Valleylab, Inc.

William G Patterson

Michael S Klicek

A circuit, for monitoring and controlling parameters of an electrosurgical unit, ESU, relative to load and the RF energy, has a load responsive output sensing circuit that measures the ESU load. A signal modifier, attached to the sensing circuit enhances the signals measured and transmits them to a buffer. An analog to digital converter, A/D, digitize the signals and samples wave pulse train at about eight million samples per second. A data memory stores the digitized signals. A RF drive clock connects to the ESU output; a sample clock uses phase shifting to interrogate the input signals to a processor, DSP, at a greater sampling rate of frequency than without. The DSP receives the stored signals from the data memory and processes them while monitoring and calculating ESU parameters measured, i.e. voltage, current, power, load impedance, leakage current, peak to peak voltage, peak to peak current, spectral content and/or crest factor of the RF wave pulse train energy to use as controlling feedback to the either a high voltage power supply in the ESU, regulating the RF drive pulses or both. A method monitors and controls the ESU relative to load has the steps of collecting parameters with the ESU output sensing circuit responsive to loads; enhancing signals with the signal modifier; transmitting signals to the buffer; converting signals with the A/D converter; storing signals in the data memory; receiving signals in the DSP, and processing, monitoring and controlling signals by repeatedly measuring ESU output parameters.

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Longmont, CO, United States of America

William G Patterson