A system for thermal ablation of tissue and temperature monitoring of said tissue is disclosed. They system includes an insertion device configured to be inserted into said tissue, a radio-frequency source configured to transmit radio-frequency energy into said tissue via the insertion device, a pulse generator configured to pulse the radio-frequency source at a pre-determined pulse rate and generate a thermoacoustic signal in said tissue, a thermoacoustic transducer configured to receive the thermoacoustic signal, and a processor configured to utilize the thermoacoustic signal to calculate a temperature of said tissue.

A shaft assembly for a microwave ablation applicator which includes a shaft assembly and an antenna assembly located within the shaft assembly is disclosed. The shaft assembly comprises an elongate shaft which extends from a first end to a second end thereof, and which defines therein a hollow inner volume and a longitudinal axis of the antenna assembly, and an applicator tip mounted on the second end of the elongate shaft. The applicator tip defines an annular slot with which the second end of the elongate shaft engages. At least part a portion of the second end of the shaft is of a fibre reinforced plastics material having a plurality of elongate fibres bound in a plastics material, at least some of the fibres extending at least partially circumferentially around the annular slot of the applicator tip.

A microwave ablation system includes a first cannula, a trocar insertable through the first cannula and configured to facilitate insertion of the first cannula into a target tissue, and a microwave antenna assembly configured to interlock with the first cannula, the microwave antenna assembly including a coaxial feedline having a radiating section formed thereon, the microwave antenna configured to be inserted into the first cannula. The microwave ablation system further includes an actuator operatively connected to one of the first cannula or microwave antenna assembly. Operation of the actuator between a first position and a second position exposes the radiating section of the microwave antenna assembly from a distal portion of the first cannula.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a nonmagnetic water-cooled microwave ablation needle. The manufacturing method is designed for a microwave ablation needle of a nonmagnetic material and has a proper process procedure, favorable assembly quality, and high production efficiency. The produced nonmagnetic water-cooled microwave ablation needle is applicable to microwave tumor ablation surgery in a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging environment, and helps a doctor in charge to clearly determine a position of a tumor, improve piercing precision, have preferable control on a whole surgery process, improve a success rate of the surgery, reduce damage on surrounding normal tissues as much as possible on the premise of effectively inactivating the tumor, alleviate pain of a patient, and shorten a recovery cycle.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, ultra-MIS techniques.

Connectors for connecting or linking one instrument or object to one or more other instruments or objects are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a connector can include a first arm with a first attachment feature for attaching to a first object, such as a surgical access device, and a second arm with a second attachment feature for attaching to a second object, such as a support. The connector can have an unlocked state, in which the position and orientation of the access device can be adjusted relative to the support, and a locked state in which movement of the access device relative to the support is prevented or limited. Locking the connector can also be effective to clamp or otherwise attach the connector to the access device and the support, or said attachment can be independent of the locking of the connector.

A method of performing a percutaneous multi-probe treatment includes: acquiring a scan image of an object to be treated with multi-probe percutaneous insertions; determining a first point in a region of interest (ROI) in the scan image; determining a second point at a surface of the object in the scan image; generating a reference trajectory by connecting the first point and the second point; arranging, around the first point, a number of third points corresponding to tips of probes to be inserted into the object; generating planned insertion trajectories for the probes based on the number of probes to be inserted and the reference trajectory; and causing a monitor to display superposed on the scan image, at least one of the planned insertion trajectories. The planned insertion trajectories extend in a geometric relationship to the reference trajectory and pass through the third points and through one or more second points.

Provided in accordance with the present disclosure are systems and methods for identifying a percutaneous tool in image data. An exemplary method includes receiving image data of at least a portion of a patients body, identifying an entry point of a percutaneous tool through the patients skin in the image data, analyzing a portion of the image data including the entry point of the percutaneous tool through that patients skin to identify a portion of the percutaneous tool inserted through the patients skin, determining a trajectory of the percutaneous tool based on the identified portion of the percutaneous tool inserted through the patients skin, identifying a remaining portion of the percutaneous tool in the image data based on the identified entry point and the determined trajectory of the percutaneous tool, and displaying the identified portions of the percutaneous tool on the image data.

An electrosurgical device (10) is provided that is operable to deliver microwave energy within a controlled angular expanse to cause targeted tissue ablation. The device (10) comprises a blocking or reflecting material such as cylindrical members (34) that are laterally spaced from the antenna (20) that is operable to emit the microwave energy. The reflecting material creates regions in and/or surrounding the device into which sensors (51), such as thermocouple wires, may be placed to monitor a condition associated with the device or the patient's body.

An electrosurgical instrument having a microwave ablation antenna dimensioned to be suitable for insertion into a pancreas via a surgical scoping device, to provide a rapid and accurate alternative to known RF ablation techniques. The electrosurgical instrument comprises: a proximal coaxial transmission line for conveying microwave electromagnetic (EM) energy; a distal radiating portion; and an intermediate impedance transformer arranged to match an impedance of the coaxial transmission line to an impedance of the distal radiating portion, wherein the distal radiating portion comprises a microwave antenna for emitting the microwave EM energy conveyed by the coaxial transmission line, wherein the distal radiating portion has a maximum outer diameter less than an outer diameter of the coaxial transmission line. With these features, the instrument is able to deliver microwave energy via a small diameter structure.