Rem output stage topology
First Claim
1. An electrosurgical return electrode circuit for developing an impedance measurement between two contact pads, comprising:
- an isolation transformer in the electrosurgical return electrode circuit, the isolation transformer having a driving winding and a driven winding having two driven ends and, the driving winding having two driving ends and having a signal terminal and a ground terminal each connected to one driving end thereof;
a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor each attached to one driven end of the driven winding;
a first patient contact pad and a second patient contact pad electrically coupled to the first and second electrical conductors, respectively, and the driven winding for resonating at a monitoring frequency;
a voltage detection circuit connected to the signal terminal of the driving winding for producing an electrical phase signal of the voltage across the driven winding;
a voltage shaping circuit included in the voltage detection circuit and in electrical communication therewith;
a current detection circuit connected to the signal terminal of the driving winding for producing an electrical phase signal of the current flowing in the driving winding;
a current shaping circuit included in the current detection circuit and in electrical communication therewith;
a phase detector connected to the voltage shaping circuit and the current shaping circuit for providing an electrical signal indicating a phase difference signal between the voltage across the signal terminal and current at the signal terminal;
a phase filter connected to the phase detector for providing a response characteristic of the phase difference signal, anda phase locked oscillating voltage source for operating at the monitoring frequency of oscillation, the phase locked oscillating voltage source connected between the phase filter and the signal terminal of the driving winding for producing an electrical driving signal upon receipt of the response characteristic of the phase difference signal so that the monitoring frequency of oscillation is continuously adjusted to keep the phase difference between the voltage and the current at the signal terminal substantially zero thereby delivering a maximum voltage signal to the voltage detection circuit, the electrical driving signal used to develop the impedance measurement.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus monitors RF return current to maximize the AC signal of impedance at two return electrodes. A transformer with driving and driven windings isolates ESU and patient. At ends of the driving winding are signal and ground terminals joined to the return electrodes with capacitors returning current. An AC coupling capacitor at the signal terminal has a timing circuit in sync to the voltage wave and relative to impedance of the return electrodes. Microprocessing the voltage at the signal terminal of the driving winding watches impedance and determines if the RF return current path is adequate. Voltage detection within the timing circuit has a voltage shaping circuit. A voltage comparator after the voltage detection forms a square wave. A current detection circuit and a coupling capacitor allow AC flow to the driving winding. Current shaping circuit in the current detection circuit has a voltage comparator at the output to form a square wave. Phase detection at the voltage and current detection circuits outputs filters the phase difference that is sampled and held as DC input to a switch, with an output and a few inputs to DC voltages. Phase locking an oscillating voltage source directly and/or through the sample and hold or DC switch tunes oscillation frequency and maximizes the voltage detection circuit output. Monitoring the return current with a signal from the voltage detection circuit connected to an oscillating voltage that is phase locked to the current phase therein shows that no phase difference and maximum signal voltage occur simultaneously.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. An electrosurgical return electrode circuit for developing an impedance measurement between two contact pads, comprising:
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an isolation transformer in the electrosurgical return electrode circuit, the isolation transformer having a driving winding and a driven winding having two driven ends and, the driving winding having two driving ends and having a signal terminal and a ground terminal each connected to one driving end thereof; a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor each attached to one driven end of the driven winding; a first patient contact pad and a second patient contact pad electrically coupled to the first and second electrical conductors, respectively, and the driven winding for resonating at a monitoring frequency; a voltage detection circuit connected to the signal terminal of the driving winding for producing an electrical phase signal of the voltage across the driven winding; a voltage shaping circuit included in the voltage detection circuit and in electrical communication therewith; a current detection circuit connected to the signal terminal of the driving winding for producing an electrical phase signal of the current flowing in the driving winding; a current shaping circuit included in the current detection circuit and in electrical communication therewith; a phase detector connected to the voltage shaping circuit and the current shaping circuit for providing an electrical signal indicating a phase difference signal between the voltage across the signal terminal and current at the signal terminal; a phase filter connected to the phase detector for providing a response characteristic of the phase difference signal, and a phase locked oscillating voltage source for operating at the monitoring frequency of oscillation, the phase locked oscillating voltage source connected between the phase filter and the signal terminal of the driving winding for producing an electrical driving signal upon receipt of the response characteristic of the phase difference signal so that the monitoring frequency of oscillation is continuously adjusted to keep the phase difference between the voltage and the current at the signal terminal substantially zero thereby delivering a maximum voltage signal to the voltage detection circuit, the electrical driving signal used to develop the impedance measurement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of using an electrosurgical return electrode circuit to measure impedance between two contact pads, the circuit having an isolation transformer, the isolation transformer having a driving winding and a driven winding, the driving winding having a signal terminal and a ground terminal each connected to an end thereof, a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor attached to the first and second end, respectively, of the driven winding, an electrosurgical return current connection connected to the driven winding to provide a return path for electrosurgical current so the electrosurgical return current connection is in series with each end of the driven winding of the isolation transformer, a first and a second patient contact pad electrically coupled to the first and second electrical conductors, respectively, and the driven winding, the method of using comprising the steps of:
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producing an electrical phase signal proportional to the voltage across the driving winding with a voltage detection circuit connected to the signal terminal of the driving winding; shaping the voltage in the voltage detection circuit with a voltage shaping circuit connected to the voltage detection circuit; monitoring the electrical signal proportional to the impedance between the first and the second contact pads by connecting a voltage detection circuit across the signal terminal of the driving winding; producing an electrical phase signal of the current flowing in the driving winding by connecting a current detection circuit to the signal terminal of the driving winding; shaping the electrical phase signal of the current in the current detection circuit with a current shaping circuit connected to the current detection circuit; providing an electrical signal indicating the phase relationship between the voltage across the signal terminal and current at the signal terminal with a phase detector connected to the voltage shaping circuit and the current shaping circuit; providing a response characteristic of the phase difference signal with a phase filter connected to the phase detector for providing the response characteristic of the phase difference signal, and producing an electrical driving signal upon receipt of the response characteristic of the phase difference signal so that a monitoring frequency of oscillation is continuously adjusted to keep the phase difference between the voltage across the signal terminal and the current at the signal terminal substantially zero for delivering a maximum voltage signal to the voltage detection circuit with a phase locked oscillating voltage source connected between the phase filter and the signal terminal of the driving winding; measuring the impedance between the first and second patient contact pads using the driving signal as a source for developing the measurement. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification