The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 15, 2003
Filed:
May. 18, 2000
Colin Charles Owen Goble, Penarth, GB;
Gyrus Medical, St. Mellons, GB;
Abstract
In an electrosurgery system having a radio frequency generator and an instrument with a treatment electrode, the generator includes a circuit for sensing thermionic emission from the electrode as means of controlling the supply of radio frequency power to the electrode. Thermionic emission is sensed by detecting d.c. voltage at the output of the generator, or an a.c. representation of the d.c. voltage, using a detector with an isolated output, and generator output power is controlled so as to limit the d.c. voltage or the a.c. representation to a predetermined threshold. Accordingly, the temperature of the electrode can be limited to avoid electrode destruction. The invention also has application to reducing nerve stimulation due to electrosurgical treatment.