Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080215046 | MEDICAL DEVICE CONTROL SYSTEM - A medical device for use by an operator to perform a medical procedure in a body includes a handle to be held by the operator, a shaft attached to the handle and an actuating assembly to control functions associated with the medical procedure. The shaft includes an operative distal portion to perform a medical procedure in the body. The medical device may be part of an ablation catheter system that is programmed to correlate one or more functions with the actuation of the actuating assembly. Multiple actuating assemblies may be provided. Each actuating assembly may be a button. Other types of actuating assemblies may also be used, such as switches or a trackball. The actuating assembly may also be provided on a sleeve that may be selectively attached to the handle of the catheter or the physician operating the catheter, for example. | 09-04-2008 |
20080269615 | TRANSDUCER WITH MULTIPLE RESONANT FREQUENCIES FOR AN IMAGING CATHETER - A single transducer element that is capable of oscillation at a plurality of natural resonant frequencies may be used in an ultrasonic imaging catheter assembly including a catheter body configured to be inserted and guided through the vascular system of a living being, a lumen and a rotatable imaging core adapted to pass through the lumen, the imaging core including a flexible drive-shaft. Because the transducer element is capable of oscillation at a plurality of natural resonant frequencies, a user can switch from one frequency to another in order to improve the depth of field or resolution without having to switch out the catheter or imaging core. | 10-30-2008 |
20090018534 | MEDICAL PROBES FOR CREATING AND DIAGNOSING CIRCUMFERENTIAL LESIONS WITHIN OR AROUND THE OSTIUM OF A VESSEL - The present inventions provide assemblies, probes, and methods for creating circumferential lesions in tissue, e.g., the tissue within or around the ostium of a vessel. An ablation probe with an ablative structure can be placed in contact within or around the ostium of the vessel. A diagnostic probe can be introduced through a lumen within the ablation probe and inserted into the vessel. The energy can be provided to the ablative structure to create a circumferential lesion within or around the ostium of the vessel, and the diagnostic structure can be used to diagnose the tissue to determine whether the circumferential lesion can be properly created. | 01-15-2009 |
20090318914 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ABLATIONAL TREATMENT OF UTERINE CERVICAL NEOPLASIA - The invention provides a system, devices, and methods for ablating abnormal epithelial tissue of the uterine cervix. Embodiments of an ablation device include an operative head with a support surface adapted to conformably engage and therapeutically contact the cervix, and an energy delivery element on the support surface. The energy delivery element is configured to deliver energy, such as RF energy, to the tissue in a manner that controls the surface area and depth of ablation. The device may further include a shaft and a handle to support the ablation device, and may further include a speculum to facilitate access to the cervix. A system to support the operation of the ablation device includes a generator to deliver energy to the energy delivery element. Embodiments of a method for ablating abnormal cervical tissue include inserting an ablation device intravaginally to contact the cervix, aligning an energy delivery element support surface conformably against a region of the cervix with abnormal tissue, and ablating the tissue. | 12-24-2009 |
20110238056 | IMPEDANCE MEDIATED CONTROL OF POWER DELIVERY FOR ELECTROSURGERY - A method of controlling electrosurgical power delivery based on a comparison of sensed tissue impedance to various impedance threshold values is provided. Energy is delivered to tissue in a sealing cycle as a series of pulses. An initial pulse has a profile with a preset energy starting value that increases at a ramping rate to a preset end value. Sensed impedance data are monitored throughout each pulse and compared to each of an impedance threshold value for RF setpoint, an impedance threshold value for cumulative time, and an impedance threshold value for energy cutback. Based on sensed impedance during a pulse, the profile of a subsequent pulse can be modified. In the event of a high impedance event that reflects low tissue presence, energy may be cutback. A sealing cycle is stopped when a cumulative amount of time with an impedance value over the impedance cumulative time threshold value reaches a sealing cycle duration limit. | 09-29-2011 |
