A catheter system for treating a treatment site within or adjacent to a vessel wall or a heart valve, includes a light source, a balloon, a light guide and an optical analyzer assembly. The light source generates first light energy. The balloon is positionable substantially adjacent to the treatment site. The balloon has a balloon wall that defines a balloon interior that receives a balloon fluid. The light guide receives the first light energy and guides the first light energy in a first direction from a guide proximal end toward a guide distal end positioned within the balloon interior. The optical analyzer assembly optically analyzes a second light energy from the light guide that moves in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. The optical analyzer assembly includes a safety shutdown system to inhibit the first light energy from being received by the guide proximal end of the light guide.

A catheter comprises an elongated catheter body, a control handle, and a hollow tip electrode having a radially-symmetrical shell defining a cavity surrounding a center inner location from which light is emitted to pass through a plurality of openings formed in the shell for interaction with tissue and/or fluid, such as blood, outside of and in contact with the shell. Light interacting with tissue is reflected back into the cavity for collection whereas light interacting with fluid, such as blood, is absorbed. By analyzing the light collected in the cavity, a determination is made as to a ratio of light reflected by tissue versus light absorbed by fluid for indicating the amount of contact between the tip electrode and tissue. Alternatively, fluorescence may similarly be employed (light is emitted at one wavelength and detected at one or more different wavelengths) since tissue and blood have different fluorescence properties at various wavelengths. An integrated ablation and spectroscopy system further comprises an RF generator, a light source and a light analyzer adapted to analyze the light collected in the cavity.

A method for tissue assessment includes ablating tissue at a site within a body of a living subject using an invasive probe applied to the site. At a first stage in ablation of the tissue, first measurements are made of scattered light intensities from the site at a plurality of different wavelengths. At a second stage in the ablation of the tissue, subsequent to the first stage, second measurements are made of the scattered light intensities from the site at the plurality of different wavelengths. Progress of the ablation is assessed by computing different, respective measures of change in the scattered light intensities at the different wavelengths occurring between the first and second measurements, and comparing the respective measures.

A method of compressing tissue during a surgical procedure is disclosed. The method comprises obtaining a surgical instrument comprising an end effector, wherein the end effector comprises a first jaw and a second jaw, establishing a communication pathway between the surgical instrument and a surgical hub, and inserting the surgical instrument into a surgical site. The method further comprises compressing tissue between the first jaw and the second jaw, determining a location of the compressed tissue with respect to at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw, communicating the determined location of the compressed tissue to the surgical hub, and displaying the determined location of the compressed tissue on a visual feedback device.

A surgical visualization feedback system is disclosed. The surgical visualization feedback system comprises an emitter assembly configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward an anatomical structure. The emitter assembly comprises a structured light emitter configured to emit a structured light pattern on a surface of the anatomical structure and a spectral light emitter configured to emit spectral light capable of penetrating the anatomical structure. The surgical visualization feedback system further comprises a waveform sensor assembly configured to detect reflected electromagnetic radiation corresponding to the emitted electromagnetic radiation and a control circuit in signal communication with the waveform sensor assembly. The control circuit is configured to receive an input corresponding to a selected surgical procedure, determine an identity of a targeted structure within the anatomical structure based on the selected surgical procedure and the reflected electromagnetic radiation, and confirm the determined identity of the targeted structure through a user input.

Surgical systems are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical system includes a first scope device having a first portion within an extraluminal space and a second portion positioned within an intraluminal space. The first scope device transmits image data of a first scene. A second scope device is disposed within the extraluminal space and transmits image data of a second scene. The first portion of the first instrument is present within the field of view of the second scope device to track the first scope device relative to the second scope device. A controller receives the transmitted image data of the first and second scenes, to determine a relative distance from the first scope device to the second scope device within the extraluminal space, and to provide a merged image. At least one of the first and second scope device in the merged image is a representative depiction thereof.

Systems, devices, and methods for controlling cooperative surgical instruments are provided. Various aspects of the present disclosure provide for coordinated operation of surgical instruments accessing a common body cavity of a patient from different approaches to achieve a common surgical purpose. For example, various methods, devices, and systems disclosed herein can enable the coordinated treatment of surgical tissue by disparate minimally invasive surgical systems that approach the tissue from varying anatomical spaces and operate in concert with one another to effect a desired surgical treatment.

Methods and apparatus for dermatological laser treatment, e.g. for the removal of unwanted tattoos or other skin pigmentation. Removal of multiple colors with a single pulsed laser beam may be achieved using intensities in excess of about 50 GB/cm.sup.2. Methods for reducing the pain and tissue damage associated with laser tattoo removal include using a spot size of less than 2 mm with a fluence in the range of 0.5-10 J/cm.sup.2. Scanning the laser beam over an area of skin to be treated allows such areas to be treated accurately with scanning patterns calculated to promote rapid dissipation of heat away from treated portions of the skin. Multiple treatment rooms may be served by a single pulsed treatment laser by beam toggling, splitting or pulse-picking to minimise downtime of the laser.

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.

The invention relates to an automated system for performing hair restoration, which comprises automated harvest means, comprising a harvesting needle mechanism and a temporal storage means for harvested follicles; automated transplanting means, comprising a transplanting needle mechanism and a temporal storage means from which harvested follicles are extracted for transplantations; displacement means, onto which one of the automated harvest means or one of the automated transplanting means are movably connected for being displaced to desirable harvest or transplantation target points of a patient head; image acquisition means for acquiring images of a patient's scalp; mechanical support means for supporting and stabilizing the patient and particularly the patient's head during the restoration procedure; a control module, comprising suitable data processing and storage hardware and software configured to receive and process images acquired by the two or more image acquisition by image processing algorithms, map the initial patient's hair distribution, identify qualifying candidate follicles for transplantation, and finally to generate an optimized harvest and transplantation plan considering aesthetic, efficiency and safety optimization parameters. The control module is further configured to operate the at least one automated harvest means, the at least one automated transplanting means and the at least one displacement means to harvest and to transplant hair follicles in accordance with the generated optimized harvest and transplantation plan.