The presently disclosed subject matter provides techniques for inducing collagen cross-linking in human tissue, such as cartilage, by inducing ionization of the water contained in the tissue to produce free radicals that induce chemical cross-linking in the human tissue. In an embodiment, a femtosecond laser operates at sufficiently low laser pulse energy to avoid optical breakdown of the tissue being treated. In an embodiment, the femtosecond laser operates in the infrared frequency range.

Described embodiments include apparatus that includes a catheter and a tip electrode, at a distal end of the catheter, shaped to define a plurality of microelectrode apertures. The apparatus further includes at least one printed circuit board (PCB) disposed within a lumen of the catheter, and a plurality of microelectrodes coupled to the PCB and at least partly situated within the microelectrode apertures, the PCB being configured to carry signals from the microelectrodes. Other embodiments are also described.

A system for performing robotic laser surgery is disclosed. The system comprises at least one surgery equipment, a surgeon terminal, and a communication module. Further, the system includes a surgical computer communicatively coupled to the at least one surgery equipment via the communication module. The surgical computer is configured to transfer data between the surgeon terminal and the at least one surgery equipment. The surgeon terminal is configured to modulate the tunable laser to conduct the surgical procedure in fully autonomous mode or semi-autonomous mode using robot controls. Further, a plurality of sensors is used to real-time data while performing surgical procedure and transmit the real-time data to the surgeon terminal.

A method for characterizing a state of an end effector of an ultrasonic device is disclosed. The ultrasonic device including an electromechanical ultrasonic system defined by a predetermined resonant frequency. The electromechanical ultrasonic system further including an ultrasonic transducer coupled to an ultrasonic blade. The method including applying, by an energy source, a power level to the ultrasonic transducer; measuring, by a control circuit coupled to a memory, an impedance value of the ultrasonic transducer; comparing, by the control circuit, the impedance value to a reference impedance value stored in the memory; classifying, by the control circuit, the impedance value based on the comparison; characterizing, by the control circuit, the state of the electromechanical ultrasonic system based on the classification of the impedance value; and adjusting, by the control circuit, the power level applied to the ultrasonic transducer based on the characterization of the state of the end effector.

A tip electrode of a catheter includes an outer wall and a temperature sensor assembly. The outer wall includes a thermally conductive multilayer printed circuit board (TCM-PCB) that includes a void. The temperature sensor assembly, which is fitted in the void of the TCM-PCB, includes a temperature sensor, one or more thermally insulating layers that surround a volume of the temperature sensor excluding one facet of the volume, and a heat conductive layer covering the excluded facet.

Methods of treating tumors by administering compounds to a patient are provided. Compounds such as pro drugs, e.g., 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), may be administered to the patient orally, by injection, intravenously, or topically, which then accumulate preferentially as compounds such as protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in tumor cells. After such accumulation, compounds such as PpIX are then activated in various aspects to treat tumors cells, thereby treating cancer. Cancers such as glioblastoma may be treated.

A system and device for cryoablation of tissue that is suitable for use within an MRI environment. The device may include an elongate body, a treatment element at the distal portion of the elongate body, and one or more pull fibers. The pull fibers may be composed of a non-ferromagnetic material, such as a polymer. Likewise, none of the other device components may be composed of a ferromagnetic material. The device may also include at least one fiber optic sensor. The elongate body distal portion may include a distal tip to which the pull fibers are directly coupled. Additionally or alternatively, the elongate body may include one or more pull fiber lumens configured to allow the pull fibers to deflect the distal portion when a pull force is exerted on the pull fibers.

An ablation system comprises: an ablation catheter and a console. The ablation catheter comprises: a shaft including a proximal end, a distal portion and a distal end; an ablation element configured to deliver energy to tissue; and a force maintenance assembly comprising a force maintenance element and configured to control and/or assess contact force between the ablation element and cardiac tissue. The console is configured to operably attach to the ablation catheter and comprises: an energy delivery assembly configured to provide energy to the ablation element. Methods of ablating tissue are also provided.

Various surgical systems are disclosed. A surgical system can include a surgical robot and a surgical hub. The surgical robot can include a control unit in signal communication with a control console and a robotic tool. The surgical hub can include a display. The surgical hub can be in signal communication with the control unit. A facility can include a plurality of surgical hubs that communicate data from the surgical robots to a primary server. To alleviate bandwidth competition among the surgical hubs, the surgical hubs can include prioritization protocols for collecting, storing, and/or communicating data to the primary server.

Proposed is a filter fixing module mounted to a handpiece cooling device having a connecting unit such that a refrigerant supply unit is coupled thereto, the filter fixing module including a body having a support surface formed in a plate shape, and a receiving surface formed on an edge of the support surface and protruding in a first direction relative to the support surface so as to prevent removal of a filter received in the support surface, and a grip unit connected to the body, wherein the grip unit comprises a first grip member and a second grip member extending in directions opposite to the protruding direction of the receiving surface relative to the body.