vrms/Irms)<T), THEN the circuit status is short. PF is a power factor of power applied to the electrosurgical device. T is a threshold value.

Disclosed are various embodiments of a surgical instrument for colorectal polyp removal. In various embodiment, the surgical instrument has an elongate flexible tubular sheath having a proximal end and a distal end, a snare having a loop and controlled by a pair of wires, and a biopsy forceps having a pair of jaws sized to fit within the loop of the snare. Both the biopsy forceps and the snare are routed through the elongate flexible tubular sheath so that the loop of the snare and the pair of jaws exit the distal end of the elongate flexible tubular sheath.

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a handle assembly configured to be coupled to a tissue excision device. The tissue excision device can be configured to excise a target tissue site from a lung. The handle assembly can be configured to transition between a first operation and a second operation mode. The handle assembly in the first operation mode configured to form a portion of a tissue column. The handle assembly in the second operation mode configured to separate the tissue column from surrounding tissue, the handle assembly configured to transition from the first operation mode to the second operation mode after the tissue excision device forms a tissue column including the target tissue site.

Described here are devices, systems, and methods for closing the left atrial appendage. The methods described here utilize a closure device for closing the left atrial appendage and guides or expandable elements with ablation or abrading elements to ablate or abrade the left atrial appendage. In general, these methods include positioning a balloon at least partially within the atrial appendage, positioning a closure assembly of a closure device around an exterior of the atrial appendage, inflating the balloon, partially closing the closure assembly, ablating the interior tissue of the atrial appendage with the inflated balloon, removing the balloon from the atrial appendage, and closing the atrial appendage with the closure assembly.

A medical device may include a first electrically conductive shaft, a second electrically conductive shaft, and a loop. The first electrically conductive shaft may include a first electrically insulating material defining an outer surface of the first electrically conductive shaft. The loop may be in electrical communication with and extend in a distal direction from the first electrically conductive shaft and the second electrically conductive shaft. A portion of the loop may include an electrically conductive circumferential outer surface. The first electrically conductive shaft, the second electrically conductive shaft, and the loop may form a bipolar snare.