20110238062 | Impedance Mediated Power Delivery for Electrosurgery - An adaptive algorithm monitors, inter alia, the rate of tissue impedance change during an electrosurgical procedure. Impedance levels achieved within a specific timeframe are examined to determine an impedance ramp and/or slope rate, which indicates the rate at which a target tissue is undergoing a phase or state change and, thus, indicates a desired rate of tissue processing. The level of electrosurgical energy applied to the target tissue is adjusted in real time in accordance with such rate of impedance change and/or by predetermined values. Energy is thus applied to the target tissue at levels that allow tissue phase or state change to occur in an optimum fashion, for example allowing moisture to escape from the tissue slowly, and thus avoid thermal damage. As a result, such undesired results as thermal damage and defective sealing are mitigated. Another embodiment determines impedance achieved within a specific interval and adjusts the electrosurgical energy applied to the tissue after a threshold impedance has been maintained or exceeded for a predetermined interval. A further aspect of the invention provides mitigation during processing for partial tissue coverage of device electrodes and/or for thin tissue. | 09-29-2011 |
20120071871 | ELECTROSURGICAL TISSUE SEALING AUGMENTED WITH A SEAL-ENHANCING COMPOSITION - Embodiments of the disclosed technology provide systems, devices, and methods of creating an electrosurgical tissue seal that is augmented with a seal-enhancing composition. One embodiment of a device includes a set of opposing electrosurgical jaws configured to be able to close on a targeted tissue-sealing site; the jaws have a reservoir configured to hold a tissue seal-enhancing composition. The reservoir is in communication with a surface of the tissue-sealing site when the jaws are closed on the site, and the electrosurgical device is configured to deliver the tissue seal-enhancing composition to the site during an electrosurgical procedure. The device is further configured to deliver sufficient radiofrequency energy to the site such that the targeted tissue and the tissue seal-enhancing composition at the tissue-sealing site are processed to form a high integrity sealed tissue site. | 03-22-2012 |
20130116678 | IMPEDANCE MEDIATED CONTROL OF POWER DELIVERY FOR ELECTROSURGERY - A method of controlling electrosurgical power delivery is based on a comparison of sensed tissue impedance to various impedance threshold values. Energy is delivered to tissue in a sealing cycle as a series of pulses. A pulse has a profile with a preset energy starting value that increases at a ramping rate to a preset end value. Sensed impedance data are monitored throughout each pulse and compared to each of an impedance threshold value for RF setpoint, an impedance threshold value for cumulative time, and an impedance threshold value for energy cutback. Based on sensed impedance during a pulse, the profile of a subsequent pulse can be modified. In the event of a high impedance event that reflects low tissue presence, energy may be cutback. A sealing cycle is stopped when a cumulative amount of time with an impedance value over the impedance cumulative time threshold value reaches a limit. | 05-09-2013 |
20140018788 | Devices and Systems for Carotid Body Ablation - Methods and endovascular catheters for assessing, and treating patients having sympathetically mediated disease, involving augmented peripheral chemoreflex and heightened sympathetic tone by reducing chemosensor input to the nervous system via transmural carotid body ablation. | 01-16-2014 |
20150025529 | IMPEDANCE MEDIATED CONTROL OF POWER DELIVERY FOR ELECTROSURGERY - In a method of controlling electrosurgical power delivery based on a comparison of sensed tissue impedance to various impedance threshold values, energy is delivered to tissue in a sealing cycle as a series of pulses. An initial pulse has a profile with a preset energy starting value that increases at a ramping rate to a preset end value. Sensed impedance data are monitored throughout each pulse and compared to an impedance threshold value for RF setpoint, an impedance threshold value for cumulative time, and an impedance threshold value for energy cutback. Based on sensed impedance during a pulse, the profile of a subsequent pulse can be modified. In a high impedance event that reflects low tissue presence, energy may be cutback. A sealing cycle is stopped when a cumulative amount of time with an impedance value over the impedance cumulative time threshold value reaches a sealing cycle duration limit. | 01-22-2015 |