High frequency power generator

• US 6,229,393 B1
• Filed: 07/23/1999
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Storz Endoskop GmbH
• Original Assignee: Storz Endoskop GmbH
• Inventors: Daners, Felix
• Primary Examiner(s): Mottola, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US09/359,834
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 330/10, 330/207 A, 330/251
• US Class Current: 330/251
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/001 Digital control of analog signals

Abstract

A high frequency power generator comprises

a power amplifier working in switching operation,

an output filter, having at least one series resonant circuit and at least one parallel resonant circuit, and

a digital controller including a phase-synchronizable oscillator,

wherein the frequency of the drive voltage of the power amplifier is produced upon stimulation of oscillation by the digital controller with the timing pulse of the oscillator, and the digital controller filters off feedback from the high frequency power generator in such manner that the frequency of the drive voltage of the power amplifier lies in a defined frequency range.

Claims

1. High frequency power generator, comprising:

a power amplifier working in switching operation,

an output filter having at least one series resonant circuit and at least one parallel resonant circuit, and

a digital controller including a phase-synchronizable oscillator,

wherein the frequency of the drive voltage of the power amplifier is produced upon stimulation of oscillation by the digital controller with the timing pulse of the oscillator, and the digital controller filters off feedback from the high frequency power generator in such a manner that the frequency of the drive voltage of the power amplifier lies in a defined frequency range.

2. High frequency power generator according to claim 1, wherein the drive voltage of the power amplifier is also generated by the digital controller after the stimulation of oscillation.

3. High frequency power generator according to claim 2, wherein no change-over occurs between external excitation and self-excitation of the high-frequency power generator.

4. High frequency power generator according to claim 1, wherein a voltage derived from a feedback signal from the output current circuit or output voltage circuit of the high frequency power generator is used to synchronize the drive voltage of the power amplifier.

5. High frequency power generator according to claim 1, wherein the series resonant circuit is the first filter component connected to the power amplifier.

6. High frequency power generator according to claim 1, wherein the oscillator is a quartz oscillator.

7. High frequency power generator according to claim 1, wherein the resonant circuits are tuned approximately to the mean operating frequency.

8. High frequency power generator according to claim 1, wherein a current feedback occurs when the magnitude of the load impedance of the output circuit is less than a preset value dependent upon the phase of the load impedance.

9. High frequency power generator according to claim 8, wherein the feedback signal is formed from the output circuit via a transformer and at least one pulse shaper stage from the current flowing through the series resonant circuit.

10. High frequency power generator according to claim 1, wherein a voltage feedback occurs when the magnitude of the load impedance of the output circuit exceeds a preset value dependent upon the phase of the load impedance.

11. High frequency power generator according to claim 10, wherein the feedback signal is formed via a transformer and at least one pulse shaper stage from the output circuit voltage which is present on the parallel resonant circuit.

12. High frequency power generator according to claim 8, wherein a switch is provided which performs the change-over between current and voltage feedback also during operation.

13. High frequency power generator according to claim 1, wherein a current limitation is provided in the form of a flip-flop.

14. High frequency power generator according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the kind of feedback is newly set at each half-wave.

15. High frequency power generator according to claim 1, wherein the oscillator is a component of the digital controller.

16. High frequency power amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the change-over between the kinds of feedback takes place with hysteresis.

17. High frequency power amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the switching amplifier is operated at frequencies of about 300kHz.

18. High frequency power amplifier according to claim 17, wherein the switching amplifier uses MOSFET transistors.