Electrosurgical generator and system
First Claim
1. A method of operating an electrosurgical system having at least a tissue desiccation mode and a tissue cutting or vaporisation mode, the system having a radio frequency power generator coupled to an electrode assembly having an electrode for operation in a conductive liquid, wherein the method comprises:
- selecting one of the said modes;
when the desiccation mode is selected, automatically adjusting the radio frequency power supplied to the electrode assembly to maintain the conductive liquid adjacent the electrode at its boiling point for tissue desiccation without creating a vapour pocket surrounding the electrode; and
when the cutting or vaporisation mode is selected, automatically adjusting the radio frequency power supplied to the electrode to maintain a vapour pocket surrounding the electrode.
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Abstract
An electrosurgical system including an electrode assembly having two electrodes for use immersed in an electrically conductive fluid has a generator with control circuitry for rapidly reducing the delivered radio frequency output power by at least 50% within at most a few cycles of the peak radio frequency output voltage reaching a predetermined threshold limit. In this way, tissue coagulation can be performed in, for example, saline without significant steam generation. The same peak voltage limitation technique is used in a tissue vaporization or cutting mode to limit the size of the steam pocket at the electrodes and to avoid electrode burning.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A method of operating an electrosurgical system having at least a tissue desiccation mode and a tissue cutting or vaporisation mode, the system having a radio frequency power generator coupled to an electrode assembly having an electrode for operation in a conductive liquid, wherein the method comprises:
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selecting one of the said modes;
when the desiccation mode is selected, automatically adjusting the radio frequency power supplied to the electrode assembly to maintain the conductive liquid adjacent the electrode at its boiling point for tissue desiccation without creating a vapour pocket surrounding the electrode; and
when the cutting or vaporisation mode is selected, automatically adjusting the radio frequency power supplied to the electrode to maintain a vapour pocket surrounding the electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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Specification