An instrument for coagulation and dissection of biological tissue including a tool with coagulation electrodes and at least one cutting electrode. The electrodes are actuated via an operating circuit including an evaluation circuit, to which an external apparatus delivers an evaluation signal with first and second half-waves having opposite polarities. During at least one first half-wave, the evaluation circuit checks whether a first switch or a second switch are actuated on the instrument. Depending on the evaluation result, a triggering signal is transmitted to a switching unit. Depending on the triggering signal, the switching unit is switched into a first or second switching state. In the second switching state, no voltage suitable for dissection and no current suitable for dissection, respectively, is applied to the cutting electrode. In the first switching state, a voltage suitable for dissection or a current suitable for dissection is applied to the cutting electrode.

A system for delivering energy to a patient's body includes a plurality of probes, a touch-sensitive display screen, and a controller communicatively coupled to each of the probes and the display screen. The controller is configured to perform operations including displaying a plurality of dynamically sized channel control regions within a user interface of the touch-sensitive display screen. Each of the plurality of channel control regions corresponds with at least one of the plurality of probes and is sized based at least in part on a number of the plurality of probes. The operations can include detecting a user touch action directed to a user-selected channel control region of the plurality of dynamically sized channel control regions. The operations can include performing a control action associated with the probe(s) that correspond with the user-selected channel control region when the user touch action is detected.

An effector includes a tubular body having a proximal end and a distal end. The effector holds a plug or closure at the distal end of the tubular body; an active electrode at the distal end of the body; an insulator on the body; and one or more return electrodes on the insulator. The body dissipates heat generated by the one or more return electrodes from the distal end of the body to the proximal end of the body.

An ablation catheter including an elongate shaft, an inflatable balloon positioned at a distal region of the elongate shaft, a first ablation electrode disposed outside of and carried by an outer surface of the inflatable balloon, a first ultrasound transducer disposed outside of the inflatable balloon, and a flexible circuit. The flexible circuit includes a first conductor and a second conductor and is disposed outside of and carried by the outer surface of the inflatable balloon. The first conductor is in electrical communication with the first ablation electrode, and the second conductor in electrical communication with the first ultrasound transducer.

A device for a soft tissue treatment of a patient. The device includes an applicator including at least one electrode, a fastening mechanism to fix the applicator to a body part of a patient, and a control unit including a microprocessor to control the at least one electrode. The at least one electrode may provide a radiofrequency energy and an electric current. The radiofrequency energy may cause a heating of a soft tissue. The electric current may cause a muscle contraction. The body part includes a face or a chin.

Disclosed herein are apparatus, systems, and methods for ablating tissue in a patient by electroporation. Embodiments generally include an ablation catheter having a hand, a shaft, and an electroporation electrode arrangement. The shaft has a distal end and defines a longitudinal axis of the ablation catheter. The electroporation electrode arrangement is at the distal end of the shaft and is configured to generate a multidirectional electric field when at least one pulse sequence is delivered thereto. The multidirectional electric field includes at least two of the following directions relative to the longitudinal axis: generally axial, circumferential, and transverse. The electroporation electrode arrangement is configured to operatively couple to an electroporation generator that is configured to generate the at least one pulse sequence and is configured to receive the at least one pulse sequence from the electroporation generator.

The present invention relates to systems for use for radio frequency ablation. The systems can include one or more of an ablation tool, power source for use with the ablation tool and a backstop for use in conjunction with the ablation tool during surgical procedures. Preferred ablation tools comprise a series of three or more blade-shaped electrodes disposed in a linear, curved, curvilinear or circular array. The backstops are useful for reducing direct physical and thermal heat transfer injuries to the patient or surgeon during procedures using radiofrequency (RF) ablation devices.

An apparatus includes a tube, a support element, multiple spines proximally coupled to the tube, and multiple electrodes coupled to the spines. The spines include respective expandable superelastic elements, and respective polymeric elements extending from respective distal ends of the superelastic elements and coupled to a surface of the support element by virtue of being bent proximally, into alignment with the surface, at a distal end of the support element. Other examples are also described.

A system for use with multiple electrodes coupled to respective spines of a probe includes multiple switches connected to the electrodes and configured to short different respective first subsets of the electrodes to each other and different respective second subsets of the electrodes to each other per different respective settings of the switches. The system further includes a processor configured to control the switches so as to alternate through the settings and, for each of the settings, cause a power generator to apply a voltage between the shorted first subset and the shorted second subset while the probe is deployed within a body of a subject. Other examples are also described.

Aspects of the present disclosure are presented for managing simultaneous outputs of surgical instruments. In some aspects, methods are presented for synchronizing the current frequencies. In some aspects, methods are presented for conducting duty cycling of energy outputs of two or more instruments. In some aspects, systems are presented for managing simultaneous monopolar outputs of two or more instruments, including providing a return pad that properly handles both monopolar outputs in some cases.