Abstract: An apparatus for the surgical treatment of tissues by thermal effect, in particular prostate, is disclosed comprising a urethral emitting probe having a front end and a rear end, capable of being inserted in the urethra, provided with microwave antenna located intermediate or in the vicinity of said front end, said microwave antenna being connected to an external microwave generating device, and working at a frequency and at a power effective to heat said tissues to a predetermined temperature for a period of time sufficient to treat said tissues by thermal effect.

Abstract: A device constituting a transrectal probe comprises a probe body made of a flexible self-supporting polymer material whose degree of flexibility is designed to enable it to comply with the shape of the rectum while having substantially no compression effect on the rectum when inserted therein; the degree of flexibility preferably being defined by a hardness on the Shore A scale of less than about 90. The invention makes it possible to achieve accurate, safe, and reliable positioning of an instrument for detection or therapeutic treatment level with an organ to be observed or treated, and in particular the prostate.

Abstract: An obstructed canal of the human or animal body delimited by a wall is treated by: (a) selectively damaging extrinsic tissue by introducing a controlled dose of ionizing or non-ionizing treatment energy in order to necrose at least a part of the tissue; (b) fitting a prosthesis into the natural canal, the prosthesis including a tubular element biologically compatible with the wall, exerting on the latter a centrifugal compression, and optionally imparting a posture, and defining an open and permanent passage in the natural canal; (c) permitting the extrinsic tissue to heal on and around the prosthesis; and (d), after healing of the extrinsic tissue, extracting the prosthesis from the natural canal to obtain in the latter a definitive passage modeled on the external dimensions of the prosthesis.

Abstract: An apparatus for the surgical treatment of tissues by thermal effect, in particular the prostate, is disclosed comprising a urethral emitting probe having a front end capable of being inserted in the urethra, provided with a microwave antenna located intermediate or in the vicinity of the front end, the microwave antenna being connected to an external microwave generating device, and working at a frequency and at a power effective to heat the tissues to a predetermined temperature for a period of time sufficient to treat the tissues by thermal effect.

Abstract: The invention relates to a measuring method for automatically measuring the volume of a tumor or of a gland, and also to a measuring device. The measuring device comprises an endocavitary detector probe, in particular a transrectal probe, display means, the display means including an image-forming screen forming images of the tumor or of the gland as provided by the probe, outline-marking means for marking the outline of the image of the tumor or of the gland on the image-forming screen, thereby enabling a marked outline to be obtained, computer means for calculating the volume of the tumor or of the gland on the basis of the marked outline, and optional means for storing the marked outline. The invention makes it very easy for a practitioner to determine the volume of a tumor or of a gland to be treated.

Abstract: A positioning device for positioning an instrument in three dimensions, the device comprising at least one arm which is essentially rigid having a first end and a second end, the second end being hinged relative to a support stand via at least one hinge axis, and said instrument being mounted on a support which is connected to the second end of the arm via at least one hinge axis, wherein said instrument comprises an exploration probe and said support for the instrument comprises a device for motion in translation enabling the instrument comprising the exploration probe to be moved in translation relative to the second end of the arm, making it possible to perform exploration for each of the translation positions.