Multiple source electrosurgical generator
First Claim
1. An electrosurgical generator for use with a patient comprisingfirst and second electrical power generating means;
- a common output circuit connected to said first and second electrical power generating means, said common output circuit including (a) an active lead and an active electrode connected thereto and (b) a patient lead and a patient electrode connected thereto;
said first electrical power generating means (a) producing a voltage on said active electrode, the magnitude of which is sufficiently high to permit arcing from the active electrode to said patient and (b) including current limiting means for limiting the current through said patient to an arcing only value at which desiccation of the patient'"'"'s tissue is not likely when said active electrode contacts the patient'"'"'s tissue; and
said second electrical power generating means (a) producing a current through said patient, the magnitude of which is sufficiently high to permit desiccation of the patient'"'"'s tissue when said active electrode contacts the patient'"'"'s tissue and (b) including voltage limiting means for limiting the voltage on said active electrode to a desiccate only value at which arcing from the active electrode to said patient is not likely.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A multiple source electrosurgical generator wherein one of the sources may be optimized for desiccation of the patient'"'"'s tissue, another source may be optimized for fulguration thereof and a third source may be optimized for cutting. All sources operate into a common output circuit and may be actuated either individually or in combination. The sources may also be operated in desiccate only, fulgurate only and cut only modes of operation. The different modes of operation may be selected from a hand-held electrosurgical instrument. An insulated, split patient electrode may be used with the generator where the operating frequency of the desiccate source may be higher than that of the fulgurate or cut sources. A spark detection circuit may also be employed (a) to ensure fulguration when the active electrode is a needle, (b) to prevent neuromuscular stimulation and (c) to ensure continuity of the patient circuit when fulgurating with low levels of current.
-
Citations
59 Claims
-
1. An electrosurgical generator for use with a patient comprising
first and second electrical power generating means; -
a common output circuit connected to said first and second electrical power generating means, said common output circuit including (a) an active lead and an active electrode connected thereto and (b) a patient lead and a patient electrode connected thereto; said first electrical power generating means (a) producing a voltage on said active electrode, the magnitude of which is sufficiently high to permit arcing from the active electrode to said patient and (b) including current limiting means for limiting the current through said patient to an arcing only value at which desiccation of the patient'"'"'s tissue is not likely when said active electrode contacts the patient'"'"'s tissue; and said second electrical power generating means (a) producing a current through said patient, the magnitude of which is sufficiently high to permit desiccation of the patient'"'"'s tissue when said active electrode contacts the patient'"'"'s tissue and (b) including voltage limiting means for limiting the voltage on said active electrode to a desiccate only value at which arcing from the active electrode to said patient is not likely. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. An electrosurgical generator for use with a patient comprising
first and second electrical power generating means; -
a common output circuit connected to said first and second electrical power generating means, said common output circuit including (a) an active lead and an active electrode connected thereto and (b) a patient lead and a patient electrode connected thereto; said first electrical power generating means (a) producing a voltage on said active electrode, the magnitude of which is sufficiently high to permit arcing from the active electrode to said patient;
saidsaid second electrical power generating means (a) producing a current through said patient, the magnitude of which is sufficiently high to permit desiccation of the patient'"'"'s tissue when said active electrode contacts the patient'"'"'s tissue and (b) including voltage limiting means for limiting the voltage on said active electrode to a desiccate only value at which arcing from the active electrode to said patient is not likely. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. An electrosurgical generator for use with a patient comprising
first and second electrical power generating means; -
a common output circuit connected to said first and second electrical power generating means, said common output circuit including (a) an active lead and an active electrode connected thereto and (b) a patient lead and a patient electrode connected thereto; said first electrical power generating means (a) producing a voltage on said active electrode, the magnitude of which is sufficiently high to permit arcing from the active electrode to said patient and (b) including current limiting means for limiting the current through said patient to an arcing only value at which desiccation of the patient'"'"'s tissue is not likely when said active electrode contacts the patient'"'"'s tissue; and said second electrical power generating means (a) producing a current through said patient, the magnitude of which is sufficiently high to permit desiccation of the patient'"'"'s tissue when said active electrode contacts the patient'"'"'s tissue. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
-
-
46. An electrosurgical generator for use with a patient comprising
an electrical power generating means; -
an output circuit connected to said electrical power generating means, said output circuit including (a) an active lead and an active electrode connected thereto and (b) a patient lead and a patient electrode connected thereto; and said electrical power generating means (a) producing a voltage on said active electrode, the magnitude of which is sufficiently high to permit arcing from the active electrode to said patient and (b) including current limiting means for limiting the current through said patient to an arcing only value at which desiccation of the patient'"'"'s tissue is not likely when said active electrode contacts the patient'"'"'s tissue. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
-
-
54. An electrosurgical generator for use with a patient comprising
an electrical power generating means; -
an output circuit connected to said electrical power generating means, said output circuit including (a) an active lead and an active electrode connected thereto and (b) a patient lead and a patient electrode connected thereto; and said electrical power generating means (a) producing a current through said patient, the magnitude of which is sufficiently high to permit desiccation of the patient'"'"'s tissue when said active electrode contacts the patient'"'"'s tissue, (b) including voltage limiting means for limiting the voltage on said active electrode to a desiccate only value at which arcing from the active electrode to said patient is not likely, and (c) including adjusting means for adjusting the output power delivered to said output circuit and where said voltage limiting means includes feedback means for providing a positive current feedback signal from said output circuit, said power adjusting means being responsive to said positive current feedback signal to thereby limit said active electrode voltage to said desiccate only value.
-
-
55. An electrosurgical generator for use with a patient comprising
an electrical power generating means; -
an output circuit connected to said electrical power generating means, said output circuit including (a) an active lead and an active electrode connected thereto and (b) a patient lead and a patient electrode connected thereto; the output impedance of said electrical power generating means normally being sufficiently high to effect arcing from said active electrode to said patient; switching means; circuit means responsive to said switching means for lowering the said output impedance of said electrical power generating means and thereby limit the voltage on said active electrode to a desiccate only value at which arcing from the active electrode to said patient is not likely. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
-
-
58. An electrosurgical generator for use with a patient comprising
an electrical power generating means; -
an output circuit connected to said electrical power generating means, said output circuit including (a) an active lead and an active electrode connected thereto and (b) a patient lead and a patient electrode connected thereto; said electrical power generating means producing a voltage on said active electrode, the magnitude of which is sufficiently high to permit arcing from the active electrode to said patient; arc detecting means for detecting low frequency components of the current in said output circuit, said low frequency currents being capable of effecting neuromuscular stimulation of said patient; and threshold means responsive to said arc detecting means for generating an output signal when said low frequency currents exceed a predetermined threshold.
-
-
59. An electrosurgical generator for use with a patient comprising
an electrical power generating means; -
an output circuit connected to said electrical power generating means, said output circuit including (a) an active lead and an active electrode connected thereto and (b) a patient lead and a patient electrode connected thereto; said electrical power generating means producing a voltage on said active electrode, the magnitude of which is sufficiently high to permit arcing from the active electrode to said patient; arc detecting means for detecting whether arcing is occurring in said output circuit; patient lead current detecting means for detecting whether current is flowing in said patient lead; and means responsive to said arc detecting means and said patient lead current detecting means for generating an output signal whenever an arcing is occurring in the output circuit but current is not flowing in the patient lead.
-
Specification