A microwave ablation system and method include an elongate microwave ablation probe. The probe has a radiating portion for performing microwave ablation. The probe includes a first electrode and a second electrode located along the probe body. A radiofrequency energy source is connected to the first and second electrodes. An impedance of tissue is measured using the first and second electrodes. The impedance is used to detect a change in tissue due to microwave ablation of the tissue. Therapy parameters for the microwave ablation procedure can be adjusted in response to the measured impedance. In some examples, one of the electrodes is proximal and one electrode is distal to the radiating portion.

A medical apparatus includes a probe configured for insertion into a body of a patient. The probe includes a plurality of electrodes configured to contact tissue within the body. The medical apparatus further includes an electrical signal generator configured to apply between one or more pairs of the electrodes signals of first and second types in alternation. The signals of the first type include a sequence of bipolar pulses having an amplitude sufficient to cause irreversible electrophoresis (IRE) in the tissue contacted by the electrodes. The signals of the second type include a radio-frequency (RF) signal having a power sufficient to thermally ablate the tissue contacted by the electrodes.

A laser system includes a laser diode that, upon activation, selectively produces a continuous wave of laser light or uniformly spaced, intermittent pulses of laser light. The system further includes a laser focuser with a plurality of lenses that focus the laser light produces by the laser diode and direct the laser light to an optical resonator. The optical resonator includes a lasing medium that, when intersected by the laser light from the laser diode, produces a beam of laser light with a wavelength that may be used for therapeutic treatment. The system is operable to produce the therapeutic laser light when the laser diode is operating in either the continuous wave mode or the pulsed mode, without moving components of the system relative to one another.

A thulium fiber laser system can be used to treat tissues based on the ability for quick changes between laser pulses. For example, to treat stones in a tissue, a long pulse having low peak power can be used to create bubbles in front of the stone (calculi), then follow a series of shorter pulses and higher peak power can be used to break the stone. The sequence can be repeated to maintain large bubble formation, with the long pulse characteristics changed to accommodate for the changes in the tissue. A fluorescent sensing assembly can be used to detect the tissue conditions for selecting the conditions of the thulium fiber laser.

An apparatus includes a shaft assembly, first and second electrode assemblies, and a controller. The shaft assembly is configured to fit in a nasal cavity of a patient. The first and second electrode assemblies are at the distal end of the shaft assembly. The second electrode assembly includes a stimulus electrode and a sensing electrode. The stimulus and sensing electrodes are positioned on opposing lateral sides in relation to the longitudinal axis of the shaft assembly. The controller is operable to generate an electrical signal to perform one or both of tissue ablation or denervation of a targeted nerve via the first electrode assembly, generate an electrical stimulus signal to stimulate the targeted nerve via the stimulus electrode of the second electrode assembly, and process a response signal received from the targeted nerve via the sensing electrode of the second electrode assembly.

An electrosurgical device including the disclosure describes an electrosurgical device including an elongated body having a tubular section extending from a proximal end to a distal end and defining an evacuation channel configured to evacuate tissue from the distal end to the proximal end, a curette at the distal end of the tubular section, wherein the curette defines a perimeter cutting edge that forms a distal opening to the evacuation channel, a plasma cutting electrode defined by the perimeter cutting edge of the curette, where the plasma cutting electrode is configured to operate in a monopolar configuration to deliver radio frequency (RF) plasma energy to adjacent tissue to cut a volume of the target tissue, and a dielectric coating on at least a portion of the curette, the dielectric coating electrically insulating the curette from target tissue and the volume of cut target tissue, wherein the dielectric coating comprises a ceramic material.

A system and method of controlling the application of energy to tissue using measurements of impedance are described. The impedance, correlated to the temperature, may be set at a desired level, such as a percentage of initial impedance. The set impedance may be a function of the initial impedance, the size and spacing of the electrodes, the size of a targeted passageway, and so on. The set impedance may then be entered into a PID algorithm or other control loop algorithm in order to extract a power to be applied to a treatment device.

Methods and systems are provided for using optical interferometry in the context of material modification processes such as surgical laser or welding applications. An imaging optical source that produces imaging light. A feedback controller controls at least one processing parameter of the material modification process based on an interferometry output generated using the imaging light. A method of processing interferograms is provided based on homodyne filtering. A method of generating a record of a material modification process using an interferometry output is provided.

A heat exchanger is disclosed for causing cryolysis of adipose tissue of a human tongue. The heat exchanger includes a body having cooling channels for circulating fluids therein. The body forms a contact surface that contacts a portion of the dorsal surface of the tongue and a portion of the base of the tongue. The heat exchanger includes a pair of side walls extending from the body and forming a pair of side contact surfaces that are dimensioned so that they contact the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the tongue in a manner so as to constrict the tongue when the contact surface is in contact with the tongue. A method of treatment for apnea using the heat exchanger and/or administering a chemical adipolysis formulation/vasoconstriction agent is also disclosed.

Examples described herein may include medical devices and electrosurgical generators with resonant isolated transformers to perform filtering and gain functions. An example electrosurgical generator includes a radio frequency (RF) inverter stage configured to receive an input signal and, in response to control feedback signals, to provide an output signal that provides power to a load. The RF inverter stage includes a resonant isolated transformer configured to receive the input signal and to provide gain and filtering adjustments to the input signal to provide the output signal.