VESSEL SEALING SYSTEM

• US 20140058385A1
• Filed: 11/05/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: WHAM, ROBERT H., BUYSSE, STEVEN P., ORSZULAK, JAMES H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,375,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12 for ligaturing or otherwise compressing tubular parts of the body, e.g. blood vessels, umbilical cord specially adapted for vas deferens or fallopian tubes A61F6/20; materials for ligaturing blood vessels A61L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• 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 18/1482 having a long rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously in minimal invasive surgery, e.g. laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2945 Curved jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00404 Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00428 Severing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0063 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00684 using lookup tables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00726 Duty cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00827 Current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/126 bipolar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1432 : curved
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 : using more than two electrodes on a single probe

Abstract

An electrosurgical system is disclosed. The electrosurgical system includes an electrosurgical generator adapted to supply electrosurgical energy to tissue. The electrosurgical generator includes impedance sensing circuitry which measures impedance of tissue, a microprocessor configured to determine whether a tissue reaction has occurred as a function of a minimum impedance value and a predetermined rise in impedance, wherein tissue reaction corresponds to a boiling point of tissue fluid, and an electrosurgical instrument including at least one active electrode adapted to apply electrosurgical energy to tissue.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. An electrosurgical generator, comprising:

an RF energy source configured to provide RF energy;

an output configured to couple the RF energy source to opposing first and second electrodes of a surgical instrument and provide the RF energy thereto, the opposing first and second electrodes when positioned about tissue forming a gap therebetween; and

a controller configured to regulate the RF energy from the RF energy source, the controller configured to decrease the output of the RF energy as the gap between the first electrode and second electrode is decreased.

10. The generator according to claim 9, wherein the controller controllably decreases an amplitude of the RF energy to compensate for a decrease in the gap due to thermally-induced shrinkage of tissue.

11. The generator according to claim 9, wherein the controller applies a plurality of pulses of RF energy between the first and second electrodes and controllably decreases an amplitude between each individual RF energy pulse as the gap between the first and second electrodes decreases.

12. The generator according to claim 11, wherein the amplitude is controllably decreased to compensate for a decrease in gap between the first and second electrodes due to thermally-induced shrinkage of tissue.

13. An electrosurgical generator comprising:

a controller configured to apply an initial pulse of RF energy to opposing first and second electrodes having a gap defined therebetween, the initial pulse of RF energy forming an electrical potential between the first and second electrodes when positioned about tissue, the controller configured to apply at least one subsequent pulse of RF energy to the first and second electrodes forming a subsequent electrical potential between the first and second electrodes when positioned about tissue, the difference in the at least one subsequent pulse of RF energy and subsequent electrical potential between first and second electrodes being decreased as the gap between the first and second electrodes is decreased

14. An electrosurgical generator comprising:

a controller configured to apply an initial pulse of RF energy to the tissue, the initial pulse forming an electrical potential between first and second electrodes positioned about tissue having a gap defined therebetween, the controller configured to decrease the amplitude of subsequent pulses of RF energy as the gap between the first and second electrodes is decreased.

15. The generator according to claim 14 wherein the controller controllably decreases the amplitude of subsequent pulses of RF energy to compensate for a decrease in the gap between the first and second electrodes due to thermally-induced shrinkage of tissue.