A method is disclosed comprising providing a biological sample on a swab, directing a spray of charged droplets onto a surface of the swab in order to generate a plurality of analyte ions, and analysing the analyte ions.

An unattended approach can increase the reproducibility and safety of the treatment as the chance of over/under treating of a certain area is significantly decreased. On the other hand, unattended treatment of uneven or rugged areas can be challenging in terms of maintaining proper distance or contact with the treated tissue, mostly on areas which tend to differ from patient to patient (e.g. facial area). Delivering energy via a system of active elements embedded in a flexible pad adhesively attached to the skin offers a possible solution. The unattended approach may include delivering of multiple energies to enhance a visual appearance.

Aspects of the present disclosure are presented for a medical instrument configured to adjust the power level for sealing procedures to account for changes in tissue impedance levels over time. In some aspects, a medical instrument may be configured to apply power according to a power algorithm to seal tissue by applying a gradually lower amount of power over to time as the tissue impedance level begins to rise out of the “bathtub region,” which is the time period during energy application where the tissue impedance is low enough for electrosurgical energy to be effective for sealing tissue. In some aspects, the power is then cut once the tissue impedance level exceeds the “bathtub region.” By gradually reducing the power, a balance is achieved between still applying an effective level of power for sealing and prolonging the time in which the tissue impedance remains in the “bathtub region.”

A generator, ultrasonic device, and method for controlling a temperature of an ultrasonic blade are disclosed. A control circuit coupled to a memory determines an actual resonant frequency of an ultrasonic electromechanical system comprising an ultrasonic transducer coupled to an ultrasonic blade by an ultrasonic waveguide. The actual resonant frequency is correlated to an actual temperature of the ultrasonic blade. The control circuit retrieves from the memory a reference resonant frequency of the ultrasonic electromechanical system. The reference resonant frequency is correlated to a reference temperature of the ultrasonic blade. The control circuit then infers the temperature of the ultrasonic blade based on the difference between the actual resonant frequency and the reference resonant frequency. The control circuit controls the temperature of the ultrasonic blade based on the inferred temperature

An electrosurgical generator includes: a power supply configured to output a DC waveform; an inverter coupled to the power supply, the inverter including a plurality of switching elements; and a controller coupled to the inverter and configured to generate a switching angle waveform including a plurality of switching pulses. The controller is further configured to at least one of select or calculate the plurality of switching pulses to activate the plurality of switching elements to generate a radio frequency waveform based on the DC waveform and to minimize harmonics of the radio frequency waveform.

Noninvasive neuromodulation combines transcutaneous electrical modulation with heat and/or focused ultrasonic energy. A noninvasive neuromodulation device includes a first bipole electrode pair aligned along a first axis and a second bipole electrode pair aligned along a second axis, the first axis and the second axis defining a plane. A focused ultrasound (FUS) transducer can direct a focused ultrasound beam along a third axis that intersects the plane. A controller is electrically coupled to the first and second bipole electrode pairs and to the focused ultrasound transducer. The controller is configured to apply electrical energy having a frequency of between about 1 Hz to about 100 MHz to the first and second bipole electrode pairs, and to cause the FUS transducer to emit a focused ultrasound beam having a frequency of between about 20 kHz to about 10 MHz.

The present disclosure describes methods for intracellular electromanipulation of proteins using nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs). The nsPEFs have effects on proteins in addition to permeabilizing cellular membranes. The nsPEFs induce a Ca.sup.2+-dependent dissipation of the mitochondria membrane potential (ΔΨm), which is enhanced when high frequency components are present in fast rise-fall waveforms. Ca.sup.2+ is shown to have little or no effect on propidium iodide uptake as a measure of plasma membrane poration and consequently intracellular membranes. Since Ca.sup.2+-regulated events are mediated by proteins, actions of nsPEFs on proteins that regulate and/or affect the mitochondria membrane potential are possible. Given that nsPEF-induced dissipation of ΔΨm was more effective when high frequency components were present in fast rise time waveforms, the effects on proteins are due to these high frequency components. These results present direct evidence that nsPEFs affect proteins and their functions by affecting their structure.

A flexible endoscope insertion method includes: rotating a hollow organ by changing the body position to semilateral position or lateral position for observing the lateral wall of the lumen; turning the tip of the flexible endoscope to the lateral wall of the lumen by rotating the endoscope in the counter direction of the lumen; and retracting the organ with the endoscope itself by rotating the endoscope in the counter direction of the lumen. In other embodiments, the method includes: rotating a body cavity by changing the body position to the appropriate position for observing the lateral side of the organ; turning the tip of the flexible endoscope to the lateral side of the organ by rotating the endoscope in the direction of the lateral side of the organ; and retracting the organ with the endoscope itself by rotating the endoscope in the direction of the lateral side of the organ.

A treatment instrument includes a probe including a treatment portion which treats a treatment target part by ultrasonic vibration, and a back portion provided on a side opposite to the treatment portion. The treatment instrument includes a hollow sheath which surrounds the probe, the sheath having a cutout made to expose the treatment portion. The treatment instrument includes protrusion which is provided in the sheath to cover the back portion on a side opposite to the cutout and which has dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the probe in a direction that intersects with a central axis of the probe.

Provided is an ultrasonic treatment apparatus provided with: a treatment-ultrasonic-wave irradiator that irradiates the biological tissue with focused ultrasonic waves, thus heating the vicinity of a focal point of the focused ultrasonic waves at a deep portion of the biological tissue to a temperature that is equal to or greater than a thermal-denaturation temperature of the biological tissue; and a pre-heating-energy irradiator that irradiates the biological tissue with energy waves, thus heating the vicinity of the focal point to a temperature that is less than the thermal-denaturation temperature, wherein the pre-heating-energy irradiator irradiates the biological tissue with the energy waves from a direction different from the direction in which the treatment-ultrasonic-wave irradiator irradiates with the focused ultrasonic waves.