An endovascular catheter has an elongate catheter body having a distal portion, a proximal portion, a transition portion and a central lumen extending longitudinally through the catheter body, with the distal portion having a larger central lumen than the proximal portion. A guidewire tube extends through a hole in the transition portion from the proximal end of the distal portion through the central lumen of the distal portion to the distal end of the distal portion.

A method for destroying cells and/or microorganisms in an organism includes the following steps: (a) administering to the organism a composition including a sonosensitizing compound containing at least one transition metal with three bidentate ligands; and (b) exposing the sonosensitizing compound in the organism to ultrasound, wherein the ultrasound is effective to activate the sonosensitizing compound to destroy at least one of the cells and the microorganisms in the organism. The ultrasound is preferably used in conjunction with electromagnetic therapies comprising photodynamic therapy, low-level laser therapy, and radiation therapy. The ultrasound is preferably administered at a duty cycle in the range from 5% to 95% at a power density of 10 W/cm.sup.2 and a frequency in the range from 10 Hz to 10 MHz.

Fluorescence videostroboscopy imaging is described. A system includes an emitter for emitting pulses of electromagnetic radiation and an image sensor comprising a pixel array for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation. The system includes a controller configured to cause the emitter to emit the pulses of electromagnetic radiation at a strobing frequency determined based on a vibration frequency of vocal cords of a user. The system is such that at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 770 nm to about 790 nm.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to controlling electrical power of an electrotherapeutic signal that is provided to a biological tissue engaged by an electrosurgical instrument during a medical procedure. Electrical power—a product of a voltage difference across and an electrical current conducted by the engaged biological tissue—is controlled according to a therapeutic schedule. The electrotherapeutic schedule can be reduced or terminated in response to a termination criterion being met. In some examples, the termination criterion is a current characteristic, such as, for example, a decrease in current conducted by the engaged biological tissue. In some examples, the termination criterion is a biological tissue resistance characteristic, such as, for example, an increase in the biological tissue resistance that exceeds a predetermined delta resistance value.

An irreversible electroporation (IRE) method includes selecting electrodes of a catheter placed in contact with tissue in an organ, for applying IRE pulses between the selected electrodes. An impedance is measured between the selected electrodes. Based on the measured impedance, an IRE protocol is chosen, that has parameters that meet a predefined safety criterion under the measured impedance. The IRE pulses are applied according to the chosen protocol.

Laser mapping imaging and videostroboscopy is described. A system includes an emitter for emitting pulses of electromagnetic radiation and an image sensor comprising a pixel array for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation. The system includes a controller configured to cause the emitter to emit the pulses of electromagnetic radiation at a strobing frequency determined based on a vibration frequency of vocal cords of a user. The system is such that at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises a laser mapping pattern.

According to an aspect, there is provided a handheld device (2) for applying energy pulses to skin (17) of a subject to perform a treatment operation as the handheld device is moved across the skin, the handheld device comprising: an aperture (6) that is to be placed adjacent to the skin; at least one energy source (8) for generating an energy pulse and for providing the energy pulse through the aperture to perform the treatment operation on 5 skin adjacent the aperture, wherein the at least one energy source has a minimum pulse repetition period following the generation of an energy pulse before a subsequent energy pulse can be generated; a first skin property sensor (14) for measuring a skin property and for outputting a first measurement signal representing measurements of the skin property at a first sensing position (24), wherein the skin property is a property that changes in response to the application of an energy pulse to the skin, and wherein the first sensing position is in front of the aperture relative to an intended motion direction of the handheld device over the skin; a second skin property sensor (16) for measuring the skin property and for outputting a second measurement signal representing measurements of the skin property at a second sensing position (26), wherein the second sensing position is behind the aperture relative to the intended motion direction; a memory unit (56); and a control unit (10) that is coupled to the at least one energy source to control the generation of energy pulses by the at least one energy source, and coupled to the first skin property sensor and the second skin property sensor to obtain the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal, wherein the control unit is configured to store a profile of at least the first measurement signal in the memory unit; wherein the control unit is further configured to, when the handheld device is moving in the intended motion direction over the skin: analyse the profile of the first measurement signal to determine if the first skin property sensor is passing over a previously treated area of skin; on detecting that the first skin property sensor is not passing over a previously treated area of skin, control the at least one energy source to generate an energy pulse if, or once, the minimum pulse repetition period following the generation of a previous energy pulse has expired; on detecting that the first skin property sensor is passing over a previously treated area of skin, performing the consecutive operations of: preventing the generation of an energy pulse, even if the minimum pulse repet

A system and method for the present invention requires use of a generator, in combination with a radiation unit, to radiate electromagnetic waveform energy onto a target tissue (i.e. a cellular structure). During radiation of the target tissue in accordance with a predetermined titration-like protocol, the influence of the waveform energy on the cellular structure is periodically monitored. The protocol is stopped when the cellular structure has been transformed or morphed into a desired phenotype.

A method for operating an electrosurgical system including an ultrasound generator and an ultrasonic instrument, includes the steps: determining an initial resonant frequency of the ultrasonic instrument by the ultrasound generator, energizing the ultrasonic instrument by the ultrasound generator with an operating amplitude and an operating frequency which correspond to the initial resonant frequency, tracking the operating frequency of the ultrasound generator with changes in the resonant frequency of the ultrasonic instrument, and terminating the energizing of the ultrasonic instrument by the ultrasound generator. A method terminates the energizing of the ultrasonic instrument by the ultrasound generator, in a decay phase the operating amplitude of the ultrasound generator is reduced to zero with a predefined or predefinable rate of change. An ultrasound generator is also presented.

A method for controlling an output of an energy module of a modular energy system. The energy module can comprise a plurality of amplifiers configured to generate a drive signal at a frequency range and a plurality of ports coupled to the plurality of amplifiers. The method includes determining to which port of the plurality of ports the surgical instrument is connected, selectively coupling an amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers to the port of the plurality of ports to which the surgical instrument is connected, and controlling the amplifier to deliver the drive signal for driving the energy modality to the surgical instrument through the port.