An MRI guided surgical apparatus includes a heat source formed by a laser
and an optical fiber carrying the heat energy into a part to be
coagulated by hyperthermia with an end reflector to direct the energy in
a beam to one side of the fiber end. A reinforcing sleeve for the fiber
is mounted in a shielded, Piezo-electric motor which causes movement of
the fiber longitudinally and angularly within a rigid elongate cannula. A
magnetic resonance imaging system is arranged to generate a series of
output signals over a period of time representative of temperature in the
part as the temperature of the part changes during that time. The heat
source is controlled in heat energy applied and location and orientation
of the beam to stop heating when the temperature at the boundary of a
tumor reaches the required hyperthermic temperature. Cooling of the tip
portion of the probe is effected by expansion of a supplied cooling fluid
in gaseous form through a restrictive orifice into an expansion zone at
the probe end. The fiber is thus encased in a stiff tubular titanium
probe with a relatively small fluid supply duct along the inside of the
probe with the interior of the probe acting as a return duct for the
expanded gas. Thus the fiber end is contained in gas rather than liquid
and the temperature of the probe end can be monitored by a sensor in the
probe end and controlled by controlling the pressure in the supplied
cooling fluid. The probe is driven in the longitudinal and rotational
directions to move the fiber tip.