Patent · US Expired

Electrosurgical generator and system

US6416509B1 · kind B1 · utility

1,853Cited by
337References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 26, 1998
Grant dateJul 9, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 26, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61M2205/6027
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An electrosurgical system including an electrode assembly having two electrodes for use immersed in an electrically conductive fluid has a generator with control circuitry for rapidly reducing the delivered radio frequency output power by at least 50% within at most a few cycles of the peak radio frequency output voltage reaching a predetermined threshold limit. In this way, tissue coagulation can be performed in, for example, saline without significant steam generation. The same peak voltage limitation technique is used in a tissue vaporization or cutting mode to limit the size of the steam pocket at the electrodes and to avoid electrode burning. In a blended mode, the output voltage is alternately limited to a value appropriate for coagulation and a value appropriate for cutting or vaporization.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.