A method of treating a patient with a therapeutic laser pulse includes applying a cooling mechanism to a first skin area, cooling a target skin area within the first the skin area from a first surface temperature to a second temperature through application of the cooling mechanism prior to application of the therapeutic laser pulse, initiating application of the therapeutic laser pulse at a first timepoint, while continuing to apply the cooling mechanism, determining a surface temperature of the target skin area a plurality of times during application of the therapeutic laser pulse at a refresh rate of 25 Hz to 400 Hz, and terminating the application of the therapeutic laser pulse at a second timepoint, based on the surface temperature determinations. Each of the plurality of surface temperature determinations occurs during a single therapeutic laser pulse duration from the first time point to the second timepoint.

A method and system capable of applying microwave therapy guided by thermoacoustic imaging and/or thermoacoustic thermometry is disclosed. The system includes a thermoacoustic imaging system and/or a thermoacoustic thermometry system that generate(s) a map of a region of interest; and a microwave therapy system that targets the region of interest using the map, and that applies the microwave therapy to the targeted region of interest. Treatment of the targeted region of interest may be employed by the microwave therapy system using real-time feedback from the thermoacoustic imaging system and/or the thermoacoustic thermometry system. Imaging and therapy may be automatically co-registered.

A system and method of use thereof are disclosed, the system including a treatment source, such as an electrosurgical generator and a plurality of treatment devices operable to be coupled to the treatment source, one or more of the treatment devices being associated with one or more device identifiers which can be, for example, physically present on the device or contained in device software.

A probe is configured with a flushing port and an evacuation port to establish a flow path to remove blood from a resected tissue. The probe comprises a balloon configured to expand and contact the resected tissue to compress filaments and improve access to the underlying blood vessels for coagulation with an energy source. An endoscope can be used to view the tissue, and the balloon may comprise a transparent material or a viewing port to allow imaging of the bleeding tissue through the balloon. The probe may have a light source to illuminate the tissue with a beam oriented at an oblique angle to the tissue surface, which can decrease interference from blood and may allow more localized coagulation of the blood vessel.

Polymers, hydrogels, and thermochromic agents, including products embodying them, methods of using them, and processes for making them. In certain embodiments, temperature therapy packs which utilize thermochromic agents integrated into solid, semi-solid, or liquid hydrogels. In preferred (but optional) embodiments, the thermochromic agents are integrated into the composition used as the temperature exchange material of the therapy pack. In certain other embodiments, methods of using the thermochromic integrated temperature exchange materials, or processes for manufacturing such thermochromic integrated temperature exchange materials and/or methods or processes for manufacturing or using thermal packs embodying such materials. In certain particularly preferred embodiments, novel polymer compositions and/or processes for making polymers, which improve product durability or longevity and/or which improve use cycles or usage times.

Methods and systems that provide quantitative assessments of in vivo thermal treatments, such as ablations, during image-guided surgeries using a high-resolution pre-operative MRI image segmented with a shape constrained and deformable mesh representations of brain structures and generating 3-D visualizations of thermally treated volumes during the thermal treatment that can provide near real time visual and quantitative feedback to a clinician.

A method for determining a change of temperature of an object. The method may include heating an object and measuring scattering parameters (S-parameters) of scattered microwave electric fields from the object. A distorted Born iterative method may be used to determine a change of a dielectric property of the object based on the measured S-parameters. A change of temperature of the object may be determined based on the change of the dielectric property of the object.

A thulium fiber laser system can be used to treat tissues based on the ability for quick changes between laser pulses. For example, to treat stones in a tissue, a long pulse having low peak power can be used to create bubbles in front of the stone (calculi), then follow a series of shorter pulses and higher peak power can be used to break the stone. The sequence can be repeated to maintain large bubble formation, with the long pulse characteristics changed to accommodate for the changes in the tissue. A fluorescent sensing assembly can be used to detect the tissue conditions for selecting the conditions of the thulium fiber laser.

Devices and methods for monitoring the temperature of tissue at various locations in a treatment volume during fluid enhanced ablation therapy are provided. In one embodiment, an ablation device is provided having an elongate body, at least one ablation element, and at least one temperature sensor. The elongate body includes a proximal and distal end, an inner lumen, and at least one outlet port to allow fluid to be delivered to tissue surrounding the elongate body. The at least one ablation element is configured to heat tissue surrounding the at least one ablation element. The at least one temperature sensor can be positioned a distance away from the at least one ablation element and can be effective to output a measured temperature of tissue spaced a distance apart from the at least one ablation element such that the measured temperature indicates whether tissue is being heating to a therapeutic level.

Proposed is a laser treatment device having a cooling system, the device including a laser module which irradiates a patient's skin with a laser, a sensing unit which detects a temperature of a surface of the patient's skin before, during, or after the skin is heated by the laser, a cooling module which includes an inlet which receives a refrigerant from a refrigerant storage unit, a nozzle which sprays the refrigerant on the skin, a conduit which connects the inlet with the nozzle, an flow rate control unit which controls a spray amount of the refrigerant by using a valve which is positioned on the conduit and connects or disconnects the inlet with or from the nozzle, and a refrigerant condition control unit which applies a thermal energy to the refrigerant by using a thermoelectric element located between the flow rate control unit and the nozzle.