Devices and methods for delivering fluid to tissue during ablation therapy are described herein. An exemplary device can include an elongate body having an inner lumen, outlet ports, and an ablation element configured to heat tissue. A flow resistance of the elongate body can increase along a length of the elongate body containing the outlet ports in a proximal to distal direction. This can be accomplished by, for example, varying outlet port size or relative spacing, decreasing a cross-sectional area of the inner lumen through which fluid can flow using a flow diverter or tapered inner lumen sidewalls, or limiting a ratio between a total area of the outlet ports and a cross-sectional area of the inner lumen. Adjusting flow resistance of the elongate body can provide more uniform fluid distribution or a desired non-uniform distribution.

A system for delivering energy to a patient's body includes a plurality of probes for delivering at least one of electrical or radiofrequency energy to the patient's body and a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of probes and configured to present a display including a collapsible control panel that overlays a plurality of independent control panels each indicating one or more real-time operating parameters associated with the plurality of probes. The collapsible control panel includes a first graphical element for starting a treatment procedure for all of the plurality of probes simultaneously and a second graphical element that, when selected by the user, causes the display to dynamically update by closing the collapsible control panel to present third graphical elements in each of the plurality of independent control panels, the third graphical elements configured to start an individual treatment procedure for an associated one of the plurality of probes.

A surgical system includes a surgical instrument and a cooling module operably coupled to the surgical instrument. The surgical instrument includes a housing and an elongated portion extending from the housing and supporting an end effector. The cooling module includes a fluid reservoir retaining a cooling fluid, a thermoelectric cooler, and a pump assembly. The thermoelectric cooler has a first portion thermally coupled to the fluid reservoir and a second portion including a plurality of fins dissipating heat therefrom. The pump assembly is configured to supply the cooling fluid through at least a portion of the surgical instrument and back to the fluid reservoir, thereby defining a flow path to cool the end effector of the surgical instrument.

A method for controlling a temperature at an end-effector of an instrument connected with a controller includes estimating a residual energy associated with a prior application of base energy to the end-effector based on a first set of parameters. An amount of electric power that is converted to heat at the end-effector is estimated based on the first set of parameters. A current temperature at the end-effector is estimated based on: (i) the residual energy, (ii) the amount of electric power provided to the end-effector, and (iii) a time for which the electric power is provided. The electric power provided to the instrument is controlled to maintain the current temperature at the end-effector within a predetermined range.

Systems and methods for protecting non-target tissue from damage during a medical procedure for disrupting target tissue via heat application are disclosed. Data associated with the target tissue to be disrupted may be received. Based on the received data, one or more non-target objects of tissue that may be affected by the applied heat are identified. Both a temperature threshold and thermal dose threshold for each of the one or more non-target objects may be generated. Both the temperature and the thermal dose of each of the one or more non-target objects may be evaluated during performance of the medical procedure. A response may be generated when either the evaluated temperature of any of the one or more non-targe objects reaches the corresponding temperature threshold or the thermal dose of any of the one or more non-target objects reaches the corresponding thermal dose threshold.

Described herein are various implementations of systems and methods for accessing and modulating tissue (for example, systems and methods for accessing and ablating nerves or other tissue within or surrounding a vertebral body to treat chronic lower back pain). Assessment of vertebral endplate degeneration or defects (e.g., pre-Modic changes) to facilitate identification of treatment sites and protocols are also provided in several embodiments. Several embodiments comprise the use of biomarkers to confirm or otherwise assess ablation, pain relief, efficacy of treatment, etc. Some embodiments include robotic elements for, as an example, facilitating robotically controlled access, navigation, imaging, and/or treatment.

Devices and systems used to ablate tissue of a tumor using laser energy are disclosed. The devices and systems include a laser probe and a magnetic resonance (MR) safe temperature probe. The MR safe temperature probe includes an optical sensor. A bone anchor fixture separates the laser probe and the MR safe temperature probe to prevent interference in the MR safe temperature probe data. Proton Resonance Frequency (PRF) thermometry is used to model a temperature of a pixel of an MR image located adjacent the optical sensor. The modeled pixel temperature and the measured temperature are compared and monitored. Exceeding a threshold difference value causes an intervening action to occur.

A system for treating internal bleeding via application of a heated irrigant, such that the heated irrigant is delivered at a flow rate of between 2 cc/s and 12 cc/s and at a temperature of between 46 degrees Celsius and 52 degrees Celsius.

An apparatus and method of treatment of an animal using the apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes a scalpel, a laser included in the scalpel, and a visible light source included in the scalpel. The visible light source provides a visible targeting beam. The method of treatment includes activating a visible targeting beam in a laser scalpel. The visible targeting beam has an illumination intensity. The method further includes illuminating a tumor that includes cancerous cells and non-cancerous cells with the visible targeting beam, activating an invisible mid-infrared laser included in the scalpel to produce a laser spot at the tumor, and ablating the cancerous cells while leaving the non-cancerous cells substantially undamaged.

An electrosurgical system includes an electrosurgical instrument, an electrosurgical power generating source, and a controller. The electrosurgical instrument includes a shaft extending from a housing. The shaft includes a distal end configured to support an end-effector assembly. The end-effector assembly includes opposing jaw members movably mounted with respect to one another and moveable from a first position in spaced relation relative to one another to at least one subsequent position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. At least one of the jaw members includes a temperature-sensing electrically-conductive tissue-contacting plate defining a bottom surface. One or more temperature sensors are coupled to the bottom surface. The controller is configured to control one or more operating parameters associated with the electrosurgical power generating source based on one or more signals indicative of a tissue impedance value and indicative of a temperature sensed by the one or more temperature sensors.