Matrix router for surgical ablation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076378-B2
Application number	US-201314071234-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2013
Priority date	Jul 15, 2005
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A matrix router with frequency switching is provided having an energy source electrically connected to a plurality of interface ports. A switching device is provided between the energy source and the plurality of switches. One of the plurality of interface ports includes a paired electrode interface port for the connection of a paired electrode device thereto. The paired electrode device has a first pair of opposed electrodes and a second pair of opposed electrodes for clamping on tissue. When the paired electrode device is operably connected to the paired electrode interface port and actuated, the switching device alternates energy such as bipolar RF from the first pair of opposed electrodes to the second pair of opposed electrodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical router comprising:
an energy source configured to power at least one of a plurality of surgical devices;
a paired electrode interface port operably connected to the energy source, the paired electrode interface port including a plurality of interfaces for connecting to at least one of the plurality of surgical devices; and
a paired electrode frequency switching device operably connected between the energy source and the paired electrode interface port, the paired electrode frequency switching device including at least one of logic and circuitry configured to rapidly deliver radio frequency (RF) energy to the plurality of interfaces in turn, repeatedly, at a switching frequency to create and maintain an overlapping energy field.

2. The surgical router of claim 1 , wherein the switching frequency is selected with a frequency selector.

3. The surgical router of claim 2 , wherein the frequency selector comprises a switch comprising a portion of the paired electrode frequency switching device.

4. The surgical router of claim 2 , wherein the frequency selector comprises a jumper comprising a portion of the paired electrode frequency switching device.

5. The surgical router of claim 2 , wherein the frequency selector comprises a portion of at least one of the plurality of surgical devices.

6. The surgical router of claim 2 , wherein the frequency selector comprises a circuit that recognizes any one of the plurality of surgical devices and can select a frequency for any one of the plurality of surgical devices.

7. The surgical router of claim 2 , wherein the frequency selector selects a switching frequency as a function of a spacing between a first pair of electrodes and a second pair of electrodes comprising at least one of the plurality of surgical devices.

8. The surgical router of claim 2 , wherein the frequency selector selects a switching frequency as a function of the length of a first pair of electrodes and the length of a second pair of electrodes comprising at least one of the plurality of surgical devices.

9. The surgical router of claim 2 , wherein the switching frequency selected by the frequency selector is a function of an RF energy power level with respect to an impedance of tissue clamped by at least one of the plurality of surgical devices.

10. The surgical router of claim 2 , wherein when at least one of the plurality of surgical devices is clamped on tissue, the frequency selector is configured to select a switching frequency as a function of an energy power level provided by the energy source with respect to an impedance measured across the tissue clamped by the at least one of the plurality of surgical devices.

11. The surgical router of claim 2 , wherein the switching frequency selected by the frequency selector is a function of at least one of a spring rate and clamp pressure exerted on tissue clamped by at least one of the plurality of surgical devices.

12. The surgical router of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of surgical devices includes a first pair of bipolar electrodes and a second pair of bipolar electrodes.

13. The surgical router of claim 1 , wherein the switching device is configured to delay energy delivery at least one of prior to and after alternating.

14. The surgical router of claim 12 , wherein the switching device alternates the energy between the first pair of bipolar electrodes and the second pair of bipolar electrodes at a duty cycle of less than 100% for each pair.

15. The surgical router of claim 1 , wherein the switching frequency is between 10 Hz and 376 Hz.

16. The surgical router of claim 1 , wherein the switching frequency is between 2 Hz and 575 Hz.

17. The surgical router of claim 1 , wherein the paired electrode frequency switching device includes a surgical device recognition circuit configured to recognize and differentiate among the plurality of surgical devices.

18. A surgical system comprising:
an energy source operable to deliver energy;
a first surgical device including at least two pair of bipolar electrodes; and
a switching device operably coupled between the energy source and the at least two pair of bipolar electrodes, the switching device including a paired electrode recognition circuit configured to recognize and differentiate among a plurality of surgical devices including the first surgical device, the switching device including circuitry and logic configured to repetitively deliver the energy back and forth to each of the at least two pair of bipolar electrodes at a switching frequency to create an overlapping energy field.

19. The surgical system of claim 18 , wherein the switching frequency of the switching device is selected with a frequency selector.

20. The surgical system of claim 19 , wherein the frequency selector includes a switch.

21. The surgical system of claim 19 , wherein the frequency selector includes a jumper.

22. The surgical system of claim 19 , wherein the switching frequency is selectable using the first surgical device.

23. The surgical system of claim 19 , wherein the frequency selector is a component of the first surgical device.

24. The surgical system of claim 19 , wherein the frequency selector comprises a circuit configured to recognize and differentiate among the plurality of surgical devices and select the switching frequency for a connected surgical device.

25. The surgical system of claim 19 , wherein:
the frequency selector is configured to select the switching frequency as a function of a space between a first of the at least two pair of bipolar electrodes and a second of the at least two pair of bipolar electrodes.

26. The surgical system of claim 19 , wherein:
the switching frequency is configured to be selected by the frequency selector as a function of a length of at least one of the at least two pair of bipolar electrodes.

27. The surgical system of claim 18 , wherein:
the energy comprises radio frequency (RF) energy;
the switching frequency is a function of an RF energy power level with respect to an impedance of tissue clamped by at least one of the plurality of surgical devices.

28. The surgical system of claim 19 , wherein the frequency selector is configured to select the switching frequency as a function of an energy power level provided by the energy source with respect to an impedance measured across tissue clamped by at least one of the plurality of surgical devices.

29. The surgical system of claim 18 , wherein the switching device is configured to deliver the energy at a duty cycle of less than 100% for each of the pair of electrodes.

30. The surgical system of claim 19 , wherein the switching frequency is selected by the frequency selector as a function of a spring rate of portions of at least one of the plurality of surgical devices that exert a clamping pressure onto tissue.

31. The surgical system of claim 18 , wherein the switching device is configured to delay energy delivery to each of the pair of electrodes.

32. The surgical system of claim 18 , wherein the switching frequency is between 10 Hz and 376 Hz.

33. The surgical system of claim 18 , wherein the switching frequency is between 2 Hz and 575 Hz.

34. A surgical router comprising:
an energy source configured to

Assignees

• Atricure Inc

Inventors

• Park Christopher J
• Privitera Salvatore

Classifications

• A61B2018/00791

  Temperature · CPC title

• A61B2018/00702

  Power or energy · CPC title

• A61B2018/1432

  curved · CPC title

• Y10T307/74

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• A61B2018/1467

  using more than two electrodes on a single probe · CPC title