Covidien LP

University of Colorado

The University of Tennessee Research Foundation

Tyco Healthcare Group LP D/b/a Covidien

Daniel A Friedrichs

Robert B Smith

Steven C Rupp

James A Gilbert

Joe Don Sartor

Daniel Jes Costinett

Chongwen Zhao

James E Thompson

Bradford C Trento

David J Van Tol

Keith W Malang

Robert Warren Erickson

Thomas W Meiser

William Scott Darrow

Edgar Sanchez-Sinencio

Rachael L Kabala

Xiaosen Liu

Adrian I Colli-Menchi

Mark A Johnston

Adrian Colli-Menchi

Vincent Zaballa

An electrosurgical instrument includes a housing, an elongated shaft, and an end-effector assembly. The proximal end of the shaft is operably associated with the housing. The end-effector assembly is operably coupled to the distal end of the shaft and includes first and second jaw members. Each of the first and second jaw members includes a sealing plate and a bipolar electrode. Either one or both of the first and second jaw members is movable from a position in spaced relation relative to the other jaw member to at least one subsequent position wherein the sealing plates cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. The electrosurgical instrument includes a semiconductor switch operably coupled to at least one of the sealing plates and at least one of the bipolar electrodes. The semiconductor switch is configured to enable user selection between energizing the at least one sealing plate or the at least one bipolar electrode.

Electrosurgical instrument with end-effector assembly including electrically-conductive, tissue-engaging surfaces and switchable bipolar electrodes

A generator is configured to output two or more waveforms at different frequencies. In particular, the generator is configured to provide an ultrasonic waveform, which may be suitable for driving a transducer of an ultrasonic surgical instrument, and electrosurgical radiofrequency energy, which may be suitable for electrosurgical instruments.

Ultrasonic and radiofrequency energy production and control from a single power converter

A surgical instrument end effector assembly includes a first jaw member defining an insulative tissue-contacting surface and first and second electrically-conductive tissue-contacting surfaces disposed on either side of the insulative surface. A second jaw member of the end effector assembly includes an ultrasonic blade body positioned to oppose the insulative surface of the first jaw member, and first and second electrically-conductive tissue-contacting surfaces disposed on either side of the ultrasonic blade body and positioned to oppose the first and second electrically-conductive surfaces, respectively, of the first jaw member. The first jaw member is movable relative to the second jaw member between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position to grasp tissue therebetween. The first and second electrically-conductive surfaces of the second jaw member are movable, independent of the first jaw member, relative to the first jaw member and the ultrasonic blade body between a retracted position and an extended position.

Surgical instruments incorporating ultrasonic and electrosurgical functionality

A dual-output generator is configured to output two or more waveforms at different frequencies. In particular, the dual-output generator is configured to provide low-frequency output, which may be suitable for ultrasonic surgical instruments, and a high-frequency output, which may be suitable for electrosurgical instruments, while reducing the amplitude of all remaining frequencies other than the two selected low and high frequencies to about zero.

System and method for harmonic control of dual-output generators

A surgical system includes a surgical instrument and a cooling module. The cooling module includes a fluid reservoir retaining a conductive cooling fluid, a pump configured to pump the conductive cooling fluid along a flowpath, first and second electrodes disposed at first and second positions along the flowpath and configured to sense an electrical property of the conductive cooling fluid at the first and second positions, and a controller configured to determine an impedance of the conductive cooling fluid between the first and second positions based upon the sensed electrical properties of the first and second electrodes. A method for cooling a surgical instrument includes detecting an electrical property of a conductive cooling fluid at first and second positions along a flowpath and determining an impedance of the conductive cooling fluid between the first and second positions based upon the detected electrical properties at the first and second positions.

Devices, systems, and methods for cooling a surgical instrument

An ultrasonic motion generator includes a non-resonant inverter, an ultrasonic transducer, and a comparator. The non-resonant inverter inverts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) having a first frequency. The ultrasonic transducer is electrically coupled with the non-resonant inverter and generates an ultrasonic motion based on the inverted AC. The comparator automatically detects a deviation of the first frequency from a resonant frequency of the ultrasonic transducer based on motion current passing through the ultrasonic transducer and generates an output signal based on the deviation to drive the non-resonant inverter.

Electrosurgical ultrasonic vessel sealing and dissecting system

An electrosurgical generator includes a power supply configured to output a DC waveform, a current or voltage source coupled to the power supply and a power converter coupled to the current or voltage source, the power converter including at least one power switching element and a power inductor having an inductance value during switching of the at least one power switching element. The electrosurgical generator further includes a zero voltage switching (ZVS) inducing circuit coupled to the power converter at a switching node, the ZVS inducing circuit including an inductor having an inductance which is greater than the inductance value of the power inductor of the at least one power switching element.

Ancillary circuit to induce zero voltage switching in a power converter

Disclosed are systems, devices, and methods for interdigitation of waveforms for dual-output electrosurgical generators. Such methods may comprise outputting DC energy from a power supply, converting DC energy from the power supply, by a plurality of amplifiers coupled to the power supply, into a plurality of RF waveforms, and controlling the plurality of RF amplifiers to interdigitate the first and second RF waveforms.

Interdigitation of waveforms for dual-output electrosurgical generators

The present disclosure provides a plasma catheter including a tubular member; a conductive cylindrical member; a first electrode; and a second electrode. The tubular member defines a longitudinal lumen therethrough and has a proximal portion and a distal portion. The conductive cylindrical member is disposed at the distal portion of the tubular member. The first electrode is embedded in a first side of the tubular member and coupled to the conductive cylindrical member. The second electrode is embedded in a second side of the tubular member diametrically opposed to the first side. The second electrode is offset from the tubular member and aligned with a center axis defined by the conductive cylindrical member.

Bipolar plasma catheter

An electrosurgical generator includes: a power supply configured to output a DC waveform; an inverter coupled to the power supply, the inverter including a plurality of switching elements; and a controller coupled to the inverter and configured to generate a switching angle waveform including a plurality of switching pulses. The controller is further configured to at least one of select or calculate the plurality of switching pulses to activate the plurality of switching elements to generate a radio frequency waveform based on the DC waveform and to minimize harmonics of the radio frequency waveform.

System and method for high frequency leakage reduction through selective harmonic elimination in electrosurgical generators

A plasma system is disclosed. The plasma system includes a plasma instrument having an elongated body defining a lumen therethrough and a first electrode and a second electrode; an ionizable media source in fluid communication with the lumen and configured to supply ionizable media thereto; and a variable frequency energy source adapted to be coupled to the first and second electrodes and configured to supply energy to the first and second electrodes sufficient to ignite ionizable media supplied by the ionizable media source to generate a plasma influent, wherein a frequency of the energy is adjustable to modify at least one property of the plasma effluent.

Growing community of inventors

Aurora, CO, United States of America

Daniel A Friedrichs