Contact area measurement apparatus for use in electrosurgery
First Claim
1. Patient contact area measurement apparatus for use with an electrosurgical generator comprisinga first electroconductive contact element adapted for contact with a patient;
- a second electroconductive contact element separated from said first contact element and also adapted for contact with said patient;
means for directly measuring the capacitance between said first and second electroconductive contact elements to thereby measure the area of contact of said patient with respect to said contact elements;
an electrosurgical generator;
an active electrode connected to said generator;
a split patient electrode connected to said generator, said split electrode comprising said first and second electroconductive contact elements; and
said capacitance measuring means including means for detecting whether the measured contact area of said patient with respect to said split electrode exceeds a predetermined value corresponding to safe operation of the electrosurgical generator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Patient contact area measurement method and apparatus including a first electroconductive contact element adapted for contact with the patient; a second electroconductive contact element separated from the first contact element and also adapted for contact with the patient; and measuring circuitry disposed between the first and second electroconductive contact elements for measuring the area of contact of the patient with respect to the contact elements. The electroconductive contact elements may comprise (a) each electrode of a split electrosurgical patient electrode, (b) the active and patient electrodes employed in electrosurgery or (c) a cryosurgical probe together with a monitor electrode adapted for contact with the patient.
443 Citations
15 Claims
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1. Patient contact area measurement apparatus for use with an electrosurgical generator comprising
a first electroconductive contact element adapted for contact with a patient; -
a second electroconductive contact element separated from said first contact element and also adapted for contact with said patient; means for directly measuring the capacitance between said first and second electroconductive contact elements to thereby measure the area of contact of said patient with respect to said contact elements; an electrosurgical generator; an active electrode connected to said generator; a split patient electrode connected to said generator, said split electrode comprising said first and second electroconductive contact elements; and said capacitance measuring means including means for detecting whether the measured contact area of said patient with respect to said split electrode exceeds a predetermined value corresponding to safe operation of the electrosurgical generator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. Patient contact area measurement circuitry for use with electrosurgical equipment comprising
an electrosurgical generator; -
an active electrode connected to said generator; a split patient electrode connected to said generator, said split electrode comprising a first electrode separated from a second electrode where both electrodes are adapted for contact with a patient; and means for directly measuring the capacitance between said first and second electrodes to thereby measure the contact area of said patient with said split electrode, said capacitance measuring means including means for detecting whether the measured contact area exceeds a predetermind value corresponding to safe operation of the electrosurgical equipment. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Circuitry for use with electrosurgical equipment comprising
an electrosurgical generator; -
an active electrode connected to said generator; a patient electrode connected to said generator, the area of said patient electrode adapted for contact with a patient being substantially greater than the area of the active electrode adapted for contact with the patient; and capacitance measuring means for measuring the capacitance between said active and patient electrodes whereby when both said active and patient electrodes are in contact with the patient, the area of contact of the active electrode will be measured due to the substantially greater contact area of the patient electrode with the patient.
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12. An electrosurgical generator for use with a patient comprising
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 where said patient electrode includes at least one electroconductive substrate having a dielectric layer of electro-insulative material disposed thereon; and an inductor disposed in series with said patient lead so that said patient lead, said inductor and said patient electrode comprise a series LC circuit which resonates approximately at the fundamental frequency of operation of said electrical power generating means.
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13. Patient contact area measurement apparatus for use with an electrosurgical apparatus comprising
a first electroconductive contact element adapted for contact with a patient; -
a second electroconductive contact element separated from said first contact element and also adapted for contact with said patient; means for directly measuring the capacitance between said first and second electroconductive contact elements to thereby measure the area of contact of said patient with respect to said contact elements; an electrosurgical generator; an active electrode connected to said generator comprising said first electroconductive contact element; a patient electrode connected to said generator comprising said second electroconductive contact element, said patient electrode having an area adapted for contact with said patient substantially greater than that of said active electrode; and said capacitance measuring means measuring the contact area of said active electrode with respect to said patient. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification