Various examples are directed to systems and methods for operating and controlling a modular surgical instrument comprising an operating mode. A controller may receive electrical signal associated with an activation of at least one user-actuated input device electrically coupled to the controller and override the operating mode of the surgical instrument upon receiving the electrical signal.

According one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, method and system can be provided for applying a laser radiation to at least one portion of a biological structure. For example, a beam of the laser radiation can be provided to the portion, whereas a cross-sectional area of the beam is at most about 1/10th of an entire area of the at least one portion. The beam can be applied to the portion (a) based on a predetermined pattern, (b) while modulating a wavelength of the laser radiation, and/or (c) while monitoring a depth of the application of the laser radiation.

Aspects of the present disclosure are presented for a surgical instrument having one or more sensors at or a near an end effector and configured to aide in the detection of tissues and other materials and structures at a surgical site. The detections may then be used to aide in the placement of the end effector and to confirm which objects to operate on, or alternatively, to avoid. Examples of sensors include laser sensors used to employ Doppler shift principles to detect movement of objects at the surgical site, such as blood cells; resistance sensors to detect the presence of metal; monochromatic light sources that allow for different levels of absorption from different types of substances present at the surgical site, and near infrared spectrometers with small form factors.

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 is described to enhance the ability to evaluate the depth of a tissue component or a lesion having optical properties different from a surrounding tissue using time resolved optical methods. This invention may be particularly suitable for the evaluation of lesion depth during RF ablation (irreversible tissue modification/damage) using specially designed devises (catheters) that deliver heat in a localized region for therapeutic reasons. The technique allows for increased ability to evaluate the depth of the ablated lesion or detect the presence of other processes such as micro-bubble formation and coagulation with higher sensitivity compared to that offered by steady state spectroscopy. The method can be used for in-vivo, real-time monitoring during tissue ablation or other procedures where information on the depth of a lesion or tissue is needed. Exemplary uses are found in tissue ablation, tissue thermal damage, lesion and tissue depth assessment in medical applications.

The present application relates to a device for cutting hair (1). The device has a skin contacting face (3) that is arranged to be placed against a surface of the skin (6) of a user during use, and an optical system configured to direct a cutting laser beam (8) across a cutting zone (5) parallel to and spaced from said skin contacting face (3) to cut hairs extending into the cutting zone (5). The device also has a skin sensor (18) configured to detect one or more optical properties of the surface of the skin (6), and a control unit (20) configured to adjust one or more characteristics of the optical system in dependence on the one or more optical properties of the skin (6) detected by the skin sensor (18). The present application also relates to a system for cutting hair comprising a device for cutting hair and a base unit for receiving the device.

A method and delivery system are disclosed for creating an aqueous flow pathway in the trabecular meshwork, juxtacanalicular trabecular meshwork and Schlemm's canal of an eye for reducing elevated intraocular pressure. Pulsed laser radiation is delivered from the distal end of a fiber-optic probe sufficient to cause photoablation of selected portions of the trabecular meshwork, the juxtacanalicular trabecular meshwork and an inner wall of Schlemm's canal in the target site. The fiber-optic probe may be advanced so as to create an aperture in the inner wall of Schlemm's canal in which fluid from the anterior chamber of the eye flows. The method and delivery system may further be used on any tissue types in the body.

Systems, devices, and methods for determining a distance between a distal end of an endoscope and a target during an endoscopic procedure are disclosed. A surgical laser feedback control system comprises a feedback analyzer and a controller. The feedback analyzer can receive at least two reflected signals from a target in response to electromagnetic radiation directed at the target. The at least two reflected signals correspond to respective different distances between a distal end of a device of a surgical laser system and the target. The feedback analyzer can determine a distance between the distal end of the device of the surgical laser system and the target based on the at least two reflected signals. The controller can generate a control signal to the surgical laser system to perform a predetermined operation based on the determined distance.

A skin treatment device, typically but not exclusively an IPL device, has a housing, a light source for discharging light energy pulses, a control system for controlling discharge of the light source and a housing output window in the housing for transmission of light energy pulses emitted by the light source to external of the housing onto a skin treatment area. One or more sensors are disposed in the housing adjacent to the output window to provide sensing zones. The control system is arranged to receive one or more sensor outputs and based on these outputs control operation of the device. A head is releasably engaged with the housing and has a shield portion and a head window portion where in an engaged configuration the shield portion partially shields the output window to reduce the skin treatment area and leave one or more of the sensing zones exposed.

A surgical working instrument (3) is disclosed that is inserted in a working channel (7) of an endoscope (2) and is slidably located therein. A device (27) for determination of the relative position of the working instrument (3) to the endoscope (2) is configured to determine in an optical manner that the distal end (8) of the working instrument (3) has reached a distal end (8) of the working channel (7). The position determination device (27) comprises a light conductor (28) that is attached to the working instrument (3) and configured to receive light surrounding the working instrument (3) in the vicinity of its distal end (14), wherein based on the light received by the light conductor (28) the relative position of the light conductor (28) and thus the working instrument (3) in relation to the endoscope (2) can be determined.