An apparatus includes a current source, an electronic circuit and a circuit board. The current source is configured to flow an electrical current having a selected frequency between a pair of electrodes coupled to a medical probe. The electronic circuit is configured to measure a single-ended voltage relative to ground that is formed on at least one of the electrodes in the pair in response to the electrical current, and, based on the measured voltage, to assess physical contact between the at least one of the electrodes and tissue. The circuit board includes the current source and the electronic circuit, and includes a layout that produces, at the selected frequency, a predefined capacitance between the current source and ground, thus forming a reference for measurement of the single-ended voltage.

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprises an end effector that has a shaft coupled thereto that is coupled to a robotic system. A tool mounting portion includes an electric, DC motor connected to a drive train in the shaft for powering the drive train. A power pack that comprises at least one charge-accumulating device connected to the DC motor for powering the DC motor is provided.

Damaged, diseased, abnormal, obstructive, cancerous or undesired neural tissue treated by delivering specialized pulsed electric field (PEF) energy to target tissue areas. In some instances, the target tissue includes a tumor, a benign tumor, a malignant tumor, a cyst, or an area of diseased tissue. Most brain and spinal cord tumors develop from glial cells. These tumors are sometimes referred to as a group called gliomas. They arise from the supporting cells of the brain, called the glia. These cells are subdivided into astrocytes, ependymal cells and oligodendroglial cells (or oligos). One difficulty in the treatment of gliomas is that they are behind the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-tumor barrier (BTB) which leads to poor delivery of anti-cancer drugs or immune agents to the tumor-infiltrated brain. Devices, systems and methods are provided that treat the tumor directly, such as by ablation, and optionally transiently disrupt the BBB coupled with adjuvant antibody, biologic, or other pharmaceutical interventions.

An intravascular catheter for nerve activity ablation and/or sensing includes one or more needles advanced through supported guide tubes (needle guiding elements) which expand to contact the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the needles to be advanced though the vessel wall into the extra-luminal tissue including the media, adventitia and periadvential space. The catheter also includes structures which provide radial and lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes open uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall. Electrodes at the distal ends of the guide tubes allow sensing of nerve activity before and after attempted renal denervation. In a combination embodiment ablative energy or fluid is delivered to ablate nerves outside of the media.

A return pad of an electrosurgical system is disclosed. The return pad includes a plurality of conductive members and a plurality of sensing devices. The conductive members are configured to receive radio frequency current applied to a patient. The sensing devices are configured to detect at least one of the following: a nerve control signal applied to the patient; and a movement of an anatomical feature of the patient resulting from application of the nerve control signal.

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example electrophysiology medical device may include a catheter shaft including a distal end portion and a sensing assembly having three or more terminals. The sensing assembly includes one or more current-carrying electrodes and one or more sensing electrodes. The one or more current-carrying electrodes, the one or more sensing electrodes, or both includes a mini-electrode. The mini-electrode is disposed on one of the other electrodes. The medical device may also include a controller coupled to the sensing assembly.

Apparatus, systems, and methods of controlling energy delivered to electrodes used in electrically and/or thermally induced neuromodulation are provided to improve neuromodulation. In particular, a catheter treatment device having a control algorithm that regulates current or current density delivered to an electrode is provided. The electrode may maintain a known and consistent electrode contact surface area with the vessel. The control algorithm controls energy delivery to provide consistent current or current density to the treatment site, even though the tissue impedance Z may vary from patient to patient and vessel to vessel, and despite changes in impedance of the treatment, site during the course of the treatment. The controlled delivery of energy can be used to control and maintain placement of the zone of thermal treatment and reduce undesirable energy delivery to unwanted locations near the treatment site.

A method for controlling an operation of an ultrasonic blade of an ultrasonic electromechanical system is disclosed. The method includes providing an ultrasonic electromechanical system comprising an ultrasonic transducer coupled to an ultrasonic blade via an ultrasonic waveguide; applying, by an energy source, a power level to the ultrasonic transducer; determining, by a control circuit coupled to a memory, a mechanical property of the ultrasonic electromechanical system; comparing, by the control circuit, the mechanical property with a reference mechanical property stored in the memory; and adjusting, by the control circuit, the power level applied to the ultrasonic transducer based on the comparison of the mechanical property with the reference mechanical property.

An electrosurgical system includes an RF output stage configured to impart RF power between first and second electrodes; measurement circuitry measures current and voltage imparted between the first and second electrodes; a processing circuit calculates power and impedance, based upon the measured current and the measured voltage; the processing circuitry uses a proportional-integral-derivative control loop to control RF power imparted between the electrodes, based upon a selected one of the measured current, the measured voltage, calculated power, and the calculated impedance.

The modular microwave ablation system of the present disclosure includes a microwave instrument, a microwave generator, and one or more auxiliary modules that include circuitry for performing functions related to the operation of the microwave generator. The one or more auxiliary modules are removably connected to the microwave generator. The microwave generator includes a microwave signal generator that generates a microwave signal; a microwave generator controller in communication with the microwave signal generator; one or more terminals that connect to the one or more auxiliary modules, respectively; and a power supply and/or a power distribution module coupled to the microwave signal generator, the microwave generator controller, and the one or more terminals. The one or more terminals provide (1) power from the power supply and/or power distribution module to the one or more respective auxiliary modules and (2) communication signals to and from the one or more respective auxiliary modules.