Resistance level communication protocol

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12438438-B2
Application number	US-202218083287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2022
Priority date	Dec 16, 2022
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

An electrosurgical system includes a generator and an electrosurgical device and is configured to establish two-way communication using a resistance level communication protocol. The electrosurgical device includes an electrical connector configured to receive a treatment signal and a continuous signal from the generator, an AC-DC converter configured to convert the continuous signal, a processor configured to receive the converted continuous signal, and a resistor connected to the processor and configured to vary the current of power used by the processor over time. The generator is configured to interpret variances in the current as data and to provide an acknowledgment to the electrosurgical device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system configured to establish two-way communication using a resistance level communication protocol, the system comprising:
a generator; and
an electrosurgical device comprising:
an electrical connector configured to receive a treatment signal and a continuous signal from the generator;
an AC-DC converter configured to convert the continuous signal to a DC signal;
a processor configured to receive the DC signal; and
a resistor connected to the processor and configured to vary a current of power used by the processor over time;

wherein the generator is configured to interpret variances in the current as data and provide an acknowledgement to the electrosurgical device using frequency shift keying (FSK).

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data is one or more of a device ID, an accumulated use time for the device, manufacturing information, and waveform information.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the acknowledgment is based on the data.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the acknowledgement comprises output of an encryption algorithm applied to the data.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the encryption algorithm is selected based on at least a portion of the data.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the acknowledgment is a set number of bytes.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data is based on multiple readings of the current within a time period.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the generator is further configured to limit a frequency of the treatment signal based on the data.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the generator is further configured to provide an alert that the electrosurgical device has expired based on the data.

10. A method of two-way communication between an electrosurgical device and a generator comprising:
providing, via the generator, a continuous signal to the electrosurgical device and at the electrosurgical device:
converting the continuous signal to a DC signal;
powering a processor with the DC signal; and
varying, using a resistor, a current of power used by the processor over time;

providing, via the electrosurgical device, the current to the generator and at the generator:
interpreting variances in the current as data; and
sending an acknowledgement to the electrosurgical device using frequency shift keying (FSK).

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data is one or more of a device ID, an accumulated use time for the device, manufacturing information, and waveform information.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the acknowledgment is based on the data.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the acknowledgement comprises output of an encryption algorithm applied to the data.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the encryption algorithm is selected based on at least a portion of the data.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the acknowledgment is a set number of Bytes.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data is based on multiple readings of the current within a time period.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the generator is further configured to limit a frequency of a treatment signal provided to the electrosurgical device based on the data.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the generator providing an alert that the electrosurgical device has expired based on the data.

19. A system configured to establish two-way communication using a resistance level communication protocol, the system comprising:
a generator; and
an electrosurgical device comprising:
an electrical connector configured to receive a treatment signal and a continuous signal from the generator;
a transformer configured to isolate the continuous signal;
a digital potentiometer configured to receive the isolated continuous signal; and
a controller configured to vary the resistance of the digital potentiometer over time;

wherein the generator is configured to interpret the variation in the resistance as data and provide an acknowledgement to the electrosurgical device using frequency shift keying (FSK).

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the data is one or more of a device ID, an accumulated use time for the device, manufacturing information, and waveform information.

Assignees

• Medtronic Advanced Energy Llc

Inventors

• Miri Mohammad

Classifications

• A61B2560/028

  Arrangements to prevent overuse, e.g. by counting the number of uses · CPC title

• A61B90/90

  Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags · CPC title

• H02M7/4807

  having a high frequency intermediate AC stage · CPC title

• A61B2018/1266

  with DC current output · CPC title

• A61B2018/00928

  by sending a signal to an external energy source · CPC title