Patent ID: 7364577
Filing Date: 2008-04-29
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method for electrosurgically sealing tissue comprising the steps of: providing an electrosurgical generator including an RF energy source and a controller that controls the operation of the electrosurgical generator, the electrosurgical generator having an output which couples to at least one electrode of a surgical instrument; instructing the controller to activate the electrosurgical generator to generate an initial pulse of RF energy to tissue to measure a value of an electrical characteristic of the tissue in response to the applied initial pulse; determining an initial set of pulse parameters for at least one subsequent pulse based on the initial pulse of RF energy to tissue; and controlling the pulse parameters of individual pulses of further subsequent RF energy pulses in accordance with a change in the electrical characteristics of the tissue as determined from at least one characteristic of an electrical transient that occurs during at least one RF energy pulse.