A temperature sensing system for an electrosurgical instrument able to detect temperatures internal and/or external to the electrosurgical instrument. Temperatures detected by a temperature sensor are processed by a monitoring module which prompts action to reduce temperatures where appropriate. The temperature sensing system is particularly useful for electrosurgical instruments which combine rotary shaver arrangements and RF electrode arrangements, where suction is used to remove RF heated saline from the surgical site. Without monitoring the temperature of the electrosurgical instrument and/or the surgical site, there is a risk of burning the patient if the RF heated saline becomes too hot as the electrosurgical instrument may not be adequately insulated.

A device and method for cutting or ablating tissue in a human or veterinary patient includes an elongate probe having a distal end, a tissue cutting or ablating apparatus located adjacent within the distal end, and a tissue protector extending from the distal end. The protector generally has a first side and a second side and the tissue cutting or ablating apparatus is located adjacent to the first side thereof. The distal end is structured to be advanceable into tissue or otherwise placed and positioned within the patient's body such that tissue adjacent to the first side of the protector is cut away or ablated by the tissue cutting or ablation apparatus while tissue that is adjacent to the second side of the protector is not substantially damaged by the tissue cutting or ablating apparatus.

A partially-masked electrode includes a conductive material and an insulated coating having an outer surface. The insulated coating defines a contoured opening that exposes or reveals an area of the conductive material, wherein the contoured opening has an upper perimeter at the outer surface of the insulated coating. When the upper perimeter of the insulated surface coating is placed in contact with a tissue of interest, wherein the tissue of interest is proximate a blood pool, the insulated coating creates a seal between the blood pool and the contoured opening so that no blood in the blood pool can contact the conductive material. This seal reduces or eliminates the reception of far field effects in the blood pool by the electrode, making it easier to locate and diagnose unhealthy tissue.

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example electrophysiology medical device may include a catheter shaft including a distal end portion and a sensing assembly having three or more terminals. The sensing assembly includes one or more current-carrying electrodes and one or more sensing electrodes. The one or more current-carrying electrodes, the one or more sensing electrodes, or both includes a mini-electrode. The mini-electrode is disposed on one of the other electrodes. The medical device may also include a controller coupled to the sensing assembly.

An apparatus includes an elongated medical dilator including a cautery device configured to selectively form, by cauterization, a tissue passage through a tissue portion of a living body. The elongated medical dilator also includes a dilation device configured to dilate the tissue passage once the cautery device selectively formed the tissue passage.

Embodiments of the present invention include a medical probe having a flexible insertion tube, a basket assembly, and a plurality of electrodes. The basket assembly has a proximal end that is connected distally to the insertion tube and includes a plurality of resilient spines, which have respective outer sides and inner sides and are configured to bow radially outward from an axis of the basket assembly and are conjoined at the proximal end and at a distal end of the basket assembly. The plurality of electrodes are fixed to respective ones of the spines in respective longitudinal positions that are staggered on any given spine relative to the longitudinal positions of the electrodes on the spines adjacent to the given spine, and which include a conductive material that is biased towards the respective outer sides of the spines.

A shaver arrangement for a surgical instrument includes an outer member and cutting blade at a distal end; the cutting blade being serrated to form teeth forming one or more tissue engaging cutting points being arranged to snag and/or cut tissue and being located inwardly from the outer member such that there are no tissue engaging cutting points capable in use of snagging and/or cutting tissue located on or outwards of an outer surface of the outer member. The shaver arrangement reduces the likelihood of collateral damage to surrounding non-target tissue. The shaver arrangement does not have tissue engagement cutting points on the outer profile of the cutting blade of the shaver arrangement, thereby reducing the likelihood of collateral damage when manoeuvring the surgical instrument as tissue is less likely to be inadvertently caught by the tissue cutting points.

A fluid delivery catheter configured to allow optimal fluid distribution through each electrode by varying the diameter of a catheter lumen is disclosed. Uniform or different fluid flow rates through longitudinally spaced apart elution holes may be achieved. Exemplary fluids for use with the catheter include a cooling fluid, a therapeutic fluid, and a medication.

Prostate treatment using fluid stream to resect prostate tissue, thereby relieving symptoms of conditions such as BPH, prostatitis, and prostatic carcinoma. A device having a fluid delivery element is positioned within a lumen of the urethra within the prostate. A fluid stream is directed outwardly from the fluid delivery element toward a wall of the urethral lumen. The fluid delivery element is moved to scan the fluid stream over the wall to remove a volume of tissue surrounding the lumen. The fluid may be combined with therapeutically active substances or with substances that increase resection efficiency. Fluid force may be adjusted to provide selective tissue resection such that soft tissue is removed while harder tissue is left undamaged. In order to gain a working space within the urethra, another fluid may be introduced to insufflate the urethra in the region of treatment.

A device and method for cutting or ablating tissue in a human or veterinary patient includes an elongate probe having a distal end, a tissue cutting or ablating apparatus located adjacent within the distal end, and a tissue protector extending from the distal end. The protector generally has a first side and a second side and the tissue cutting or ablating apparatus is located adjacent to the first side thereof. The distal end is structured to be advanceable into tissue or otherwise placed and positioned within the patient's body such that tissue adjacent to the first side of the protector is cut away or ablated by the tissue cutting or ablation apparatus while tissue that is adjacent to the second side of the protector is not substantially damaged by the tissue cutting or ablating apparatus.