Methods, systems, and devices for performing electrosurgical procedures
First Claim
1. An electrosurgical system comprising:
- an electrosurgical electrode adapted to transmit electrical energy to patient tissue during an electrosurgical procedure, the electrode having a configuration that enhances rapid feedback used to automatically correct and regulate power levels applied to the electrode, the electrode comprising a working surface that is sharpened to concentrate the electrical energy transmitted from the electrode to the patient tissue during an electrosurgical procedure so that concentration of the electrical energy to the patient tissue improves both speed with which the electrode is able to cut or cauterize the tissue while also reducing likelihood of tissue damage in tissue surrounding the cut or cauterized tissue, the improved speed with which the electrode is able to cut or cauterize tissue providing more rapid feedback that can be used to regulate power levels applied to the electrode; and
an electrosurgical wave generator electrically coupled to the electrode, the wave generator comprising;
a power source for providing electrical energy to said electrode working surface at a specified frequency;
at least one of a voltage sensor and a current sensor coupled between the power source and the electrode for sensing one or more electrical feedback parameters from which the tissue impedance can be essentially continuously sampled so that the tissue impedance can be used to rapidly adjust power levels applied to the electrode during a cut or cauterize procedure to avoid application of excess power and tissue damage; and
a processor programmed with executable instructions for processing the sensed electrical parameters to re-compute tissue impedance for each sample taken while cutting or cauterizing the tissue so that (i) as cutting or cauterizing the tissue is initiated, power to the electrode is rapidly increased up to a pre-determined tissue impedance level, and then (ii) as tissue impedance increases above the pre-determined tissue impedance level, the power to the electrode is rapidly reduced in inverse proportion to further increases in tissue impedance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrosurgical system including a sharpened electrosurgical electrode, which can have a coated surface, and an automatically adjusting electrosurgical wave generator is disclosed. The automatically adjusting wave generator and the sharpened electrode tip provide or enhance the properties, attributes and/or characteristics of the electrosurgical system and prevent tissue damage and reduce incidences of post-operative complications, thereby quickening the healing process. The wave generator detects various circuit parameters and automatically adjusts the output settings, such as the output power level, based on the various circuit parameters, such as tissue impedance, to prevent undesirable tissue damage.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electrosurgical system comprising:
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an electrosurgical electrode adapted to transmit electrical energy to patient tissue during an electrosurgical procedure, the electrode having a configuration that enhances rapid feedback used to automatically correct and regulate power levels applied to the electrode, the electrode comprising a working surface that is sharpened to concentrate the electrical energy transmitted from the electrode to the patient tissue during an electrosurgical procedure so that concentration of the electrical energy to the patient tissue improves both speed with which the electrode is able to cut or cauterize the tissue while also reducing likelihood of tissue damage in tissue surrounding the cut or cauterized tissue, the improved speed with which the electrode is able to cut or cauterize tissue providing more rapid feedback that can be used to regulate power levels applied to the electrode; and an electrosurgical wave generator electrically coupled to the electrode, the wave generator comprising; a power source for providing electrical energy to said electrode working surface at a specified frequency; at least one of a voltage sensor and a current sensor coupled between the power source and the electrode for sensing one or more electrical feedback parameters from which the tissue impedance can be essentially continuously sampled so that the tissue impedance can be used to rapidly adjust power levels applied to the electrode during a cut or cauterize procedure to avoid application of excess power and tissue damage; and a processor programmed with executable instructions for processing the sensed electrical parameters to re-compute tissue impedance for each sample taken while cutting or cauterizing the tissue so that (i) as cutting or cauterizing the tissue is initiated, power to the electrode is rapidly increased up to a pre-determined tissue impedance level, and then (ii) as tissue impedance increases above the pre-determined tissue impedance level, the power to the electrode is rapidly reduced in inverse proportion to further increases in tissue impedance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An electrosurgical system comprising:
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an electrosurgical electrode adapted to transmit electrical energy to patient tissue during an electrosurgical procedure, the electrode having a configuration that enhances rapid feedback used to automatically correct and regulate power levels applied to the electrode, the electrode comprising a working edge that is sharpened to concentrate the electrical energy transmitted from the electrode to the patient tissue during an electrosurgical procedure so that concentration of the electrical energy to the patient tissue improves both speed with which the electrode is able to cut or cauterize the tissue while also reducing likelihood of tissue damage in tissue surrounding the cut or cauterized tissue, the improved speed with which the electrode is able to cut or cauterize tissue providing more rapid feedback that can be used to regulate power levels applied to the electrode, and the electrode having a limited mass which limits the amount of latent heat the electrode is able to retain; and an electrosurgical wave generator electrically coupled to the electrode, the wave generator comprising; a power source for providing electrical energy to said electrode working edge at a specified frequency; a voltage sensor and a current sensor coupled