Vessel sealing system
First Claim
1. A system for electrosurgically sealing tissue, comprising an electrosurgical generator comprising an RF energy source and a controller for controlling the operation of an electrosurgical generator, said electrosurgical generator having an output for coupling to a surgical instrument comprising electrodes for coupling RF energy generated by said electrosurgical generator to tissue to be sealed;
- said controller being operable for causing said electrosurgical generator to apply an initial pulse of RF energy to the tissue and for measuring a value of an electrical characteristic of the tissue in response to the applied initial pulse, said controller being responsive to the measured electrical characteristic for determining an initial set of pulse parameters for at least one subsequent pulse and for then controlling the pulse parameters of individual pulses of further subsequent RF energy pulses in accordance with a change in the electrical characteristic of the tissue as determined from at least one characteristic of an electrical transient that occurs during at least one RF energy pulse.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for electrosurgically sealing a tissue includes steps of: (A) applying a first pulse of RF energy to the tissue; and (B) applying at least one subsequent RF energy pulse to the tissue and keeping constant or varying RF energy parameters of individual pulses in accordance with at least one characteristic of an electrical transient that occurs during the individual RF energy pulses. The method terminates the generation of subsequent RF pulses upon a determination that the electrical transient has passed a predetermined limit.
1159 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system for electrosurgically sealing tissue, comprising an electrosurgical generator comprising an RF energy source and a controller for controlling the operation of an electrosurgical generator, said electrosurgical generator having an output for coupling to a surgical instrument comprising electrodes for coupling RF energy generated by said electrosurgical generator to tissue to be sealed;
- said controller being operable for causing said electrosurgical generator to apply an initial pulse of RF energy to the tissue and for measuring a value of an electrical characteristic of the tissue in response to the applied initial pulse, said controller being responsive to the measured electrical characteristic for determining an initial set of pulse parameters for at least one subsequent pulse and for then controlling the pulse parameters of individual pulses of further subsequent RF energy pulses in accordance with a change in the electrical characteristic of the tissue as determined from at least one characteristic of an electrical transient that occurs during at least one RF energy pulse.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for electrosurgically sealing tissue comprising:
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means for applying a first pulse of RF energy to the tissue; means for measuring at least one electrical characteristic of the tissue in response to the applied first pulse of RF energy; and means for applying at least one subsequent RF energy pulse to the tissue and controlling RF energy parameters of individual pulses of further subsequent individual RF energy pulses in accordance with at least one characteristic of an electrical current transient that occurs during the individual RF energy pulses, said RF energy parameters of said at least one subsequent RF energy pulse being controlled according to the at least one measured electrical characteristic of the tissue in response to the applied first pulse of RF energy, wherein said means for applying at least one subsequent RF energy pulse to the tissue and controlling RF energy parameters of individual pulses of further subsequent individual RF energy pulses allows said system to electrosurgically seal tissue without measuring tissue impedance. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification