Patent ID: 8454513

Claim:
A micro-sized, medical probe configured to be inserted into body tissue, the probe comprising: a micro-machined substrate; at least one thermo-electric assembly having a n-type semiconductor region, a p-type semiconductor region, and a metal interconnect electrically coupling said n-type semiconductor region and said p-type semiconductor region with one another, said at least one thermo-electric assembly monolithically integrated on said micro-machined substrate, said thermo-electric assembly being operable to selectively perform heating and freezing processes with respect to body tissue proximal the probe after insertion of the probe into body tissue, said heating and freezing processes based on operation of said metal interconnect electrically coupling said n-type semiconductor region and said p-type semiconductor region; and two microfluidic channels monolithically integrated in said micro-machined substrate, said two microfluidic channels separated by a gap region in said micro-machined substrate with a membrane over said gap region, said membrane extending across said two microfluidic channels with said n-type semiconductor region and said p-type semiconductor region disposed on said membrane, at least one of said two microfluidic channels being configured to direct fluid to and from a region of said micro-machined substrate proximal said thermo-electric assembly so as to confine said heating and freezing processes to said thermo-electric assembly.