Patent ID: 8696659
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An electrosurgical method for monitoring temperature during an electrosurgical procedure to ablate soft tissue comprising: delivering high frequency energy to an active electrode terminal located at a distal end of an electrosurgical probe, said active electrode terminal being positioned in electrically conductive fluid during the electrosurgical procedure and wherein a current flow path from the active electrode terminal, through the electrically conductive fluid, to a return electrode is created when the high frequency energy is delivered; monitoring a temperature signal indicative of a temperature of the electrically conductive fluid; automatically suspending the delivering step for at least one suspension period; during the at least one suspension period, measuring or calculating the temperature of the electrically conductive fluid from the temperature signal; and repeating the step of delivering upon completion of the at least one suspension period, wherein the at least one suspension period has a duration sufficient for an electrical noise associated with the step of delivering the high frequency energy to diminish and to allow the temperature signal to stabilize.