Vaginal remodeling device and methods

An apparatus for remodeling a therapeutic zone within tissue underlying a mucosal epithelium of female genital tissue, the apparatus comprising:

• a handle;
• and
• a treatment tip, the treatment tip comprising:
• a shaft comprising a longitudinal axis,
• an energy delivery element having a thermally-conductive epithelium-contacting surface,
• a plurality of temperature sensing elements, and
• a controller configured to determine contact with a target tissue based on sensed temperature from the temperature sensing elements and time since last activation of the energy delivery element;
• wherein the controller is configured to generate a contact map;
• and
• wherein the controller is configured to determine a time since the energy delivery element of the treatment tip was last activated, take a temperature of one or more sites on the treatment tip, and determine if the energy delivery element is in contact with the tissue without applying RF energy to the tissue by comparing the temperature of the one or more sites on the treatment tip to a threshold function for the time since the treatment tip was last activated, and indicate if the energy delivery element is in contact with the tissue.

A method for remodeling a therapeutic zone within tissue underlying a mucosal epithelium of female genital tissue, the method comprising:

• providing an apparatus having a treatment tip, the treatment tip comprising:
• a shaft comprising a longitudinal axis,
• an energy delivery element having a thermally-conductive epithelium-contacting surface, and
• a controller,
• sensing a temperature of a target tissue with a plurality of temperature sensing elements;
• determining a time since last activation of the energy delivery element,
• determining, with the controller, contact of the thermally-conductive epithelium-contacting surface with the target tissue based on the sensed temperature and the time since last activation of the energy delivery element;
• and
• generating a contact map,
• wherein the controller is configured to determine a time since the energy delivery element of the treatment tip was last activated, take a temperature of one or more sites on the treatment tip, and determine if the energy delivery element is in contact with the tissue without applying RF energy to the tissue by comparing the temperature of the one or more sites on the treatment tip to a threshold function for the time since the treatment tip was last activated, and indicate if the energy delivery element is in contact with the tissue.