Patent ID: 6238388
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
Electrosurgical apparatus comprising:a) an active output for connection to an electrosurgical handpiece,b) an RF generator for generating an RF carrier for producing first electrosurgical currents capable of an electrosurgical cut mode of operation,c) first means for generating first and second modulating currents, the first modulating currents when combined with the RF carrier producing second electrosurgical currents capable of a cut/coag mode of operation, the second modulating currents when combined with the RF carrier producing third electrosurgical currents capable of an electrosurgical hemo mode of operation,d) selector means for selectively combining the RF carrier with the first or the second modulating currents or with neither of the first or second modulating currents to selectively produce electrosurgical currents capable of the cut, cut/coag, or hemo modes of operation, respectively, said means for selectively combining being connected to the active output to provide at the output the electrosurgical currents capable of the selected mode,e) said first means comprising:i) second means for generating multiple trains of pulses at frequencies that are integer divisors of each other and for generating from the multiple trains of pulses a sequence of address codes,ii) third means comprising a digitally controlled analog switch having plural channels for receiving and being responsive to the address codes for generating an approximate sine-wave capable of being used to produce the first and second modulating currents.