A device for thermal incision of tissue including a tissue heating element, an oscillatory mechanism that advances the tissue heating element toward tissue and retracts the tissue heating element from tissue, a detector that detects when the tissue heating element contacts the tissue, and a heat controller that controls heating of the tissue heating element, wherein the heat controller for the tissue heating element controls heating the tissue heating element based on detecting when the tissue heating element contacts tissue. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
