Medical instruments and techniques for highly-localized thermally-mediated therapies

A medical device for delivering energy to the interior of a patient's body, comprising:

• a device with an engagement surface that defines at least one media port therein;
• a source of liquid media fluidly coupled to said at least one media port;
• and
• a thermal energy delivery mechanism intermediate to the source and the at least one media port and interior of the engagement surface for vaporization of the liquid to provide a volume of vapor ejecting from the at least one media port.

A medical device for delivering energy to a targeted tissue region, comprising:

• a device with an engagement surface for engaging tissue that defines at least one media entrance port therein;
• a source of media fluidly coupled to said at least one media entrance port for contact with the targeted tissue volume;
• a thermal energy delivery mechanism intermediate to the media source and the at least one media entrance port for elevating the temperature of the media to a range of vaporization thereof;
• and
• wherein said engagement surface is carried in a face of at least one jaw of a pair of cooperating jaw members that are openable and closeable to capture tissue.

An instrument for applying energy to an interior of a patient's body, comprising:

• an instrument body;
• an interior chamber in an interior of the instrument body for containing a fluid media;
• a pressurized fluid media source in fluid communication the interior chamber;
• at least one outflow channel extending to at least one outflow port in an insulated distal surface of the instrument body;
• and
• electrode means within the interior containment chamber for vaporizing the fluid media therein to provide a heated vapor for pressurized ejection from the at least one outflow port, wherein the interior chamber and electrode means are spaced apart from the insulated distal surface of the instrument body.

A method for causing thermal effects in targeted tissue, comprising the steps of:

• (a) engaging the targeted tissue with at least one engagement surface of an instrument working end;
• (b) propagating a gas media at a substantial velocity from at least one port in the engagement surface into the targeted tissue;
• (c) wherein the gas media has a temperature within a selected range capable of denaturing proteins in the targeted tissue;
• and
• (d) wherein step (c) thereby transfers heat to the targeted tissue to create a thermal effects in the tissue.