Patent ID: 7780662
Filing Date: 2010-08-24
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An electrosurgical instrument for sealing tissue comprising: an end effector having opposing jaw members, the jaw members being movable relative to one another from a first position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a second position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween, each jaw member including an electrode having a dielectric coating; each jaw member adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy to supply electrical energy thereto, the jaw members configured to generate an AC electric field that causes energy to flow through tissue held therebetween at a Debye resonance frequency of the tissue being sealed; a control system configured to control the electrical energy supplied to the jaw members based on a sensed strength of the AC electric field; and a predictive algorithm executable by the control system and configured to determine a shift in the Debye resonance frequency of the tissue being sealed, the control system adapted to regulate the source of electrical energy to cause energy to flow through the tissue being sealed at the shifted Debye resonance frequency based on the determined shift.