Disclosed are a radio frequency operation prompting method, an electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium. The method includes acquiring physical characteristic data of an operating position in an object of a radio frequency operation in real time by multiple probes, obtaining a physical characteristic field of the object of the radio frequency operation according to the physical characteristic data acquired in real time; and obtaining a change of range of a to-be-operated area in a target operating area according to an initial range of the target operating area in the object of the radio frequency operation and a change of value of the physical characteristic data in the physical characteristic field, and displaying the change of range through a three-dimensional model.

Disclosed is a method of operating an electrosurgical instrument including an end effector with segmented electrodes.

This disclosure relates to using stereo-thermo-lesioning (STL) to create lesions at one or more locations in the patient's nervous system at the patient's bedside without general anesthesia. A method that uses STL to treat a patient's neurological condition includes: using a plurality of stereotactically-implanted thermo-coupled multi-contact electrodes to record conduction data within a predetermined theoretical zone of activity within the patient's neurological tissue; detecting abnormal neurological activity of a neurological condition within the conduction data and localize a portion of the predetermined theoretical zone of activity that is responsible for a primary organization of the abnormal neurological activity; creating a lesion at the portion of the predetermined theoretical zone of activity that is responsible for a primary organization of the abnormal neurological activity using at least one contact of the plurality of thermo-coupled multi-contact electrodes.

Described herein is a method and system for gap detection in ablation lines. Microelectrodes are implemented at a distal tip of a catheter to provide localized gap detection along an ablation line. A pacing protocol is used to sequence through each of the microelectrode pairs for a tissue location. If living tissue is present, the pacing signal travels through the living tissue to pulse the heart. An operator will see a capture signal and know that there is a gap in the ablation line. The ablation electrode is then used to ablate the tissue in the gap. Pacing and ablation are therefore performed at the same place without the need to switch between instruments and/or catheters. In an implementation, a force sensor can automate the pacing protocol by determining which microelectrode pair is contacting the tissue. Moreover, signaling between microelectrode pairs can determine contact between the catheter and the tissue.

Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for positioning electrodes within a body. In an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus for slidably moving multiple features relative to a sheath insertable into a body and positionable relative to a reference point includes a primary actuator configured to move a primary electrode to a first position. A secondary actuator is configured to move a secondary electrode to a second position. A shrouding device is configured to selectively prevent access to the secondary actuator until the primary actuator has been manipulated to extend the primary electrode to the first position.

A method includes receiving: (i) a position of a target tissue intended to be ablated in an organ of a patient and having a predefined pattern, and (ii) an energy level of an ablation signal intended to be applied to the target tissue. One or more selected ablation electrodes that, when applying the ablation signal, produce together a lesion having a shape that covers the predefined pattern, are selected in a catheter that is inserted into the organ and has an array of ablation electrodes. In response to verifying that: (i) the one or more selected ablation electrodes are positioned on the target tissue, and (ii) a contact force between the one or more selected ablation electrode and the target tissue is larger than a force threshold, the ablation signal is applied to the target tissue using the one or more selected ablation electrodes.

A staple cartridge comprising staple drivers including stability supports is disclosed.

Disclosed is a surgical instrument comprising an end effector with independently activatable segmented electrodes.

Disclosed is a method of detecting a short circuit in the jaws of an end effector of a surgical instrument. The method includes applying a sub-therapeutic electrical signal to an electrode located in the jaws of the end effector. The sub-therapeutic electrical signal comprises a sequence of exploratory waveforms comprising pulsed current and voltage waveforms. The method includes detecting a shorted electrode when a measured electrical parameter in the jaws of the end effector is less than a predetermined value and modifying electrical current applied to the shorted electrode by the RF generator.

Disclosed are surgical instruments configured to control therapeutic energy application to tissue based on cartridge and tissue parameters.