Patent ID: 11918275
Assignee: CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 9:
10. A surgical instrument, comprising:
an end effector comprising a first and second jaw configured to grasp tissue therebetween, wherein one jaw comprises an electrode and the other jaw comprises a return electrode;
a control circuit coupled to the end effector electrode and return electrode, wherein the control circuit is configured to:
select, by a control circuit through a multiplexer, a first electrode in an array of segmented electrodes during a pre-energy activation cycle;
apply, by the control circuit through a radio frequency (RF) generator, a sub-therapeutic electrical signal to the first electrode to differentiate between a short circuit between the first electrode and a second electrode in the array of segmented electrodes and low impedance tissue grasped in the jaws of the end effector;
determine, by the control circuit, the first electrode is at least temporarily shorted to the second electrode based on a measured electrical parameter received by the control circuit after applying the sub-therapeutic electrical signal;
blend, by control circuit through the RF generator, monopolar and bipolar RF energy to the array of segmented electrodes;
determine, by the control circuit, that the first electrode remains at least temporarily shorted to the second electrode; and
switch, by the control circuit through the multiplexer, output energy of the RF generator between monopolar and bipolar RF energy to the array of segmented electrodes while the first electrode remains at least temporarily shorted to the second electrode.