US Patent 7740625 Surgical digitizing apparatus and method

A surgical digitizing apparatus and procedure will typically involve a pad having discrete segments which may be arranged in a specific order to accommodate a particular procedure. The individual segments can then be used to accomplish both diagnostic and therapeutic functions. For example, the segments can be interrogated to produce a map of body tissue and then electrosurgically energized to perform a therapeutic function in accordance with the map. Communication with the discrete segments will typically be accomplished through a microprocessor and associated switching circuits.