Flexible microwave catheters for natural or artificial lumens

A coupler for coupling a flexible coaxial cable, a fluid cooling system and the outer sheath of a catheter, the coupler comprising:

• a fluid coupler body including:
• a fluid inlet formed in the fluid coupler body and configured to operably couple to a source of cooling fluid and receive fluid therefrom;
• a fluid outlet formed in the fluid coupler body and configured to operably couple to a fluid discharge;
• a bypass bulb forming an aperture for slidably coupling with a coaxial cable;
• and
• an outer sheath coupler forming an aperture for coupling with an outer sheath of a catheter while forming a fluid-tight seal therewith;
• a fluid sealing system housed in the fluid coupler body including:
• a distal sealing diaphragm configured to form a fluid-tight seal about an outer surface of an inflow lumen and a fluid-tight seal with an interior surface of the fluid coupler body defining an outflow plenum in fluid communication with the fluid outlet, the outflow plenum formed between a distal interior surface of the fluid coupler body, the outer surface of the inflow lumen, a distal side of the distal sealing diaphragm and the outer sheath coupler;
• a proximal sealing diaphragm configured to form a fluid-tight seal about an outer surface of the coaxial cable and a fluid-tight seal with an interior surface of the fluid coupler body thereby forming an inflow plenum in fluid communication with the fluid inlet, the outflow plenum formed between a proximal interior surface of the fluid coupler body, and a proximal side of the distal sealing diaphragm, a proximal side of the proximal sealing diaphragm.