Method and apparatus for plasma surgery

• US 20040181220A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH (C. Erbe GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH (C. Erbe GmbH)
• Inventors: Farin, Gunter
• Granted Patent: US 7,601,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/49
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/042 using additional gas becoming plasma

Abstract

An apparatus for argon-plasma coagulation (APC) is disclosed, in which after activation of the apparatus for APC a specified amount of noble gas flows out of the APC instrument before the high-frequency voltage for ionizing the noble gas is switched on, or can be switched on. As a result an increase in safety is achieved.

Claims

1. Apparatus for argon-plasma coagulation (APC), characterized in that after activation of the apparatus for APC a specified amount of noble gas flows out of the APC instrument before the high-frequency voltage for ionizing the noble gas is switched on, or can be switched on.

2. Apparatus for argon-plasma coagulation (APC) according to claim 1,

characterized in that the amount of noble gas that flows out of the APC instrument before the high-frequency voltage is switched on, or can be switched on, can be adjusted in advance.

3. Apparatus for argon-plasma coagulation (APC) according to claim 1 or 2,

characterized in that the amount of noble gas that flows out of the APC instrument before the high-frequency voltage is switched on, or can be switched on, is dependent on variable boundary conditions.

4. Apparatus for argon-plasma coagulation (APC) according to claim 3,

characterized in that the amount of noble gas that flows out of the APC instrument before the high-frequency voltage is switched on, or can be switched on, is greater, the longer the pause between two periods of activation and/or the shorter the preceding periods of activation have been.

5. Apparatus for argon-plasma coagulation (APC) according to claim 1,

characterized in that during the time interval from activation of the apparatus for argon-plasma coagulation until the high-frequency voltage is turned on, an acoustic and/or visual signal is generated, which informs the user that the high-frequency voltage has not yet been turned on, or that it cannot yet be turned on.

6. Apparatus for argon-plasma coagulation (APC) according to claim 1,

characterized in that the high-frequency voltage is not or cannot be turned on as long as the specified amount of argon has not flowed out of the APC instrument.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus is controlled in such a way that the rate (volume per unit time) at which the noble gas flows out is higher after activation of the apparatus but before the high-frequency voltage is turned on than it is after the high-frequency voltage has been turned on during an APC procedure.