A method and apparatus for delivering energy during a surgical procedure such as phacoemulsification is provided. The method and apparatus include applying energy during at least one pulsed energy on period, typically sufficient or intended to rapidly induce and beneficially employ transient cavitation. Applying energy during the pulsed energy on period comprises applying energy during a first high energy period, and applying energy during a second nonzero lower energy period.

Various forms are directed to systems and methods for driving an end effector coupled to an ultrasonic drive system of a surgical instrument. A generator may generate at least one electrical signal. The at least one electrical signal may be monitored against a first set of logic conditions. When an ultrasonic impedance of the surgical instrument exceeds a threshold impedance, a resonant frequency of the at least one electrical signal may be stored as a baseline frequency. A first response of the generator may be triggered upon the occurrence of either the first set of logic conditions being met or the resonant frequency of the at least one electrical signal differing from the baseline frequency by a baseline deviation threshold.

A surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a shaft, a sensing array and a fluid detection circuit. The sensing array is positioned within the shaft. The fluid detection circuit is electrically coupled to the sensing array, and is configured to determine when a fluid originating from an environment external to the shaft is present within the shaft.

A method and apparatus for delivering energy during a surgical procedure such as phacoemulsification is provided. The method and apparatus include applying energy during at least one pulsed energy on period, typically sufficient or intended to rapidly induce and beneficially employ transient cavitation. Applying energy during the pulsed energy on period comprises applying energy during a first high energy period, and applying energy during a second nonzero lower energy period.

Various embodiments are directed to a method of driving an end effector coupled to an ultrasonic drive system of a surgical instrument. The method comprises generating at least one electrical signal. The at least one electrical signal is monitored against a first set of logic conditions. A first response is triggered when the first set of logic conditions is met. A parameter is determined from the at least one electrical signal.

The application relates to a cleaning system configured for cleaning of cavities filled with a liquid, including fragmentation, debridement, material removal, irrigation, disinfection, and decontamination. The cleaning system includes an electromagnetic radiation system and a liquid. A treatment handpiece irradiates the liquid within a cavity with a radiation beam, producing a first vapor bubble using first pulse, and, at a different location, a second vapor bubble using a second pulse. The pulse repetition time is adjusted to ensure efficacy, for example such that an onset time of the second vapor bubble is within the first contraction phase of the first vapor bubble, when the first vapor bubble has contracted from its maximal volume to a size in a range from about 0.7 to about 0.1 of the maximal volume.

A cosmetic method of treating skin tissue with a laser source includes applying a plurality of short pulses of predetermined parameters to ramp up the temperature of the skin tissue to reach a desired temperature and then applying a plurality of short pulses to maintain a temperature dwell time. The predetermined parameters are selected from one or more of: pulse peak power, pulse duration, pulse repetition rate and laser wavelength.

A method for treating Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis to alleviate the discomforts of breathing by using non-thermal electroporation energy to ablate diseased portions of the lung including the bronchus, airways and alveoli which, in effect, opens the restrictive diseased portions thereby maximizing the overall surface area thereof causing improved airflow and uninhibited breathing.

A method of treating a mobile target tissue with a laser beam includes: providing a laser device for generating a laser beam and providing an optical fiber having a delivery end for guiding the laser beam to the target tissue; a controller causes the laser device to generate one or more laser pulses substantially along the same longitudinal axis. The controller causes the laser device to provide one or more laser pulses. The one or more pulses are selected to allow a vapor bubble formed by the one or more pulse to expand an amount sufficient to displace a substantial portion of the liquid medium from the space between the delivery end of the fiber and the target tissue. The one or more pulses are delivered to the target tissue through the vapor bubble after the vapor bubble has reached its maximum extent and has begun to collapse to reduce retropulsion of the mobile target tissue.

A method for controlling a surgical instrument is disclosed. In at least one instance, the surgical instrument comprises a shroud and the operation of the surgical instrument is modified based on input from a sensing circuit configured to sense a parameter of the shroud. In certain instances, the surgical instrument comprises a strain gage circuit and the operation of the surgical instrument is modified based on input from the strain gage circuit.