System and method for accessory rate control

• US 5,613,966 A
• Filed: 12/21/1994
• Issued: 03/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Valleylab Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Makower, Joshua, Barber, Frank, Zieve, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEFFLEY, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US08/360,534
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 606/10-12, 606/32-34, 606/37-42, 606/45-50, 604/21, 604/22, 604/30, 604/35
• US Class Current: 606/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/008 for smoke evacuation

Abstract

A system changes the rate of operation of a smoke evacuator used with an electrosurgical generator during treatment of a patient electrosurgically at an operative site. A mono or bipolar circuit for electrosurgery has an electrosurgical generator, ESU. A switch in the circuit activates the ESU when keyed. An active output connects the ESU to supply radio frequency energy and a return input to the ESU receives energy. A handpiece has an active electrode and an active lead connects between the output and the electrode. A return lead connects the return input and has a terminus to the patient. A controller in the ESU controls the various output signals of the ESU in response to hand or foot switching inputs or sensed current in the patient circuit. A trigger is connected to the controller in the ESU. The smoke evacuator operates at a different rate when the trigger in the ESU is keyed. A rate controller adjusts the condition of its function per unit time in accord with the trigger on the ESU. Terminals on the ESU deliver signals from the trigger through connections between the terminals and the smoke evacuator. Also a smoke detector near the electrode can find smoke thereabout and delivers a signal during operation of the ESU. The smoke evacuator senses the signal and changes the rate controller from a low level of fluid flow through therethrough to a high flow for drawing fluid from the area about the active electrode. The rate controller adjusts. The switch is located on the handpiece or a foot pedal. A method for changing the rate of operation of a smoke evacuator has steps including having a circuit for electrosurgery associated with the ESU. Connecting a switch activates the ESU. The rate of the smoke evacuator is adjusted with the keying of the ESU or with sensed current from the patient circuit.

Claims

1. A system for operating a smoke evacuator at either a high or low flow rate when used with an electrosurgical generator during treatment of a patient, the electrosurgical generator having at least one active electrode, the smoke evacuator having a passage for carrying smoke away from the at least one active electrode, the system comprising:

an electrosurgical circuit for use during electrosurgery, the electrosurgical circuit located and connected between the electrosurgical generator and the patient for transmission of electrosurgical energy therebetween;

a switch connected to the electrosurgical circuit, the switch for activating the electrosurgical generator when the switch is closed during treatment of the patient;

an output on the electrosurgical generator for sending an electrical signal when the switch is closed;

a smoke evacuator connected to receive the electrical signal from the output, the smoke evacuator to operate at high or low flow rates in response to the signal;

a low level of fluid flow rate controller connected to the smoke evacuator for the operation for the smoke evacuator, the low level of fluid flow rate controller set to barely purge fluid through the passage from the active electrode, the low level of fluid flow rate controller to slowly move fluid through the passage;

a high flow rate controller connected to the smoke evacuator for the operation of the smoke evacuator, the high flow rate controller for operating the smoke evacuator to remove fluid from the vicinity of the at least one active electrode, and wherein the smoke evacuator changes from the low level of fluid flow rate to the high flow rate whenever the electrical signal is received and from the high flow rate to the low level fluid flow rate whenever the signal is absent.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the rate controller is adjustable so that the low level of fluid flow rate is that required to barely purge fluid through the passage from the operative site and the high flow rate is able to remove fluid in the vicinity of the operative site.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein there are terminals on the electrosurgical generator electrically coupled to a trigger therein to provide the signal when the switch of the electrosurgical generator is closed, the trigger electrically coupled and responsive to closing of the switch, the trigger for signaling the need for a change in the rate of operation during treatment of the patient.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the smoke evacuator includes a fan connected to a driver in the smoke evacuator connects to the rate controller for changing the operation of the smoke evacuator in accord with the rate controller by adjusting the condition of the smoke evacuator function per unit time in accord with the switching of the electrosurgical generator.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the smoke evacuator includes a filter to trap particulates in the smoke during electrosurgery.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the switch is located on the handpiece, the switch is connected to the electrosurgical generator for operating of the electrosurgical generator.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the switch has a pedal on a footswitch for foot operation and the switch connects to the electrosurgical generator for operating the electrosurgical generator.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein a smoke detector is contained in the passage for sensing smoke therein.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the passage is located near the handpiece to draw in smoke from the operative site.

