Systems and methods for controlling an irrigation flow rate during a lithotripsy procedure are provided. The system includes a laser configured for lithotripsy procedure, a lithotripsy irrigation system, and a temperature sensor configured to provide input to enable control of a flow of the lithotripsy irrigation system in response to a change in temperature from the operation of the laser.

Methods and systems for the controlled generation of bubbles in a medium having a liquid phase are generally provided. Laser pulses having a time-dependent pulse parameter controllable over their duration are generated. The medium is irradiated with the laser pulses with a radiant exposure sufficient to initiate microcavitation within the medium during each laser pulse. The time-dependent pulse parameter of each laser pulse is controlled according to a generally positive variation over the pulse duration such that the medium absorbs a greater quantity of energy from the laser pulse at an end of the pulse duration than at a beginning thereof. Such methods and systems may be used for various applications such as biology, medicine or material processing.

A medical probe, including a flexible insertion tube having proximal and distal ends, and a basket assembly at the distal end of the flexible insertion tube. In embodiments of the present invention, the basket assembly includes a plurality of spines and a plurality of electrodes, each of the electrodes having a lumen therethrough fitting a given spine.

An ultrasound treatment appliance comprising a surgical handpiece, an ultrasound insert, and an ultrasound generator, the handpiece including a piezoelectric transducer connected to the ultrasound insert and a piezoelectric motor connected to the ultrasound generator. The piezoelectric motor transmits ultrasound waves to the insert, which waves are defined as a function of current and voltage setpoint signals delivered by the ultrasound generator to the piezoelectric motor. The appliance also includes a module for controlling the amplitudes of the setpoint signals and configured to increase or decrease the amplitudes of the current and voltage setpoint signals when the variation in the impedance of the ultrasound signal is greater than a predetermined impedance variation value and when the variation in the frequency of the ultrasound signal is greater than or less than the predetermined frequency variation value.

Some implementations provide a high-powered compact ultrasonic transducer having an integral piezoelectric ceramic force sensing element utilized to enable enhanced tissue selectivity with a piezoelectric based transducer. Some implementations additionally or alternatively relate to methods and apparatus for driving ultrasonic surgical devices, such as methods and apparatus that modulate an amplitude of a drive signal, provided to an ultrasonic surgical device, in accordance with a selected tissue selectivity level. For example, the amplitude of the drive signal for a given tissue selectivity level can be varied with time in accordance with amplitude modification parameters that are particularized to the given tissue selectivity level. Some of those implementations additionally implement a corresponding duty cycle, for the drive signal, that corresponds to the selected tissue selectivity level.

Systems and methods for controlling an energy output setting of a lithotripsy device during a lithotripsy procedure are provided. The system includes a laser or other lithotripsy device configured for facilitating the lithotripsy procedure, an irrigation system configured for supplying an irrigant such as saline to a surgical site, and a temperature sensor configured to provide temperature data associated with the irrigant. The system can modulate the energy output setting of the lithotripsy device based on an estimated temperature that is determined based at least in part on the temperature data and one or more other factors such as a current energy output setting or a flow rate of the irrigant.

Systems and methods for controlling an energy output setting of a lithotripsy device during a lithotripsy procedure are provided. The system includes a laser or other lithotripsy device configured for facilitating the lithotripsy procedure, an irrigation system configured for supplying an irrigant such as saline to a surgical site, and a temperature sensor configured to provide temperature data associated with the irrigant. The system can modulate the energy output setting of the lithotripsy device based on an estimated temperature that is determined based at least in part on the temperature data and one or more other factors such as a current energy output setting or a flow rate of the irrigant.

A liquid ejection control apparatus, which controls a drive voltage waveform applied to a piezoelectric element so as to control ejection of a pulsed liquid jet, includes a first operation unit that receives input of an index value for setting a position of an inflection point in a rising portion of the drive voltage waveform, and a control unit that sets the position of the inflection point in the rising portion of the drive voltage waveform according to the index value so as to control changing of the drive voltage waveform.

In a liquid ejection control apparatus, an operation unit includes adjustment levers for changing a rising frequency, voltage amplitude, and the like of a drive voltage waveform applied to a piezoelectric element. In a control unit, a rising frequency setting section sets a rising frequency in response to an input operation on a rising frequency adjustment lever so as to make constant a change amount regarding momentum related to a pulsed liquid jet ejected from a liquid ejection device and the change amount per unit operation level for the rising frequency adjustment lever in a state in which voltage amplitude of the drive voltage waveform is set to a predetermined value.

In a liquid ejection control apparatus, an operation unit includes an energy dial used to input an energy indication value related to kinetic energy of a pulsed liquid jet ejected from a liquid ejection device, and a repetition frequency dial used to input a repetition frequency indication value related to the number of times of ejection per unit time of the pulsed liquid jet. A control unit includes a rising waveform shape setting section which sets a rising waveform shape of a drive voltage waveform so that the kinetic energy has the energy indication value on the basis of voltage amplitude of the drive voltage waveform and the repetition frequency indication value. The repetition frequency dial may be omitted, and a repetition frequency may be fixed to a predetermined value.