High frequency-surgical generator for adjusted cutting and coagulation

• US 5,846,236 A
• Filed: 07/01/1996
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg
• Original Assignee: Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg
• Inventors: Flachenecker, legal representative, Hildegard, Lohr, Georg, Lindenmeier, Heinz, Fastenmeier, Karl, Flachenecker, deceased, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): COHEN, LEE S
• Application Number:
  US08/674,196
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 606/37, 606/38
• US Class Current: 606/38
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a high-frequency surgical generator (1) for adjusted cutting and coagluation having adjustment devices for setting the momentary electric output values, such as, e.g., current, voltage and power and having a device for direct and/or indirect determination of the state of the tissue in the vicinity of the cutting electrode. The present invention is distinguished by a time-interval transmitter and electronic desired-value transmitters being provided and one mode of operation of at least two different modes of operation having different operative purposes being selected in successive time intervals and an electronic memory having evaluation electronics, to which the output value of the measurement device is transmitted and the output signal of the evaluation electronics is transmitted to the electronic desired-value transmitters in conjunction with the output value of the measurement device with the aid of which the temporal course of the electric output values of the high-frequency generator for the selected mode of operation are suitably set.

Claims

1. A high frequency surgical generating system for adjusting coagulation and cutting times and set momentary electrical outputs in which measurement means determines the state of tissue at a cutting probe comprising;

rising voltage applying means for applying a rising voltage to said cutting probe for a first interval of time to achieve deep coagulation;

detecting means detecting tissue state at the tissue to be cut when said rising voltage is applied, said detecting means terminating said first deep coagulating time interval at predetermined time by detecting condition at the tissue;

voltage applying means for applying short voltage impulses of high amplitude for a second interval of time to seal the surface of said tissue;

cutting voltage applying means for applying a cutting voltage to said tissue for a third time interval, said third time interval being determined from and set approximately equal to said first time interval;

measuring means measuring the condition of said tissue during said third time interval;

adjusting means adjusting said first time interval to achieve deep coagulation according to the condition of the tissue measured by said measuring means during said third time interval;

whereby said first deep coagulation time interval and said third cutting time interval are continuously adjusted according to the conditions measured at the tissue.

2. The system according to claim 1 in which said detecting means terminates said first deep coagulation time interval when an arc is detected.

3. The system according to claim 2 in which said measuring means measures the impedance at the tissue and adjusts said first deep coagulation time interval according to the impedance detected.

4. The system according to claim 3 in which said measuring means comprises;

means applying a voltage to said tissue; and

means measuring the voltage across said tissue to determine the impedance.

5. The system according to claim 4 in which said measuring means restarts said means for applying a rising voltage when said voltage measuring means detects a drop in impedance at said tissue and said tissue becomes conductive.

6. The system according to claim 5 in which said adjusting means increases said first deep coagulation time interval when said first time interval is too short and decreases said first deep coagulation time interval when said first time interval is too long.

7. The system according to claim 6 in which said adjusting means increases or decreases said first time interval by increasing or decreasing the rising rate of said rising voltage.

8. The system according to claim 7 in which said adjusting means adjusts the next operation of said first deep coagulation time interval and said third cutting time interval according to the condition of the tissue during the preceding deep coagulation and cutting time intervals.

9. The system according to claim 3 in which said adjusting means adjusts the next operation of said first deep coagulation time interval and said third cutting time interval according to the condition of the tissue during the preceding deep coagulation and cutting time intervals.

10. A method of controlling the operation for a high frequency surgical generating system for adjusting coagulation and cutting times and set momentary electrical outputs at a cutting probe comprising;

applying a rising voltage to a cutting probe in contact with tissue for a first interval of time to achieve deep coagulation;

detecting the condition of tissue to be cut when said rising voltage is applied;

applying short voltage impulses of high amplitude for a second interval of time to seal the surface of said tissue;

applying a cutting voltage to said tissue for a third interval of time approximately equal to the first interval of time for applying a rising voltage to cut said tissue and achieve deep coagulation;

measuring the condition at the tissue during said third interval of time;

adjusting said first interval of time for applying a voltage to achieve deep coagulation according to the condition at the tissue during said measuring;

whereby deep coagulation time interval and third cutting time interval are continuously adjusted according to conditions measured at the tissue during the deep coagulation time and are kept approximately equal.

11. The method according to claim 10 terminating said rising voltage when an arc is detected.

12. The method according to claim 11 in which said step of measuring the condition at the tissue measures the impedance at the tissue being cut;

said adjustment of said first interval comprising adjusting the length of said first interval according to the impedance at said tissue.

13. The method according to claim 12 in which said first interval of deep coagulation begins when the impedance at said tissue drops to a conductive level.

14. The method according to claim 13 in which said adjustment of said first interval comprises adjusting the rising voltage to be greater when said first deep coagulation interval is too long and adjusting the rising voltage of said first interval to be lower when said first deep coagulation interval is too short.

15. The method according to claim 14 in which said adjustment of said first interval comprises adjusting the next operation of said first deep coagulation interval according to the condition of the tissue measured during the preceding deep coagulation and cutting operations.

16. The method according to claim 13 in which said adjustment of said first interval comprises adjusting the next operation of said first deep coagulation interval according to the condition of the tissue measured during the preceding deep coagulation and cutting operations.