A method for controlling an operation of an ultrasonic blade of an ultrasonic electromechanical system is disclosed. The method includes providing an ultrasonic electromechanical system comprising an ultrasonic transducer coupled to an ultrasonic blade via an ultrasonic waveguide; applying, by an energy source, a power level to the ultrasonic transducer; determining, by a control circuit coupled to a memory, a mechanical property of the ultrasonic electromechanical system; comparing, by the control circuit, the mechanical property with a reference mechanical property stored in the memory; and adjusting, by the control circuit, the power level applied to the ultrasonic transducer based on the comparison of the mechanical property with the reference mechanical property.

Medical procedure related objects (e.g., instruments, supplies) tagged with transponders (e.g., RFID transponders, dumb transponders) are accounted for in a medical or clinical environment via an accounting system using a number of antennas and interrogators/readers. A first set of antennas and RFID interrogator(s) interrogate portions of the environment for RFID tagged objects, for example proximate a start and an end of a procedure. Shielded packaging and/or shielded receptacles shield tagged objects, preventing interrogation except for those objects in unshielded portions of the environment. A shielded receptacle may include an antenna to interrogate the contents thereof in a relatively noise-free environment. A data store may maintain information including a current status or count of each instrument or supply, for instance as checked in or checked out. A handheld antenna and/or second set of antennas interrogates a body of a patient for retained instruments or supplies tagged with dumb transponders.

A method of calibrating an instrument interface of an instrument in a surgical robotic system, the surgical robotic system comprising a robot having a base and an arm extending from the base to a drive assembly for engaging with the instrument interface to transfer drive to the instrument, the instrument interface being configured to drive joints of the instrument via driving elements, the method comprising: obtaining usage data indicative of usage of a joint of the instrument; comparing the usage data with one or both of a maximum range of joint movement of the joint and a model of expected joint movement of the joint; determining, from the comparison, a calibration offset to adjust a control relationship of a driving element arranged to drive the joint; and adjusting the control relationship of the driving element using the calibration offset so as to calibrate is the instrument interface.

A device is provided for generating RF power for an electrosurgical instrument, wherein the circuit provides the electrosurgical current according to a specified set of predefined parameters. The invention further includes at least one read and write RFID that reads information from a RFID tag. The circuit changes the parameters based on the information.

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.

Catheter systems, tools and methods are disclosed for the selective and rapid application of DC voltage pulses to drive irreversible electroporation for minimally invasive transurethral prostate ablation. In one embodiment, a switch unit is used to modulate and apply voltage pulses from a cardiac defibrillator, while in another, the system controller can be configured to apply voltages to an independently selected multiplicity or subsets of electrodes. Devices are disclosed for more effective DC voltage application including the infusion of cooled fluid to elevate the irreversible electroporation threshold of urethral wall tissue and to selectively ablate regions of prostate tissue alone.

An electrosurgical instrument with at least one active electrode for effecting an electrosurgical treatment with an instrument data memory. Furthermore, the electrosurgical instrument has a connector for a connecting cable or a connected connecting cable including supply lines for supplying the active electrode with a high-frequency alternating current required for an electrosurgical treatment. The instrument data memory has at least one read-write area to which usage and status data can be written by an electrosurgical generator.

An electrosurgical system with an electrosurgical instrument, an evacuation device and an electrosurgical generator, to which the electrosurgical instrument and the evacuation device are connected, wherein the electrosurgical generator has a processor and at least one memory and is configured to convert entries in the memory into control instructions for operating the evacuation device and, during operation, to carry out control interventions corresponding to the control instructions for controlling the evacuation device, wherein the entries in the memory defining the control instructions for operating the evacuation device are specific to a respective electrosurgical instrument and/or a respective operating mode.

A powered medical device includes electronic components on a circuit board embedded within the body of a plug for connecting the device with a control apparatus. The medical device may be repaired or refurbished without the need to access the embedded circuit board through the use of a supplemental circuit board installed into the open end of the plug adjacent the plug pins. The supplemental circuit board may include a variety of electronic components, including fuses or non-volatile memory.

A method for determining a suitable set of parameters for operating a light source within a photo-thermal targeted treatment system for targeting a chromophore embedded in a medium is disclosed. The method includes, before administration of a treatment protocol: 1) administering at least one laser pulse from the light source at a preset power level to a location to be treated, the preset power level being below a known damage threshold; 2) measuring a skin surface temperature at the location to be treated, following administration of the at least one laser pulse; 3) estimating a relationship between the parameters for operating the light source and the skin surface temperature; and 4) defining a safe operating range for the parameters for operating the light source in order to avoid thermal damage to the medium at the location to be treated while still effectively targeting the chromophore in administering the treatment protocol.