The invention generally relates to systems and methods for therapeutically modulating nerves in or associated with a nasal region of a patient for the treatment of a rhinosinusitis condition.

According to one aspect, a medical system may include an instrument including an end effector for acting as a monopolar electrode. The end effector may be configured to be positioned in a body of a subject and emit radiofrequency energy towards a target area in the body. The medical system may further include a return electrode. The return electrode may be deliverable within the body proximate the target area and separately from the instrument and the monopolar electrode. The return electrode may be configured to contact tissue in the body proximate the target area and receive radiofrequency energy emitted from the end effector.

A concept for reliable and simple connection of a heat-resistant end piece (17) to a hose body (18) is described, and particularly a multiple lumen hose body (18). The connection technique is simple and reliable and leads to high quality probes having a long lifetime.

A plasma probe comprises a hose with a conductor arranged therein that supports an electrode at least at its distal end. The electrode is either directly secured on the conductor or the conductor is provided with a plastic sheathing at least at its distal end by means of which the electrode is held. The electrode can be inserted between the conductor and the plastic sheathing and can be clamped in this manner. After first use the plastic sheathing can be fused to the electrode. The conductor is placed with clearance inside a channel or hollow space of electrode, however, whereby also in case of spot-like contact between the conductor and the electrode due to the gap provided between them apart therefrom the heat transmission from the electrode on the conductor is impeded and thereby the heat introduction in the plasma probe is limited.

A catheter can have a distal circular region that can contract in circumference via manipulation of a pull wire. The circular region can have electrodes distributed around the circumference that are suitable for mapping and/or ablation, and preferably suitable for IRE ablation. The catheter can include a cross-over region near a distal end of a shaft in which elongated elements extend at an angle to the longitudinal axis. The cross-over region can be bounded by an intermediate tube having four lumens and a distal tube having three lumens. The circular region can include structural features to facilitate contraction such as a support member having a preferable bending direction, polymer tubing segments positioned to inhibit bending stress on electrodes, navigation sensors positioned to inhibit bending stress on said sensors and electrodes, and a distal assembly at a distal end of the circular region.

Various examples of an ablation end effector are shown and described with two balloons independently inflatable so that a distal balloon can be used to ensure stability of the second balloon for electrical ablation in a beating heart. Methods and techniques to operate the ablation end-effectors are also described.

An apparatus includes a flexible electrically-insulating substrate including an inner surface and an outer surface. The substrate is shaped to define multiple channels passing between the inner surface and the outer surface, at least some of the channels being concave channels. The apparatus further includes an outer layer of an electrically-conducting metal covering at least part of the outer surface, an inner layer of the electrically-conducting metal covering at least part of the inner surface, and respective columns of the electrically-conducting metal that fill the channels such as to connect the outer layer to the inner layer.

An elongate medical device shaft may comprise an elongate body and an annular electrode disposed on the elongate body. The annular electrode may define a longitudinal axis and have an outer diameter. The outer diameter may be greater at an axial center of the electrode than at an axial end of the electrode. Additionally or alternatively, the elongate body may comprise three longitudinal sections having three wall thicknesses. The middle wall thickness may be less than the proximal and distal wall thicknesses and the distal wall thickness may be less than the proximal wall thickness. Additionally or alternatively, the shaft may comprise an inner cylindrical structure and an outer tube. The outer tube may comprise a first radial layer and a second radial layer that is radially-outward of the first radial layer, the first radial layer, second radial layer, and inner structure having different stiffnesses.

A cooling radiofrequency ablation probe for delivering electrical and thermal energy to tissue of a patient's body is provided. The probe comprises a handle having an upper portion, a lower portion, and a Luer connector. The probe further comprises an extended electrocap assembly interfacing with one end of the handle, and a cable-tubing assembly interfacing with another end of the handle. The cable-tubing assembly includes an electrical cable that terminates at an electrical connector and a dual-lumen fluid tubing that terminates at inlet and outlet fluid connectors. An active tip of the extended electrocap assembly is configured to deliver the electrical and thermal energy to the tissue of the patient's body.

An electrosurgical apparatus having a feed structure comprising a radiofrequency (RF) channel for conveying RF electromagnetic (EM) radiation from an RF signal generator to a probe and a microwave channel for conveying microwave EM radiation from a microwave signal generator to the probe, wherein the RF channel and microwave channel comprise physically separate signal pathways, wherein the feed structure includes a combining circuit having an input connected to the signal pathway on the RF channel, another input connected to the signal pathway on the microwave channel, and an output connected to a common signal pathway for conveying the RE EM radiation and EM radiation separately or simultaneously to the probe, and wherein the microwave channel includes a waveguide isolator connected to isolate the signal pathway on the microwave channel from the RF EM radiation.