Electrosurgery system
First Claim
1. An electrosurgery system comprising an electrosurgical generator, a feed structure and an electrode assembly, the electrode assembly having at least one active electrode and at least one adjacent return electrode, each of which is coupled to the generator via the feed structure, wherein the generator and feed structure are capable of delivering radio frequency (r.f.) power to the active and return electrodes in lower and upper frequency ranges, the upper range containing frequencies at least three times the frequencies of the lower frequency range.
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Abstract
An electrosurgery system includes an electrosurgical generator (10) coupled to or part of an electrosurgical instrument, the generator being operable to generate electrosurgical power in low frequency (typically at 1 MHz) and high frequency bands (typically at 2.45 GHz) either simultaneously or individually. The generator includes a load-responsive control circuit which, in one mode, causes power to be generated predominantly at 1 MHz when the load impedance is high and predominantly at 2.45 MHz when it is low. This allows automatic switching between cutting and coagulation operation. In one embodiment, the instrument includes a gas plasma generator operating such that an ionisable gas is energised in a gas supply passage by the 2.45 GHz component to form a plasma stream which acts as a conductor for delivering the 1 MHz component to a tissue treatment outlet of the passage.
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Citations
44 Claims
- 1. An electrosurgery system comprising an electrosurgical generator, a feed structure and an electrode assembly, the electrode assembly having at least one active electrode and at least one adjacent return electrode, each of which is coupled to the generator via the feed structure, wherein the generator and feed structure are capable of delivering radio frequency (r.f.) power to the active and return electrodes in lower and upper frequency ranges, the upper range containing frequencies at least three times the frequencies of the lower frequency range.
- 17. A method of operating an electrosurgical instrument having an electrode assembly with an active electrode and a return electrode, comprising delivering to the electrodes radio frequency (r.f.) power at frequencies in both a lower frequency range and an upper frequency range, the upper frequency range containing frequencies which are at least three times the frequencies of the lower frequency range.
- 28. A dual frequency electrosurgical system for cutting living tissue, the system being arranged to operate normally in a low frequency cutting or vaporisation mode, but to operate in a UHF coagulation mode in response to detection of a lower than normal load impedance as would typically be encountered when a blood vessel is severed.
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32. A method of electrosurgically treating tissue using an electrosurgical instrument having an electrode assembly with an active electrode and an adjacent return element set back from the active electrode, wherein electrosurgical cutting or vaporisation is performed by supplying electrosurgical energy to the assembly in a lower frequency range and electrosurgical coagulation is performed by supplying electrosurgical energy to the assembly in an upper frequency range, the upper frequency range containing frequencies which are at least three times the frequencies of the lower frequency range.
- 33. A method of electrosurgically treating tissue using an electrosurgical instrument having a electrode assembly with an active electrode and an adjacent return element set back from the active electrode, wherein the active electrode is applied to the tissue to be treated and manipulated whilst r.f. electrosurgical energy is supplied to the assembly predominantly in a lower frequency range at a voltage level sufficient to cause cutting or vaporisation of the tissue until the load impedance drops to a predetermined degree at which time the energy is supplied predominantly in an upper frequency range to cause coagulation of the tissue, the supplied energy reverting predominantly to the lower frequency range when the load impedance rises again, and wherein the upper frequency range contains frequencies which are at least three times the frequencies of the lower frequency range.
- 37. A dual frequency electrosurgical system configured to perform electrosurgical cutting or vaporisation at a first frequency within a lower frequency range and electrosurgical coagulation at a second frequency within an upper frequency UHF range.
- 39. An electrosurgical system comprising an electrode assembly with at least a pair of electrodes for receiving radio-frequency electrosurgical power, and a gas supply passage containing at least one of the said electrodes, the arrangement of the electrodes and the passage being such that when the electrodes are energised with sufficient radio frequency power at a frequency in the range of from 300 MHz to 10 GHz, and when an ionisable gas is passed through the passage, a gas plasma is formed in the passage.
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43. A method of operating an electrosurgical instrument having at least a pair of electrodes, at least one of which is located in a gas supply passage, comprising delivering to the electrodes radio frequency power at a frequency in the range of from 300 GHz to 10 GHz and passing an ionisable gas through the passage to form a gas plasma in the passage.
Specification