Power-controlled waveform in electrosurgical systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11723711-B2
Application number	US-202016874185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2020
Priority date	May 9, 2019
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

Apparatus and associated methods relate to controlling electrical power of an electrotherapeutic signal that is provided to a biological tissue engaged by an electrosurgical instrument during a medical procedure. Electrical power—a product of a voltage difference across and an electrical current conducted by the engaged biological tissue—is controlled according to a therapeutic schedule. The electrotherapeutic schedule can be reduced or terminated in response to a termination criterion being met. In some examples, the termination criterion is a current characteristic, such as, for example, a decrease in current conducted by the engaged biological tissue. In some examples, the termination criterion is a biological tissue resistance characteristic, such as, for example, an increase in the biological tissue resistance that exceeds a predetermined delta resistance value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surgical generator configured to generate and provide controlled electrical power of a therapeutic signal to biological tissue in electrical communication with an instrument, the surgical generator comprising:
a control circuit in communication with an electrical-energy source, the electrical-energy source electrically coupled to the instrument and configured to generate the therapeutic signal, the control circuit configured to:
control the electrical power of the therapeutic signal provided to the biological tissue during a portion of a non-sealing therapeutic phase according to a therapeutic plan by monotonically increasing the electrical power as a function of resistance, wherein the electrical power decreases to a non-zero level between the non-sealing therapeutic phase and a subsequent therapeutic phase.

2. The surgical generator of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to:
control a voltage of the therapeutic signal provided to the biological tissue during a portion of a drying phase according to the therapeutic plan.

3. The surgical generator of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is configured to:
monitor the voltage of the therapeutic signal; and
maintain the voltage when the voltage meets a voltage threshold.

4. The surgical generator of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to:
control the electrical power of the therapeutic signal provided to the biological tissue during the portion of the therapeutic phase using a pre-defined power curve.

5. The surgical generator of claim 4 , wherein the pre-defined power curve includes a linear portion.

6. The surgical generator of claim 4 , wherein the pre-defined power curve includes two or more linear portions.

7. A method of delivering controlled electrical power of a therapeutic signal to biological tissue in electrical communication with an instrument, the method comprising:
generating, using an electrical-energy source electrically coupled to the instrument, the therapeutic signal; and
controlling the electrical power of the therapeutic signal provided to the biological tissue during a portion of a non-sealing therapeutic phase according to a therapeutic plan by monotonically increasing modifying the electrical power as a function of resistance, wherein the electrical power decreases to a non-zero level between the non-sealing therapeutic phase and a subsequent therapeutic phase.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising:
controlling a voltage of the therapeutic signal provided to the biological tissue during a portion of a drying phase according to the therapeutic plan.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising:
monitoring the voltage of the therapeutic signal; and
maintaining the voltage when the voltage meets a voltage threshold.

10. The method of claim 7 , comprising:
controlling the electrical power of the therapeutic signal provided to the biological tissue during the portion of the therapeutic phase using a pre-defined power curve.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pre-defined power curve includes a linear portion.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pre-defined power curve includes two or more linear portions.

13. A surgical generator configured to generate and provide controlled electrical power of a therapeutic signal to biological tissue in electrical communication with an instrument, the surgical generator comprising:
a control circuit in communication with an electrical-energy source, the electrical-energy source electrically coupled to the instrument and configured to generate the therapeutic signal, the control circuit configured to:
control the electrical power of the therapeutic signal provided to the biological tissue during a portion of a non-sealing therapeutic phase according to a therapeutic plan by monotonically increasing the electrical power as a function of current, wherein the electrical power decreases to a non-zero level between the non-sealing therapeutic phase and a subsequent therapeutic phase.

14. The surgical generator of claim 13 , wherein the function of current is a function of an instantaneous measured change in current.

15. A method of delivering controlled electrical power of a therapeutic signal to biological tissue in electrical communication with an instrument, the method comprising:
generating, using an electrical-energy source electrically coupled to the instrument, the therapeutic signal; and
controlling the electrical power of the therapeutic signal provided to the biological tissue during a portion of a non-sealing therapeutic phase according to a therapeutic plan by monotonically increasing the electrical power as a function of current, wherein the electrical power decreases to a non-zero level between the non-sealing therapeutic phase and a subsequent therapeutic phase.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the function of current is a function of an instantaneous measured change in current.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the function of the instantaneous measured change in current is a linear function.

Assignees

• Gyrus Acmi Inc

Inventors

• Batchelor Kester Julian
• Busche Maureen D
• Williams Wayne

Classifications

• A61B2018/1467

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

• A61B2018/00767

  Voltage · CPC title

• A61B2018/00714

  Temperature · CPC title

• A61B2017/00154

  pulsed · CPC title

• A61B18/1442

  Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps · CPC title