A structure of a surgical instrument configured for thermally cutting tissue. The structure includes a frame and a thermal cutting element. The frame includes a proximal flange portion and a distal body portion. The distal body portion includes a proximal section extending from the proximal flange portion, a distal section, and a center section extending between the proximal and distal sections. The distal body portion includes first and second distal body portion segments. The distal body portion segments are disposed a first distance apart from one another at the proximal section, a second distance apart from one another at the distal section, and a third distance apart from one another at the center section. The third distance is greater than the first and second distances. The thermal cutting element is disposed within the distal body portion of the frame and extends from the proximal section, through the center section, to the distal section.

Treatment systems, methods, and apparatuses for improving the appearance of skin or other target regions are described. Aspects of the technology are directed to improving the appearance of skin by tightening the skin, improving skin tone or texture, eliminating or reducing wrinkles, increasing skin smoothness, or improving the appearance sites with cellulite. Treatments can include cooling a surface of a patient's skin and detecting freezing in the cooled skin. The tissue can be cooled after the freeze event is detected so to maintain the frozen state of the tissue to improve the appearance of the treatment site.

A medical system may comprise a catheter (101) for ablating tissue including a flexible longitudinal body including a distal end; and a distal portion extending distally from the distal end of longitudinal body. The distal portion may include a plurality of electrodes (103). The medical system may also comprise one or more control units (112) coupled to the catheter and configured to (1) control a supply of electrical energy to each of the plurality of electrodes and (2) automatically control a position of the distal portion of the catheter.

A surgical instrument end effector assembly includes a first jaw member and a second jaw member. The second jaw member includes an ultrasonic blade body and first and second electrodes disposed on either side of the ultrasonic blade body and extending longitudinally along a majority of a length of the ultrasonic blade body. The ultrasonic blade body is adapted to receive ultrasonic energy from an ultrasonic waveguide. The first and second electrodes taper in width proximally to distally and are adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy. The first jaw member is movable relative to the second jaw member between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position for grasping tissue therebetween.

A method of spectrometric analysis comprises obtaining one or more sample spectra for an aerosol, smoke or vapour sample. The one or more sample spectra are subjected to pre-processing and then multivariate and/or library based analysis so as to classify the aerosol, smoke or vapour sample. The results of the analysis are used for various surgical or non-surgical applications.

A return pad of an electrosurgical system is disclosed. The return pad includes a plurality of conductive members and a plurality of sensing devices. The conductive members are configured to receive radio frequency current applied to a patient. The sensing devices are configured to detect at least one of the following: a nerve control signal applied to the patient; and a movement of an anatomical feature of the patient resulting from application of the nerve control signal.

A system includes, first and second circuitries and one or more devices. The first circuitry is configured to generate a stress signal for reducing an impedance of tissue of an organ. The second circuitry is configured to generate an irreversible electroporation (IRE) signal for producing a lesion in the tissue. The one or more devices are configured to apply to the tissue, the stress signal at a first time interval, and the IRE signal at a second time interval, subsequent to the first time interval.

A method includes cutting a septal wall between a right atrium and left atrium of a heart of a patient to form a multi-cuspid valvular shunt, and ablating septal wall tissue of at least a portion of the multi-cuspid valvular shunt to cause the ablated portion of the multi-cuspid valvular shunt to be biostable.

Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards apparatuses, systems, and methods for electroporation ablation. The electroporation ablation catheter may include an electrode assembly comprising one or more electrodes configured to generate electric fields in target tissue in response to a plurality of electrical pulse sequences delivered in a plurality of therapy sections, and an ultrasound transducer configured to generate a first set of ultrasound signals during a first electrical pulse sequence of the plurality of electrical pulse sequences and generate a second set of ultrasound signals after an end of the first electrical pulse sequence and before a beginning of a second electrical pulse sequence, the second electrical pulse sequence being an electrical pulse sequence subsequent to the first electrical pulse sequence.

An integrated system for increasing skin rejuvenation of a region of a patient's skin and treating subcutaneous fat associated with the region is provided. The system includes at least one first applicator having one or more RF electrodes adapted to be placed on the region of the patient's skin without penetrating the skin. At least one of said RF electrodes is configured to apply RF energy to the region of the patient's skin to heat up to a temperature in a specified temperature range. The system also includes at least one second applicator, in communication with an optical system. The optical system includes at least one laser source and is adapted to provide homogeneous illumination to the skin surface to effect at least one target tissue at a given depth range and power density range.