Abstract: A device for ablation of target tissue in the living body such as a tumor comprises an elongate member that can be guided over a guide element into the target tissue. The elongated element has an electrode at its distal portion. The electrode is configured to be energized with high frequency energy to ablate the target tissue. The elongate member has a guide hole through it and is configured to pass over a guide element that has perforated and penetrated the skin and tissue along a tract to the target volume. The elongate member can be made of a rigid metal tube or a flexible plastic tube. The elongate member can include a cooling channel within it so that cooling fluid can be circulated within the elongate member to cool the electrode, and thus to enlarge the ablation volume at the target tissue.

Abstract: Ablative treatment of metastatic bone tumors and relief of pain associated with metastatic bone tumors is achieved by heat ablation of the bone tumor or tissue near the bone tumor by an ablation probe. In one form the probe is an electrode coupled to a high frequency power supply to provide ablative heating of tissue proximate to an electrode that is placed in or near the bone tumor. Cooling of the electrode by fluid circulation from a cooling apparatus outside the patient's body may be used to enlarge the region of high frequency heating around the electrode. Image guidance of the electrode placement may be monitored by an imaging device. Tracking of the electrode by an image-guided navigator helps in placement of the electrode with respect to the configuration of the bone and bone metastasis. A set of tools accommodates biopsy and various shapes of electrodes according to clinical requirements.

Abstract: A system and method can establish the stereotactic coordinates of anatomical targets in non-human subjects utilizing tomographic, volumetric, or projection imaging as for the purpose of doing anatomical and/or biological research. An imaging machine can produce data representative of anatomy or function in the body of the non-human subject. A mechanical reference frame can be fixed to the body of the non-human subject, and can have an associated stereotactic coordinate system. An index structure attachable or integrated with the mechanical reference frame can provide stereotactic index data in image data from the imaging machine. The stereotactic index data and the image data of the anatomy of the non-human subject can be used to develop the stereotactic coordinate positions of anatomical targets detected in the image data relative to the stereotactic coordinate system.

Abstract: A probe is connected to a probe carrier that is positioned with respect to the body of a patient. The probe is moved into or out of the body incrementally by means of a driver mechanism and flexible coupler. The flexible coupler in one embodiment comprises a flexible sheath with a flexible driver shaft that can be passed within the flexible sheath and can be rotated or pushed forward and backward with respect to the sheath by a driver element thereby causing translational movement of probe. Several forms of probes, flexible coupling elements, and driver apparatus as well as methods of applications accommodate specific objectives.