Abstract: The present invention provides methods, systems, and kits for protecting body tissues which are adjacent to tissues undergoing thermal treatment. The methods, systems, and kits are useful for thermally ablating tumors which lie at or near the surface of an organ, such as the kidney, pancreas, stomach, spleen, and particularly the liver. In radiofrequency and electrosurgical treatment, electrodes mayh penetrate and heat may dissipate into surrounding tissues into tissue adjacent to target organ, thus causing unwanted tissue damage. These risks and others may be lessened or avoided with the use of an interface shield between the target region and adjacent body tissues to shield surrounding organs and tissue from treatment effects.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved methods, systems, and kits for protecting body tissues which are adjacent to tissues undergoing thermal treatment. Thermal treatment is often prescribed for tumors and other disease conditions within body organs and other tissue masses. The methods, systems, and kits are particularly useful for treating tumors which lie at or near the surface of an organ, such as the kidney, pancreas, stomach, spleen, and particularly the liver. One risk of treating such tumors is the possibility of mistargeting the tumor and penetrating a delivery cannula or portions of a treatment device beyond the surface into the adjacent tissues or organs. In the case of radiofrequency or electrosurgical treatment, healthy surrounding tissue may be directly ablated. An additional risk, present even when the tumor is correctly targeted, is the possibility of thermal damage to the surrounding, non-targeted tissue.

Abstract: A system for treating a target region in tissue beneath a tissue surface comprises a probe for deploying an electrode array within the tissue and a surface electrode for engaging the tissue surface above the treatment site. Preferably, surface electrode includes a plurality of tissue-penetrating elements which advance into the tissue, and the surface electrode is removably attachable to the probe. The tissue may be treated in a monopolar fashion where the electrode array and surface electrode are attached to a common pole on an electrode surgical power supply and powered simultaneously or successively, or in a bipolar fashion where the electrode array and surface electrode are attached to opposite poles of the power supply. The systems are particularly useful for treating tumors and other tissue treatment regions which lie near the surface.