An ablation probe tip 100 having a shaft 102 with an insertion end 104 and an annular aperture 120 near the insertion end 104. A center of ablation 124 is located within the shaft 102 and surrounded by the annular aperture shaft 102. The ablation probe tip 100 may be part of an ablation probe system 50 that includes an ablation source 60 that provides ablation means 62 to the ablation probe tip 100. The center of ablation 124 is a focal region from which the ablation means 62 radiates through the annular aperture 120 to form an ablation zone 150, 160, 170. The system 50 has at least one intra-operative control selected from the group of: ablation zone positioning control, ablation zone shaping control, ablation center control, ablation zone temperature control, guided ablation volume/diameter control, and power loading control.

A system for the treatment of targets under the skin of a patient comprising: a laser device for emitting a first series of laser pulses towards an area of the skin of a patient, where a target which must be reached by said laser pulses is located under said skin; a cooling system of said area of the skin by means of a cooling fluid; a first measurement sensor of a first temperature of said area of skin; a second measurement sensor of the temperature of said cooling fluid; said computer which receives the signals from said first and second temperature measurement sensor; said computer controls said laser device that emits a first series of laser pulses having predetermined power, duration and spacing; said temperature measurement sensor measures the temperature of said area of skin, following said first series of laser pulses; said computer calculates the predicted temperature reached of said area of the skin following the emission of a second series of pulses having said predetermined power, duration and spacing.

Systems and methods for estimating tissue parameters, including mass of tissue to be treated and a thermal resistance scale factor between the tissue and an electrode of an energy delivery device, are disclosed. The method includes sensing tissue temperatures, estimating a mass of the tissue and a thermal resistance scale factor between the tissue and an electrode, and controlling an electrosurgical generator based on the estimated mass and the estimated thermal resistance scale factor. The method may be performed iteratively and non-iteratively. The iterative method may employ a gradient descent algorithm that iteratively adds a derivative step to the estimates of the mass and thermal resistance scale factor until a condition is met. The non-iterative method includes selecting maximum and minimum temperature differences and estimating the mass and the thermal resistance scale factor based on a predetermined reduction point from the maximum temperature difference to the minimum temperature difference.

A novel monitoring method evaluates tissue ablation progress. An antenna in a distal portion of an ablation applicator sends and receives electrical information from the target tissue during ablation. The information is used to determine ablation progress. A related ablation monitoring system includes a power monitor and processor operable to evaluate ablation progress based on reflected electrical properties during the ablation. The invention has particular benefits when used in endoscopic-based microwave ablation.

An electrosurgical waveform having both radiofrequency (RF) energy and microwave energy components that is arranged to perform efficient haemostasis in biological tissue. The waveform comprises a first portion primarily of RF electromagnetic energy, and a second portion primarily of microwave electromagnetic energy that follows the first portion. The second portion further comprises a plurality of RF pulses, wherein the first portion transitions to the second portion when either a duration of the first portion meets or exceeds a predetermined duration threshold, or an impedance determined during the first portion meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold. The waveform is arranged to deliver energy rapidly so that haemostasis can occur in a short time frame in a situation where the maximum available power is limited, or to avoid undesirable thermal damage to the biological tissue.

It is an object of the invention to improve the patient safety during thermal ablation. This object is achieved by an ablation therapy planning system, configured to carry out the steps of: receiving a medical image of a patient, and receiving an input defining an intended treatment location for one or more thermal applicators relative to a skin location and one or more intended treatment parameters and determining a location of a skin of the patient and estimating a temperature or thermal dose at the skin location resulting from the intended treatment location and one or more intended treatment parameters and raising an alarm if the calculated temperature or thermal dose at the skin location is above or below a certain threshold.

A control circuit configured to receive a control signal that defines a first phase and a second phase from a surgical generator. The control circuit may include a first resistor, a second resistor in parallel with the first resistor, and a switch in series with the second resistor. The switch may be configured to transition between an open state and a closed state corresponding to an operational mode of a surgical instrument. In the first phase of the control signal, the control circuit is configured to communicate surgical instrument information to the surgical generator. In the second phase of the control signal and in the open state of the switch, the control circuit is configured to provide a first output. In the second phase of the control signal and in the closed state of the switch, the control circuit is configured to provide a second output.

A microneedling system may reciprocate a plurality of microneedles disposed on a handpiece into the skin of a patient. The microneedles and/or electrode plates may deliver RF energy to the patient for inducing collagen coagulation and regeneration. An interrogative modality such as ultrasound may combined into the microneedling handpiece or used as a separate instrument to interrogate the skin and identify or measure the thicknesses of constituent layers. The data obtained from the interrogative modality may be displayed and can be used to automatically adjust operating parameters of the microneedling device, including the penetration depth of the needles, the pulse duration, and/or the power level of the RF energy to optimize the treatment for the specific patient and/or condition being treated. The microneedling system may recall the skin measurements for distinct sectors of the skin which are expected to have different properties.

In combined methods for treating a patient using time-varying magnetic field, treatment methods combine various approaches for aesthetic treatment. A magnetic field generating device is placed proximate to a body region of the patient. The magnetic field generating device generates a time-varying magnetic field with a magnetic flux density in a range of 0.5 to 7 Tesla. The time-varying magnetic field is applied to the body region of the patient in order to cause a contraction of a muscle within the body region. A second therapy may be used by applying one or more of optical waves, radio frequency waves, mechanical waves, negative or positive pressure or heat to the body region of the patient.

An exemplary ablation system is provided. The system is designed for safe and efficacious energy delivery into tissue by, for example, emitting energy in a controlled, repeatable manner that allows for feedback and energy emission titration based on sensed parameters (e.g., tissue temperature) measured during ablation. The system may include a switching antenna for both heating of target tissue and radiometry to monitor the temperature of the heated tissue. For example, the switching antenna may include a monopole formed by proximal and distal radiating elements, such that the proximal radiating element includes a short to defeat a choke action of the proximal radiating element. The system further includes a processor for calculating the temperature of the target tissue and estimating volume of the ablation lesion based on the target tissue temperature.