U.S. patents available from 1976 to present.
U.S. patent applications available from 2005 to present.

Method and apparatus for electrosurgically treating tissue

Patent 5540684 Issued on July 30, 1996. Estimated Expiration Date: Icon_subject July 28, 2014. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Patent References

3651811

Surgical cutting instrument
Patent #: 4232676
Issued on: 11/11/1980
Inventor: Herczog

Surgical cutting instrument
Patent #: 4248231
Issued on: 02/03/1981
Inventor: Herczog ,   et al.

Method and apparatus for the high frequency coagulation of protein for surgical purposes
Patent #: 4474179
Issued on: 10/02/1984
Inventor: Koch

Electrosurgical control system using tissue conductivity
Patent #: 4651280
Issued on: 03/17/1987
Inventor: Chang ,   et al.

Electrosurgical generator
Patent #: 4658819
Issued on: 04/21/1987
Inventor: Harris ,   et al.

Device for bipolar high-frequency coagulation of biological tissue
Patent #: 4685459
Issued on: 08/11/1987
Inventor: Koch ,   et al.

Electrosurgical generator
Patent #: 4903696
Issued on: 02/27/1990
Inventor: Stasz, et al.

Bipolar electrosurgical forceps
Patent #: 4938761
Issued on: 07/03/1990
Inventor: Ensslin

Method for laser surgery
Patent #: 5057099
Issued on: 10/15/1991
Inventor: Rink

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Inventor

Application

No. 282522 filed on 07/28/1994

US Classes:

606/40, Coagulation606/38, With feed back control606/51With forceps or tweezers

Examiners

Primary: Cohen, Lee S.

Foreign Patent References

  • 2573301 FR. 05/12/1986
  • 2455171 DE. 08/12/1976
  • 2213381 GB. 08/12/1989
  • 94/10925 WO. 05/12/1994
  • 95/09576 WO. 04/12/1995

International Class

A61B 017/39

Abstract

Tissue impedance or tissue impedance in combination with tissue temperature is used to control electrosurgical tissue treatment. Tissue impedance alone provides better control of electrosurgical treatment by determining an initial maximum tissue impedance, a minimum tissue impedance selecting a point between the maximum and minimum impedances, preferably the average, as an impedance threshold, and turning off rf power to the electrosurgical instrument when the impedance reaches the threshold as it rises from the minimum. Control may also be by the combination of tissue impedance and temperature. Temperature is controlled to maintain a selected preferred temperature and a maximum temperature is also selected so that if the tissue reaches the maximum temperature, power is turned off. Impedance control is combined with temperature control so that the temperature of the instrument is maintained at a selected preferred temperature unless a maximum temperature is exceeded, which normally will not happen. The impedance is also monitored with maximum and minimum values being determined as well as a threshold impedance between the max and the min. When the threshold, preferably the average impedance, is reached, power is removed from the instrument.

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