between the power source and the electrode for sensing both voltage and current at the electrode at a sampling rate of about every 20 milliseconds in order to provide voltage and current feedback parameters from which the tissue impedance can be essentially continuously re-computed about every 20 milliseconds and then used to rapidly adjust power levels applied to the electrode during a cut or cauterize procedure to avoid application of excess power and tissue damage; and a processor programmed with executable instructions for processing the sensed voltage and current to re-compute tissue impedance for each sample taken while cutting or cauterizing the tissue so that (i) as cutting or cauterizing the tissue is initiated, power to the electrode is initially rapidly increased up to a pre-determined tissue impedance level, and then (ii) as tissue impedance increases above the pre-determined tissue impedance level, the power to the electrode is rapidly reduced in inverse proportion to further increases in tissue impedance. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An electrosurgical system comprising:
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an electrosurgical electrode adapted to transmit electrical energy to patient tissue during an electrosurgical procedure, the electrode having a configuration that enhances rapid feedback used to automatically correct and regulate power levels applied to the electrode, the electrode comprising a plurality of working surfaces with differing lengths that are angled relative to one another, but wherein each working surface has a thickness in the range of about 0.254 mm to about 0.1270 mm that is sharpened to concentrate the electrical energy transmitted from the electrode to the patient tissue during an electrosurgical procedure so that concentration of the electrical energy to the patient tissue improves both speed with which the electrode is able to cut or cauterize the tissue while also reducing likelihood of tissue damage in tissue surrounding the cut or cauterized tissue, the improved speed with which the electrode is able to cut or cauterize tissue providing more rapid feedback that can be used to regulate power levels applied to the electrode, and the electrode having an overall thickness of about 0.4318 mm so that the electrode has a limited mass which limits the amount of latent heat the electrode is able to retain; and an electrosurgical wave generator electrically coupled to the electrode, the wave generator comprising; a power source for providing electrical energy to said electrode working surface at a specified frequency; a voltage sensor and a current sensor coupled between the power source and the electrode for sensing both voltage and current at the electrode at a sampling rate of about every 20 milliseconds in order to provide voltage and current feedback parameters from which the tissue impedance can be essentially continuously re-computed about every 20 milliseconds and then used to rapidly adjust power levels applied to the electrode during a cut or cauterize procedure to avoid application of excess power and tissue damage; and a processor programmed with executable instructions for processing the sensed voltage and current to re-compute tissue impedance for each sample taken while cutting or cauterizing the tissue so that (i) as cutting or cauterizing the tissue is initiated, power to the electrode is initially rapidly increased up to a pre-determined tissue impedance level, and then (ii) as tissue impedance increases above the pre-determined tissue impedance level, the power to the electrode is rapidly reduced in inverse proportion to further increases in tissue impedance. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A computer-implemented method of controlling power to a working surface of an electrode of an electrosurgical system used to cut or cauterize a patient'"'"'s tissue during a medical procedure, comprising:
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providing electrical energy to said electrode working surface at a specified frequency; sampling at a rate of about 20 milliseconds the voltage and current at said electrode working surface so that tissue impedance can be derived from the voltage and current samples and then used to rapidly adjust power levels applied to the electrode during a cut or cauterize procedure to avoid application of excess power and tissue damage; and using a processor programmed with executable instructions to process the sensed voltage and current parameters in order to re-compute tissue impedance for each sample taken while cutting or cauterizing the tissue so that (i) as cutting or cauterizing the tissue is initiated, power to the electrode is rapidly increased up to a pre-determined tissue impedance level, and then (ii) as tissue impedance increases above the pre-determined tissue impedance level, the power to the electrode is rapidly reduced in inverse proportion to further increases in tissue impedance.
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20. An electrosurgical wave generator having a processor for implementing a computer-implemented method of controlling power to a working surface of an electrode of an electrosurgical system used to cut or cauterize a patient'"'"'s tissue during a medical procedure, and wherein the processor includes computer-executable instructions for implementing a method comprised of:
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providing electrical energy to said electrode working surface at a specified frequency; sampling at a rate of about 20 milliseconds the voltage and current at said electrode working surface so that tissue impedance can be derived from the voltage and current samples and then used to rapidly adjust power levels applied to the electrode during a cut or cauterize procedure to avoid application of excess power and tissue damage; and using a processor programmed with executable instructions to process the sensed voltage and current parameters in order to re-compute tissue impedance for each sample taken while cutting or cauterizing the tissue so that (i) as cutting or cauterizing the tissue is initiated, power to the electrode is rapidly increased up to a pre-determined tissue impedance level, and then (ii) as tissue impedance increases above the pre-determined tissue impedance level, the power to the electrode is rapidly reduced in inverse proportion to further increases in tissue impedance.
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Specification