Disclosed herein is a system for treating skin and/or nails with cold plasma. The system includes a discharge device, which includes a handle and an applicator mounted thereon, and control infrastructure, which includes a waveform generator. The applicator includes an elongated tube housing therein a cathode. The handle includes a flyback amplifier. The waveform generator is configured to induce the flyback amplifier to establish a voltage at the cathode. The voltage produced by the flyback amplifier is configured to allow generating a self-sustaining Townsend avalanche when a distal end of the tube is positioned sufficiently near a target site on a skin surface or a nail of a subject, such as to produce a cold plasma discharge directed at the target site and having an average power between about 0.1 μW and about 10 μW, so that the target site is not heated.

The present application provides an electrode catheter system, comprising an interventional catheter for intervening to one side of an artery blood vessel and provided with an electrode element that can release an electrical signal toward an inner wall of a renal artery blood vessel; a pressure sensor for intervening to an artery blood vessel; and a data processing module, connected with the pressure sensor. The electrode element releases an electrical signal toward the inner wall of the renal artery vessel, and then the pressure sensor monitors a blood pressure change in the renal artery vessel at the other side. A data processing module processes the data monitored by the pressure sensor and determines the blood pressure change, and an activity degree of the nerve can be determined by measuring a signal such as the blood pressure of the human body, so as to screen out the patients with an overactive sympathetic nerve, and a surgical effect of a denervation surgery can also be evaluated before or after the surgery, and can be used to determine whether to perform an ultrasonic ablation again.

An arthroscopic system includes a re-useable, sterilizable handle integrated with a single umbilical cable or conduit. The single umbilical cable or conduit carries electrical power from a power and/or control console to the handle for operating both a motor drive unit within the handle and delivering the RF power to a disposable RF probe or cutter which may be detachably connected to the handle. The RF power delivered to the handle and on to the probe or cutter is typically bi-polar, where the handle includes first and second electrical bi-polar contacts that couple to corresponding bi-polar electrical contacts on a hub of the disposable RF probe or cutter is connected to the handle.

Surgical instruments with position-dependent actuator cooperation and impedance are described herein. In general, movement of one actuator can cause proportional movement of another actuator depending upon the positions of each actuator. In one embodiment, a surgical instrument can include a distal end effector and a proximal actuator portion. First and second actuators coupled to the proximal actuator portion can each be configured to move between a first position and a second position. Further, the first actuator and the second actuator can be configured such that, when the first actuator and the second actuator are in the first position, moving the second actuator to the second position causes the first actuator to move to the second position, and when the first actuator is in the second position, the second actuator can be moved from the first position to the second position independent of the first actuator.

A forceps having at least a first jaw with a longitudinal axis is disclosed. The first jaw can include a body portion, a first flange, a second flange and a cam pin. The first flange can define a first cam slot with a longitudinal extent along the longitudinal axis. The second flange can be spaced from the first flange a distance transverse to the longitudinal axis of the first jaw and can have a second cam slot. The cam pin, with a longitudinal axis, can be moveably secured within the first cam slot and the second cam slot. A diameter of the cam pin can be less than a width between a first longitudinal edge that defines a first side of each of the first cam slot and the second cam slot and a second longitudinal edge that defines a second opposing side of each of the first cam slot and the second cam slot so that the cam pin is moveably received by both the first cam slot and the second cam slot. With the first jaw pivoted to at least a first position, the cam pin and first flange can be configured such that the first longitudinal edge is contacted by the cam pin but the second longitudinal edge is spaced from the cam pin. The cam pin and second flange can be configured such that the first longitudinal edge is spaced from the cam pin but the second longitudinal edge is contacted by the cam pin.

In one example, a medical device may include a handle including a proximal portion and a distal portion, and the proximal portion may pivot relative to the distal portion. The medical device may also include an insertion portion coupled to the distal portion of the handle and configured to be positioned within a body lumen; and an articulation wire extending from the handle through the insertion portion. Pivoting of the proximal portion of the handle relative to the distal portion of the handle may move the articulation wire relative to the insertion portion to bend a distal portion of the insertion portion.

A plasma generator is described comprising an elongate member having a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen extending therethrough, the proximal end configured to be connectable to a source of an inert gas, a plasma generation tip disposed at the distal end of the elongate member, the plasma generation tip configured to be in electrical communication with a power source, and an activation switch configured to control generation of plasma at the plasma generation tip, wherein the plasma generator is configured to be operably connectable to a medical device.

A surgical instrument with insulating grips is described. The grips can include internal metal frames that are arranged to limit electrical conductivity within the grips and to other components that attach to a grip, such as a ratchet. The internal metal frames can be constructed of multiple internal portions, spatially separated from one another to interrupt electrical conductivity between the internal portions, but coated with an insulating overmold to provide mechanical coupling between the portions. An internal metal frame can also include a notch, cut-out, or other region partially surrounded by the structure of the internal metal frame, which can be coated with an insulating overmold to define a region of the grip that does not have an internal metal frame therein but which can include an attachment point for mechanically coupling other components while limiting electrical coupling between the metal frame and the other components.

An electrosurgical device having a radiating tip portion for delivering electromagnetic energy to biological tissue, where the electrosurgical device is disposed in a catheter. The electrosurgical device is movable relative to the catheter between a deployed position where the radiating tip portion is exposed and a retracted position where the radiating tip portion is contained within the catheter. In this manner, the radiating tip portion may be retracted until the moment when it is to be used. This may facilitate insertion of the device through an instrument channel of a surgical scoping device. In particular, this may prevent the radiating tip portion from catching on the instrument channel when the device is inserted into the instrument channel, which could cause damage to the instrument channel and/or radiating tip portion.

An electrosurgical wand is disclosed for treating a plurality of tissues at a variety of tissue locations. The electrosurgical wand includes a handle on a proximal end and an elongate shaft with a combination active electrode at the distal end. The combination active electrode includes with a blade and screen portion; the blade portion extending along and laterally from the wand longitudinal axis, forming a dissecting tip. The screen portion extends from the blade portion at an obtuse angle and has at least one aspiration aperture through it. The wand also includes a second and third electrode, proximally spaced from the combination active electrode. The second electrode spans a portion of an outside surface of the wand adjacent the blade portion, while the third electrode spans a portion of the outside surface of the wand opposite the second electrode.