Patent ID: 8696662
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A bipolar electrocautery apparatus, comprising: a plurality of adjacent first electrodes forming a first electrode array; one or more second electrodes; a plurality of opposed bipolar electrode pairs, each of the bipolar electrode pairs comprising one of the plurality of first electrodes and one of the one or more second electrodes; and a power supply, an electrode selector, and a compensator module having at least two high frequency output channels, each output channel being concurrently operable, separately controllable, and electrically coupled to at least one of the electrode pairs, wherein the module is configured to sense at the beginning of a cauterization cycle whether one of the electrodes is only partially covered by tissue by measuring impedance across a circuit driven by one of the high frequency output channels that includes the partially covered electrode, and in the event of sensing a partially-covered electrode, the module is configured to deactivate firing of the such electrode; and wherein the power supply is further configured to apply a voltage across each of the plurality of electrode pairs in a selected firing order that prevents any of a firing of adjacent electrodes concurrently or a firing of adjacent electrodes sequentially.