Covidien Ag

Sherwood Services Ag

Thomas A Sturm

Robert H Wham

William D Faulkner

William N Gregg

Raymond A Fredricks

David Abraham Schechter

Rebecca J Coulson

Chelsea Shields

Craig Weinberg

Kari Leidich

Robert Hartzell Wham

A method and system are disclosed enabling configuration of a control system for an electrosurgical generator system for creating new surgical applications without changing the underlying software system. The electrosurgical generator system includes an RF stage to output at least one waveform of electrosurgical energy; a sensor module having at least one sensor to sense electrical or physical properties related to the output electrosurgical energy and generate sensor data; and at least one control module executable on at least one processor that controls at least one parameter of the output electrosurgical energy. The at least one control module includes an outer loop controller to generate a control signal in accordance with at least a first subset of the sensor data and an inner loop controller to generate a setpoint control signal and provide the setpoint control signal to the RF stage for controlling at least an amplitude of the energy output by the RF stage.

Method and system for programming and controlling an electrosurgical generator system

A method and system are disclosed enabling configuration of a control system for an electrosurgical generator system for creating new surgical applications without changing the underlying software system. The programmable electrosurgical generator system has an RF output stage for outputting at least one RF operating waveform for performing an electrosurgical procedure. The programmable electrosurgical generator system includes an inner loop system to change at least one parameter of the at least one RF operating waveform; an outer loop system to provide at least one operating command to the inner loop system; and a configuration control system that modifies at least one of the inner and outer loop systems based on received data from a sensor module.

An electrosurgical generator system includes an electrical generator having an RF stage for outputting electrical energy having at least one waveform for performing an electrosurgical procedure. The system further includes at least one control module executable on at least one processor which controls at least one parameter of the outputted electrical energy and a configuration controller operably associated with the electrical generator which generates configuration data to configure the at least one control module to provide at least one modality of control of the outputted electrical energy based on the configuration data.

A method and system are disclosed enabling configuration of a control system for an electrosurgical generator system for creating new surgical applications without changing the underlying software system. The system includes an outer loop controller for generating a control signal in accordance with at least a first subset of sensor data from at least one sensor; an inner loop controller for generating a setpoint control signal which is provided to an RF stage in accordance with at least the control signal generated by the outer loop controller and a second subset of sensor data from the at least one sensor; and a configuration controller for generating configuration data and providing first and second configuration data sets of the configuration data to the inner loop and outer loop controllers, respectively, for configuration thereof to provide a type of control selectable from a variety of types of control.

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.

System and method for tissue sealing

A multiple RF return pad contact detection system is provided which is adaptive to different physiological characteristics of patients without being susceptible to electrosurgical current interference (e.g., interference or measurement interaction between components of the detection system). The detection system can measure or sense the contact resistance or impedance between the patient and pairs of RF return pads or return electrodes where multiple pairs of RF return pads are utilized due to the high current frequently needed during electrosurgery while eliminating or minimizing the risk of measurement interaction between the RF return pad pairs. The system allows for the independent and simultaneous measurement of the pad contact impedance for each pair of RF return pads. If the impedance of any pad pair is above a predetermined limit, the system turns off or reduces the electrosurgical output of the electrosurgical generator to prevent excess heating. The system eliminates or minimizes interference or measurement interaction between the pad pairs by providing a different signal source frequency for each pad contact pair, but a frequency which matches an associated series resonant network frequency. The current that flows in the series resonant network is a direct reflection or function of the pad impedance of the corresponding pad pair.

Multiple RF return pad contact detection system

An automatic control system for an electrosurgical generator is herein disclosed. The automatic control system includes voltage and current sensing circuits, a processing circuit, an output determining circuit, and a control circuit. Samples of the voltage and current outputs are supplied to the processing circuit and the output determining circuit to generate an output signal. The output signal is compared to a reference signal to generate a feedback signal for controlling a drive circuit.

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Erie, CO, United States of America

Thomas A Sturm