System and method for delivering 5 high current to electrosurgical device

• US 10,278,771 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2017
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Kerr, Duane E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Eun Hwa
• Application Number:
  US15/703,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20180000537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1286 having a specific transformer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe

Abstract

An electrosurgical system is disclosed. The system includes an electrosurgical generator adapted to supply electrosurgical power and an electrosurgical device coupled to the electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical device includes a transformer and one or more active electrodes coupled thereto, wherein the transformer is adapted to step down the voltage of the power supplied by the electrosurgical generator.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical system, comprising:

an electrosurgical generator configured to supply electrosurgical power, the electrosurgical generator including an isolation transformer; and

an electrosurgical device coupled to the electrosurgical generator, the electrosurgical device including;

a housing;

a shaft extending distally from the housing;

an end effector assembly supported at a distal portion of the shaft; and

a step-down transformer disposed in the distal portion of the shaft, the step-down transformer electrically coupled between the isolation transformer and the end effector assembly such that the step-down transformer modifies electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator to the end effector assembly.

2. The electrosurgical system according to claim 1, wherein the end effector assembly includes a first jaw member having a first electrode and a second jaw member having a second electrode.

3. The electrosurgical system according to claim 2, wherein the step-down transformer includes a primary winding coupled to the isolation transformer and a secondary winding coupled to at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode.

4. The electrosurgical system according to claim 1, wherein the electrosurgical device is configured to facilitate the flow of electrosurgical energy through tissue positioned within the end effector assembly.

5. The electrosurgical system according to claim 1, wherein the step-down transformer modifies a voltage of the electrosurgical energy supplied by the electrosurgical generator.

6. The electrosurgical system according to claim 1, wherein the electrosurgical device is a bipolar device.

7. The electrosurgical system according to claim 6, wherein the bipolar device is an electrosurgical forceps.

8. An electrosurgical device, comprising:

a housing;

a shaft extending distally from the housing;

an end effector assembly supported at a distal portion of the shaft; and

a step-down transformer disposed in the distal portion of the shaft, the step-down transformer configured to electrically couple to an electrosurgical generator configured to supply electrosurgical energy to the end effector assembly.

9. The electrosurgical device according to claim 8, wherein the end effector assembly includes a first jaw member having a first electrode and a second jaw member having a second electrode.

10. The electrosurgical device according to claim 9, wherein the step-down transformer includes a primary winding configured to couple to the electrosurgical generator and a secondary winding coupled to at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode.

11. The electrosurgical device according to claim 8, wherein the step-down transformer modifies a voltage of the electrosurgical energy supplied by the electrosurgical generator.

12. A method for delivering electrosurgical energy to tissue, the method comprising:

positioning an end effector assembly disposed at a distal portion of an elongated shaft of an electrosurgical device adjacent tissue to be treated;

activating an electrosurgical generator to supply the end effector assembly with electrosurgical energy; and

modifying a voltage of the electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator to the end effector assembly to treat tissue via a step-down transformer disposed at the distal portion of the elongated shaft.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein positioning the end effector assembly adjacent the tissue to be treated includes positioning the tissue to be treated between first and second jaw members of the end effector assembly.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising reading an identifier associated with the electrosurgical device, the identifier adapted to store ratio data relating to the step down ratio of the step-down transformer.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising adjusting electrosurgical energy at the electrosurgical generator based on the ratio data.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein activating the electrosurgical generator includes actuating a switch of the electrosurgical device.