10. A method for changing the rate of operation between a high or low flow rate for a smoke evacuator used with an electrosurgical generator during treatment of a patient electrosurgically at an operative site, having the steps of:

having an electrosurgical circuit for electrosurgery, the electrosurgical circuit located and connected between the electrosurgical generator and the patient for transmission of electrosurgical energy therebetween;

connecting a switch in the electrosurgical circuit to activate the electrosurgical generator when closing the switch during treatment of the patient;

supplying radio frequency energy for the patient to an active output in the electrosurgical circuit and electrically connecting the active output to the electrosurgical generator;

returning electrosurgical energy through the electrosurgical circuit from the patient and into a return input in the electrosurgical circuit, electrically connecting the return input to the electrosurgical generator;

providing an electrosurgical handpiece in the electrosurgical circuit and the electrosurgical handpiece having at least an active electrode carried thereby for use in performing electrosurgical procedures;

connecting active and return leads in the electrosurgical circuit between the respective active output, active electrode, return input and patient return;

having a return positioned relative to the patient for completing the electrosurgical circuit with the active electrode for returning RF energy passing therethrough to the electrosurgical generator through the return lead to the return input;

operating the smoke evacuator at a different rate when the electrosurgical generator switch is keyed;

adjusting the smoke evacuator for the condition of its function per unit time in accord with the keying of the electrosurgical generator switch with a rate controller;

connecting with a cable between terminals on the electrosurgical generator and the accessory, and

delivering signals of switch closing from terminals with a trigger, the signals delivered to the accessory and signals indicative of the use of the electrosurgical generator;

changing the rate controller in the accessory by adjusting the condition of its function per unit time in accord with the switch closing for the electrosurgical generator, and

driving the accessory with a driver connected to the rate controller.

11. The method of claim 10 with the step of drawing fluid through a passage near an electrosurgical handpiece and the operative site with the smoke evacuator.

12. The method of claim 10 with the step of changing the rate of speed of the smoke evacuator from a low level of fluid flow through the passage from the operative site to a high flow for drawing fluid from the area about the operative site is made with the rate controller.

13. The method of claim 12 with the step of adjusting the rate controller so that the low level of fluid flow is that which may be required for barely purging fluid through the passage from the operative site and the high flow rate is for removing fluid in the vicinity of the operative site.

14. The method of claim 10 with the step of triggering to provide signals from the terminals on the electrosurgical generator based upon deriving the signals from a smoke detector associated with the passage.

15. The method of claim 11 with the step of operating the electrosurgical generator with the switch located on the electrosurgical handpiece.

16. The method of claim 10 with the step of operating the electrosurgical generator with the switch located on a foot pedal.

17. A system for changing the rate of operation of a smoke evacuator used with an electrosurgical generator during treatment of a patient electrosurgically at an operative site, the system comprising:

an electrosurgical circuit for use in electrosurgery, the electrosurgical circuit located and connected between the electrosurgical generator and the patient;

a switch in the electrosurgical circuit, the switch connected to activate the electrosurgical generator when closed during treatment of the patient;

an active output in the electrosurgical circuit, the active output electrically connected to the electrosurgical generator for supplying radio frequency energy to the electrosurgical circuit for delivery through the patient;

a return input in the electrosurgical circuit, the return input electrically connected to the electrosurgical generator for receiving electrosurgical energy in the electrosurgical circuit passing through the patient;

an electrosurgical handpiece in the electrosurgical circuit, the electrosurgical handpiece having at least an active electrode carried thereby for use in providing electrosurgical procedures;

an active lead connected in the electrosurgical circuit between the active output and the electrosurgical handpiece active electrode;

a return lead connected in the electrosurgical circuit to the return input, the return lead having a return positioned relative to the patient for completing the electrosurgical circuit with the active electrode so that RF energy passing therethrough may be returned to the electrosurgical generator through the return input;

a smoke detector responsive to smoke generated at the operative site, the smoke detector for determining when there is smoke thereabout, the smoke detector for signaling smoke thereabout during operation of the electrosurgical generator;

a smoke evacuator connected to the electrosurgical generator, the smoke evacuator for operating at either a high or low flow rate when the electrosurgical generator switch is closed, the smoke evacuator plumbed to remove fluid from the area about the active electrode near the operative site at a low flow rate sufficient to move the fluid passed the smoke detector;

a rate controller in the smoke evacuator for operation of the smoke evacuator at a high flow per unit time in accord with the operation of the electrosurgical generator, the rate controller connected to receive signals from the smoke evacuator;

a driver in the smoke evacuator connected to the rate controller and the smoke evacuator, the driver for changing the smoke evacuator by adjusting the rate of its operation per unit time in accord with the rate controller signal of the smoke detected and wherein the smoke evacuator changes from the low level of fluid flow rate to the high flow rate whenever the electrical signal is received and from the high flow rate to the low level fluid flow rate whenever the signal is absent.