System and Method for Delivering High Current to Electrosurgical Device

• US 20100094288A1
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Kerr, Duane E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,734,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/51
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1286 having a specific transformer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe

Abstract

An electrosurgical system is disclosed. The system includes an electrosurgical generator adapted to supply electrosurgical power and an electrosurgical device coupled to the electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical device includes a transformer and one or more active electrodes coupled thereto, wherein the transformer is adapted to step down the voltage of the power supplied by the electrosurgical generator.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical system, comprising:

an electrosurgical generator adapted to supply electrosurgical power; and

an electrosurgical device coupled to the electrosurgical generator, the electrosurgical device including a transformer and at least one active electrode coupled thereto, wherein the transformer is adapted to step down the voltage of the power supplied by the electrosurgical generator.

2. The electrosurgical system according to claim 1, further comprising a cable adapted to interconnect the electrosurgical generator and the electrosurgical device, the cable including at least one active line and at least one return line.

3. The electrosurgical system according to claim 2, wherein the transformer includes a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the primary winding is coupled to the at least one active line and the at least one return line and the secondary winding is coupled to the at least one active electrode.

4. The electrosurgical system according to claim 1, wherein the electrosurgical device is a bipolar device.

5. The electrosurgical system according to claim 4, wherein the bipolar device is an electrosurgical forceps.

6. The electrosurgical system according to claim 5, wherein the electrosurgical forceps includes:

at least one shaft member having an end effector assembly disposed at a distal end thereof the end effector assembly including jaw members movable from a first position in spaced relation relative to one another to at least one subsequent position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween.

7. The electrosurgical system according to claim 6, wherein each of the jaw members includes a sealing plate which communicates electrosurgical energy through tissue held therebetween.

8. The electrosurgical system according to claim 7, wherein the transformer is disposed at the distal end of the at least one shaft member and the transformer is coupled to the sealing plate of each of the jaw members.

9. An electrosurgical instrument configured to couple to an electrosurgical generator adapted to supply electrosurgical power to the electrosurgical instrument, the electrosurgical instrument comprising:

at least one active electrode; and

a transformer coupled to the at least one active electrode, the transformer adapted to step down the voltage of the power supplied by the electrosurgical generator.

10. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 9, wherein the electrosurgical instrument is an electrosurgical forceps.

11. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 10, wherein the electrosurgical forceps includes:

at least one shaft member having an end effector assembly disposed at a distal end thereof, the end effector assembly including jaw members movable from a first position in spaced relation relative to one another to at least one subsequent position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween, wherein each of the jaw members includes a sealing plate which communicates electrosurgical energy through tissue held therebetween.

12. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 11, further comprising a cable adapted to connect the electrosurgical instrument to an electrosurgical generator, the cable including at least one active line and at least one return line.

13. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 12, wherein the transformer includes a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the primary winding is coupled to the at least one active line and the at least one return line and the secondary winding is coupled to the sealing plates of each of the jaw members.

14. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 13, wherein the transformer is disposed at the distal end of the at least one shaft member.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of reading an identifier associated with the electrosurgical device, the identifier adapted to store ratio data relating to the step down ratio of the transformer.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of adjusting electrosurgical power at the electrosurgical generator based on the ratio data.

15. A method for transmitting electrosurgical energy, the method comprising the steps of:

generating electrosurgical power at an electrosurgical generator;

transmitting electrosurgical power to an electrosurgical device including a transformer and at least one active electrode coupled thereto; and

stepping down the voltage of the electrosurgical power supplied by the electrosurgical generator prior to supplying the stepped down voltage electrosurgical power to the at least one active electrode.