Erbe Elektromedizin Gmbh

Bowa-electronic Gmbh

Johannes Klett

Gunter Farin

Franz Geiselhart

Martin Heinrich

The invention relates to a high-frequency surgical apparatus in which, for the purpose of cutting and/or coagulating biological tissue by means of high-frequency current, a high-frequency generator having a first electrode and a second electrode forms a high-frequency circuit through the tissue being treated, with an electric arc being formed, said apparatus having a measuring device to detect DC voltage components forming in the high frequency circuit when the arc is formed, said DC voltage components being usable for controlling the high-frequency generator via a controlling device. The invention is characterized in that the measuring device has an arc-decoupling circuit which separates the DC voltage components in the positive half-cycle of the high-frequency AC voltage from the DC voltage components in the negative half-cycle of the high-frequency AC voltage and makes available at least one of the separated DC voltage components as a signal for subsequent processing in the controlling device. The invention also relates to a corresponding method of running such apparatus.

High-frequency surgical apparatus and a method for operating same

At least one neutral electrodes insulated from each other is separately connected to the current return terminal of a high frequency electro-surgical equipment are applied in electrical contact with the skin of a patient while surgery is performed with the active electrode of the equipment. A low frequency alternating current is passed through the patient's flesh from one neutral electrode to the other to monitor the quality of contact between the neutral electrodes and the patient. The intensity of the intermeittent high frequency current or a corresponding setting of the high frequency surgery equipment is compared with a signal representative of the monitoring current so that warning signals and/or automatic shut-off of the high frequency equipment will occur when and only when the high frequency current for surgical cutting or coagulation is greater than that which is permissible for the electrical transition conductivity present at the time between the respective neutral electrodes and the skin of the patient without risk of thermal damage to the skin at the place the neutral electrode is applied.

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Ofterdingen, Germany

Johannes Klett