A method of operating a device (1) for treatment of a tissue (6) of a living being and such a device (1) including a transducer (2) comprising at least two subtransducers (2, 2), each for emitting a sub-beam (8) of ultrasound waves, preferably high intensity focused ultrasound waves, for irradiating the tissue (6). Each of the sub-beams (8) is focused on or focusable onto a focal point (F). In order to reduce skin burns, the intersection Area (A.sub.si) of a skin surface (7) for each sub-beam (8) is evaluated and a power (P.sub.si) and/or a duration (t.sub.si) of the irradiation, for every sub-transducer (2, 2), is determined as a rate of the total power (P.sub.total) or duration (t.sub.total) depending from the evaluated intersection area (A.sub.si).

The present invention relates to a customized surgical guide device and a customized surgical guide generating method and program. A customized surgical guide generating method comprises the steps of: acquiring body surface data and treatment area data from medical image data by a computer; a first shape data generating step, wherein the first shape data is data which corresponds to the shape of the body part cover; a target point setting step of setting one or more target points; setting individual first points on the body surface accessible to the target point with a medical tool; setting a guide tube length on the basis of a distance from the first point to the target point; and generating final shape data in which one or more guide tubes are combined to the first shape data by applying the guide tube length to the first point.

Systems and methods are described for performing navigation-assisted medical procedures such as biopsies, surgeries and pathology procedures by obtaining location information of an item of interest located within at least a portion of a subject; sensing position information of a moveable device; determining a relative position of the moveable device to the item of interest using the location information of the item of interest and the position information of the moveable device; and providing feedback based on the relative position of the moveable device to the item of interest that can be used to change the relative position of the moveable device to the item of interest.

Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for resecting a tissue mass. The system for resecting a tissue mass includes a surgical instrument and a first sensor for measuring a signal corresponding to the position and orientation of the tissue mass. The first sensor is dimensioned to fit insider or next to the tissue mass. The system also includes a second sensor attached to the surgical instrument configured to measure the position and orientation of the surgical instrument. The second sensor is configured to receive the signal from the first sensor. A controller is in communication with the first sensor and/or the second sensor, and the controller executes a stored program to calculate a distance between the first sensor and the second sensor. Accordingly, visual, auditory, haptic or other feedback is provided to the clinician to guide the surgical instrument to the surgical margin.

A method and system capable of applying microwave therapy guided by thermoacoustic imaging and/or thermoacoustic thermometry is disclosed. The system includes a thermoacoustic imaging system and/or a thermoacoustic thermometry system that generate(s) a map of a region of interest; and a microwave therapy system that targets the region of interest using the 5 map, and that applies the microwave therapy to the targeted region of interest. Treatment of the targeted region of interest may be employed by the microwave therapy system using real-time feedback from the thermoacoustic imaging system and/or the thermoacoustic thermometry system. Imaging and therapy may be automatically co-registered.

A patient-specific device for guiding resection of a tumor located in local tissue of a patient includes a locator form and a surgical guidance cue. The locator form has a locator-form surface matching a surface of the local tissue of the patient near the tumor's location when the local tissue is imaged in a preoperative position, such that the locator form, when fit to the surface of the local tissue, restores the local tissue to the preoperative position. The surgical guidance cue is integrally formed with the locator form and based on images including only preoperative images of the local tissue in the preoperative position, to indicate a spatial property of the tumor in the preoperative position.

A lesion detection system for use with a patient, comprising an optoacoustic guide wire assembly configured to be insertable into a patient's tissue. The optical acoustic guide wire assembly can be comprised of an optical waveguide have a first end and a second end, a light source coupled to the second end of the optical waveguide, wherein said light source configured to emit energy to the patient's tissue, at least one transducer configured to detect an ultrasound signal emitted from the patient's tissue in response to energy emitted from the light source, and a computer system.

Described herein are devices for placement in surgically created soft tissue spaces, potential spaces, or cavities. The implantable devices generally include a bioabsorbable body having an open framework that facilitates attachment of tissue thereto in a manner that helps avoid post-surgical deformities. Methods for using the implantable devices in oncoplastic surgery are further described.

An interventional device, e.g. a Vacuum Assisted Biopsy (VAB) needle, incorporating optical fibers such that biological tissue in a volume at a side of the interventional device can be substantially completely optically probed by optical spectroscopy. In a VAB embodiment, a plurality of optical fiber pairs connected to respective optical ports, are placed at opposite positions along the suction cavity, and they are readout subsequently allowing to make a map of the tissue properties along the place where the tissue will be cut by the VAB needle. Based on decision software in an optical console, it can be determined whether the tissue present in the cutting cavity is completely normal tissue or not, prior to actually performing the biopsy on the tissue. In this way a well defined end point for VAB is created. In one embodiment, the optical fibers are arranged in a wall structure of a thin sleeve which fits onto existing VAB needles, thus allowing the VAB needle to be upgraded with an optical probing capability.

Systems and methods can be used endoscopically to treat tumors in mediastinal, abdominal, and peri-rectal spaces. For example, this document describes systems and methods for endoscopic delivery of non-thermal pulsed electrical field or electroporation to such tumors. In addition, the systems and methods prime the immune system by re-introducing obtained and processed tissue or aspirates back to the local tumor environment after ex-vivo denaturing and emulsification of the tumor tissue or other immune enhancing substances such a monoclonal or multifunctional antibodies. The re-introduction of the processed tumor cells or immune enhancing substances will create an antigenic primed environment to the enhanced immune response generated by the pulsed electrical field. This will harness the power of the immune system as an ablative modality to the local tumor while systemically targeting metastatic disease.