An intravascular catheter for nerve activity ablation and/or sensing includes one or more needles advanced through supported guide tubes (needle guiding elements) which expand to contact the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the needles to be advanced though the vessel wall into the extra-luminal tissue including the media, adventitia and periadvential space. The catheter also includes structures which provide radial and lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes open uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall. Electrodes near the distal ends of the needles allow sensing of nerve activity before and after attempted renal denervation. In a combination embodiment ablative energy or fluid is delivered from the needles in or near the adventitia to ablate nerves outside of the media while sparing nerves within the media.

Devices and methods for performing subcutaneous surgery in a minimally invasive manner are provided. The methods include application of reduced air pressure in a recessed area of a handpiece placed over a section of skin and drawing the section of skin and subcutaneous tissue into the recessed area. In a subsequent step a tool is inserted through a tool conduit in the handpiece and through the skin into the subcutaneous tissue, enabling the performance of the desired surgery. Common surgical procedures include dissection and ablation. The devices and methods can be directed at the treatment of skin conditions like atrophic scars, wrinkles, or other cosmetic issues, at treatments like or promoting wound healing or preventing hyperhidrosis, or can be used for creating space for various implants.

An electrosurgical system can include an electrosurgical generator, a feedback circuit or controller, and an electrosurgical tool. The feedback circuit can provide an electrosurgery endpoint by determining the phase end point of a tissue to be treated. The electrosurgical system can include more than one electrosurgical tool for different electrosurgical operations and can include a variety of user interface features and audio/visual performance indicators. The electrosurgical system can also power conventional bipolar electrosurgical tools and direct current surgical appliances.

An electrosurgical device includes a needle with an interior surface defining a lumen and a first electrode positioned within the lumen of the needle in a first position. The first electrode is movable within the needle between the first position and a plurality of other positions. The first electrode extends beyond a distal end of the needle in the plurality of other positions and includes one or more anchors that pierce into a predetermined portion of tissue in an anatomy of a patient. The first electrode is energized to ablate the predetermined portion of tissue with the first electrode.

The present disclosure relates to a surgical electrode assembly comprising: an electrode device comprising electrodes; a manipulating device; an electrode driving device configured to drive the electrodes, the manipulating device comprising an actuation mechanism; an inner tube having an inner tube proximal portion at a proximal end thereof, an inner tube distal portion at a distal end thereof, and an inner tube bending portion therebetween, the inner tube bending portion having a curvature, such that the inner tube distal portion and the inner tube proximal portion are disposed at an angle to each other; an outer tube having an outer tube proximal portion at a proximal end thereof and an outer tube distal portion at a distal end thereof, and an outer tube connecting portion therebetween, wherein the outer tube connecting portion is adapted to the inner tube bending portion, such that when manipulating the manipulating device to cause the inner tube and the outer tube to move relative to each other, the outer tube connecting portion allows the inner tube bending portion of the inner tube and the outer tube to move relative to each other in the longitudinal direction without interfering of the inner tube bending portion of the inner tube with the outer tube proximal portion and the outer tube distal portion of the outer tube. The technical effect lies in that bending tubes are provided which can greatly improve the convenience of the surgical electrode assembly entering a human body channel, and the electrode assembly may not interfere with the instrument used in conjunction therewith.

A device a catheter includes a lumen extending therethrough, the catheter being sized and shaped to extend through an endoscopic shaft to a target tissue within a living body. The device also includes a puncturing device sized and shaped to extend through the lumen of the catheter and distally out a distal end of the catheter. The device further includes at least one of the catheter and the puncturing device including an electrode formed thereon. The electrode is energizable from a handle of the device so that, when the puncturing device is extended distally out the distal end of the catheter. The electrode may be energized as the device punctures the target tissue.

Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for positioning electrodes within a body. In an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus for slidably moving multiple features relative to a sheath inserted into a body and positioned relative to a reference point includes a primary actuator configured to move a primary electrode, a secondary actuator configured to move a secondary electrode, and a control mechanism. The control mechanism is configured to selectively prevent movement of at least one of the primary actuator based on a position of the secondary actuator and of the secondary actuator based on a position of the primary actuator and lock positions of the primary actuator and the secondary actuator.

Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for positioning electrodes within a body. In an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus for slidably moving multiple features relative to a sheath inserted into a body and positioned relative to a reference point includes a primary actuator configured to move a primary electrode, a secondary actuator configured to move a secondary electrode, and a control mechanism. The control mechanism is configured to selectively prevent movement of at least one of the primary actuator based on a position of the secondary actuator and of the secondary actuator based on a position of the primary actuator and lock positions of the primary actuator and the secondary actuator.

A surgical apparatus and methods for severing and welding tissue, in particular blood vessels. The apparatus includes an elongated shaft having a pair of relatively movable jaws at a distal end thereof. A first heating element on one of the jaws is adapted to heat up to a first temperature and form a welded region within the tissue, while a second heating element on one of the jaws is adapted to heat up to a second temperature and sever the tissue within the welded region. The first and second heating elements may be provided on the same or opposite jaws. A control handle provided on the proximal end of the elongated shaft includes controls for opening and closing the jaws, and may include an actuator for sending current through the first and second heating elements. The first and second heating elements may be electrically connected in series, and the first heating element may be bifurcated such that it conducts about one half of the current as the second heating element. A force-limiting mechanism provided either within the control handle, in the elongated shaft, or at the jaws limits the pressure applied to the tissue by the jaws to ensure that the tissue is severed and the ends effectively welded within a short amount of time.

An electrosurgical instrument includes jaws having an electrode configuration utilized to electrically modify tissue in contact with one or more electrodes. The instrument is removably connectable to an electrosurgical unit via an electrosurgical connector extending from the instrument and a receptacle on the electrosurgical unit. The electrosurgical instrument is rotatable without disrupting electrical connection to the electrodes of the jaws. One or more of the electrodes is retractable. The electrosurgical unit and instrument optimally seals and/or cuts tissue based on identifying the tissue and monitoring the modification of the tissue by the application of radio frequency energy.