Method and system for programming and controlling an electrosurgical generator system

• US 7,722,601 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Wham, Robert H., Sturm, Thomas A., Faulkner, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak; Linda C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scott; Amanda
• Application Number:
  US10/554,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20070093800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 606 32- 34, 606 37- 42
• US Class Current: 606/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00648 using more than one sensed parameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00773 Sensed parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00779 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00892 Voltage

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed enabling configuration of a control system for an electrosurgical generator system for creating new surgical applications without changing the underlying software system. The system includes an outer loop controller for generating a control signal in accordance with at least a first subset of sensor data from at least one sensor; an inner loop controller for generating a setpoint control signal which is provided to an RF stage in accordance with at least the control signal generated by the outer loop controller and a second subset of sensor data from the at least one sensor; and a configuration controller for generating configuration data and providing first and second configuration data sets of the configuration data to the inner loop and outer loop controllers, respectively, for configuration thereof to provide a type of control selectable from a variety of types of control.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical generator system having an RF stage for outputting at least one waveform of electrosurgical energy for performing an electrosurgical procedure, the electrosurgical generator comprising:

at least one control module executable on at least one processor for controlling in combination at least one parameter of the output electrosurgical energy;

a configuration controller for generating configuration data including configuration data for respective control modules of the at least one control module and providing the corresponding configuration data to the respective control modules for configuring the respective control modules to provide a type of control selectable from a variety of types of control;

a sensor module having at least one sensor that senses electrical or physical properties relating to the output electrosurgical energy or the application of the electrosurgical energy and generates sensor data corresponding thereto;

wherein the at least one control module includes;

an outer loop controller that generates a control signal in accordance with at least a first subset of the sensor data; and

an inner loop controller that generates a setpoint control signal and provides the setpoint control signal to the RF stage for controlling at least an amplitude of the energy output by the RF stage, wherein the setpoint control signal is generated based on at least the control signal generated by the outer loop controller and a second subset of the sensor data;

wherein the outer loop controller includes;

an outer loop target generator that generates an outer loop target value based on at least a time signal indicative of a time lapse during the procedure and an outer loop target curve providing target values versus time values provided via the configuration data; and

an outer loop control module performing a control algorithm for generating the control signal based on at least the outer loop target value and the first subset of sensor data;

wherein the inner loop controller includes;

an inner loop target generator that generates an inner loop target value based on at least the second subset of sensor data or an inner loop target curve providing target values versus impedance values provided via the configuration data; and

an inner loop control module performing a control algorithm that generates the setpoint control signal based on at least the inner loop target value and the second subset of sensor data.

2. The electrosurgical generator system as in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of current, phase shift, voltage, power, impedance, and temperature sensors.

3. The electrosurgical generator system as in claim 1, wherein the electrosurgical generator system further comprises a configuration sensor module having at least one sensor for sensing at least one property relating to at least one of a user action relating directly to operation of an electrosurgical instrument, and at least one of a physical or electrical property sensed in a field of the procedure, wherein the configuration sensor module generates at least one signal corresponding to the sensing.

4. The electrosurgical generator system as in claim 1, wherein the configuration data provided to the inner loop controller includes at least one of an algorithm selected from at least a sculpted current algorithm, a sculpted voltage algorithm and a sculpted power algorithm;

pulse parameters for controlling a waveform pattern of the setpoint control signal;

a gain curve providing predetermined gain multiplier values plotted versus predetermined impedance values;

maximum limitation values for the setpoint control signal;

a control curve providing target values plotted versus impedance values;

predetermined impedance breakpoint values; and

control algorithm parameters; and

wherein the configuration data provided to the outer loop controller includes at least one of a target curve providing target values plotted versus time values;

a target slew rate for limiting the slew rate of the outer loop controller;

a time multiplier for adjusting the target curve with respect to the time values;

control algorithm parameters;

threshold range values for the control signal generated by the outer loop controller;

pulse parameters for pulsing the control signal;

an outer loop algorithm selected from at least one of a temperature algorithm, a temperature limit algorithm, and an impedance algorithm;

outer loop algorithm parameters; and

a gain curve providing predetermined gain multiplier values plotted versus predetermined impedance values.

5. The electrosurgical generator system as in claim 1, further comprising a waveform controller receiving configuration data from the configuration controller and controlling a waveform pattern of the electrosurgical energy generated by the RF stage.

6. The electrosurgical generator system as in claim 1, wherein each of the outer loop target generator, the outer loop control module, the inner loop target generator and the inner loop control module are bypassable.

7. The electrosurgical generator system as in claim 1, wherein the electrosurgical generator system further comprises a high level RF algorithm module for generating updated configuration data for at least one of the respective control modules in response to at least one of received sensor data and time signals indicative of the amount of time lapsed during a procedure, and providing the updated configuration data to the at least one of the respective control modules for reconfiguring the respective control modules.

8. The electrosurgical generator system as in claim 7, wherein the configuration data provided to the high level RF algorithm module includes at least an algorithm selection and algorithm specific data for adjusting at least one procedural algorithm.