Patent Description:
Sub-mucosal endoscopic resection involves endoscopic removal of abnormal growths in mucosal layers that in most cases have not entered an underlying muscle layer. The procedure can be used, for example, to remove growths from the oesophagus, stomach, colon, or bladder (hollow viscera) and in gynaecological surgery, such as in the cervix or endometrium. It is important in such operations to ensure complete removal of the abnormal growth without excessively removing healthy tissue. One approach for assessing the success of an operation of this type is to test removed matter in a laboratory after the operation. Laboratory testing can determine whether the removal was deep enough by determining whether the muscle layer was reached and/or whether the deepest removed material consists of normal tissue only. Laboratory testing cannot easily be done in real time, so further surgical operations may be needed if the removal was not deep enough, or excessive material may be removed if the removal is too deep.

<CIT> discloses systems and methods for estimating tissue parameters, including mass of tissue to be treated and a thermal resistance scale factor between the tissue and an electrode of an energy delivery device. The method includes sensing tissue temperatures, estimating a mass of the tissue and a thermal resistance scale factor between the tissue and an electrode, and controlling an electrosurgical generator based on the estimated mass and the estimated thermal resistance scale factor. The method may be performed iteratively and non-iteratively. The iterative method may employ a gradient descent algorithm that iteratively adds a derivative step to the estimates of the mass and thermal resistance scale factor until a condition is met. The non-iterative method includes selecting maximum and minimum temperature differences and estimating the mass and the thermal resistance scale factor based on a predetermined reduction point from the maximum temperature difference to the minimum temperature difference.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus that allows abnormal growths to be removed more easily and/or more reliably.

Any methods disclosed hereinafter do not form part of the scope of the invention, and are mentioned for illustrative purposes only.

Thus, an apparatus is provided which allows a single electrosurgical element to be used in two distinct modes. In a first electrical driving mode, the electrosurgical element performs the required surgical operations (involving modification or cutting of tissue). In a second electrical driving mode, an electrical response of the electrosurgical element is monitored to sense thermal properties of material in thermal contact with the electrosurgical element. The measurement of thermal properties allows compositional information to be determined, even beneath the surface of the tissue that is directly in contact with the electrosurgical element. The apparatus can thereby provide real time feedback to a surgeon about the nature of tissue adjacent to the electrosurgical element during an operation, without required sophisticated additional equipment to be introduced into the operating area. Where the operation is being performed endoscopically, for example, substantially no changes to endoscopic equipment (catheter assembly, etc.) is needed. The only required difference relative to a single mode approach using an electrosurgical element having the same overall geometrical form would be in the electronics of the control system that allows the electrosurgical element to be driven in the two electrical driving modes.

The inventors have thus recognised that the use of an electrosurgical element that operates by heating tissue electrically can, when electrically driven in a different way, also probe the heat transfer properties of material with minimal or no other modification to the electrosurgical element itself (although some modifications may be made, as described below). As described in detail below, heat transfer properties (e.g. thermal product) are highly sensitive to small changes in composition and can detect even relative subtle changes in tissue. Further, the approach intrinsically samples not only tissue that is in direct contact with the electrosurgical element, but may also sample underlying tissue layers if a heating pulse is long enough. The surgeon can thus effectively see beneath the surface that he is operating on in real time. It is possible, for example, to sense the depth of a muscle layer or other transition between one tissue type and another during a cutting operation, or to verify when a muscle layer or other transition between layers is reached. The apparatus can detect, for example, when a transition between abnormal tissue and normal tissue is achieved, or vice versa, during a cutting operation.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which corresponding reference symbols indicate corresponding parts, and in which:.

Embodiments of the present disclosure involve an electrosurgical element that can obtain information about a surgical site using thermal measurements. Heating (e.g. in the form of a heating pulse) is applied via the electrosurgical element to the surgical site. A response of the electrosurgical element during the heating is analysed to determine heat transfer characteristics of material in thermal contact with the electrosurgical element. The heat transfer characteristics affect how efficiently heat will be conducted away from the electrosurgical element. Heat from the heating pulse penetrates underneath the surface of material directly in contact with the electrosurgical element (typically through several millimetres of material), allowing sub-surface structure to be sensed, such as the relative depth of layers of different composition (e.g. muscle layers). Sensing can be achieved effectively even for relatively low energy pulses, which will typically increase the temperature of tissue being sensed by no more than about two degrees Celsius.

Heat transfer characteristics of materials (e.g. thermal properties such as thermal conductivity, κ, specific heat capacity, c, and quantities that depend on one or both of these properties) can depend sensitively on the composition (e.g. chemical or structural) of the materials. The thermal product, <MAT>, where ρ is equal to the density, is often a heat transfer characteristic that is particularly sensitive to composition because it takes into account both κ and c. Changes in either or both of κ and c will typically result in a change in <MAT>. Changes in relative concentrations of different components in a multi-component material can be detected where the different components have different thermal properties. Changes in structure can be detected where there is a density or compositional change.

The inventors have recognised that electrosurgical apparatuses, which are by definition configured to use electrical heating to modify or cut through tissue may be adapted with minimal or no modification to elements that make surgical contact with tissue to performing the above thermal measurements, and that the thermal measurements can provide valuable feedback to a surgeon during operation, particularly where the operation involves removal of material from a multi-layer structure.

One area where embodiments of the present disclosure are particularly advantageous is where abnormal tissue is to be removed from a multi-layer structure such as the oesophagus, stomach, colon, or bladder and/or bladder layers, particularly in the context of an endoscopic operation where space for additional apparatus or modifications at the surgical site and along the path to the surgical site is limited.

<FIG> is a cross-section of colon <NUM>, representing an example multilayer site where an electrosurgical apparatus <NUM> according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be particularly advantageously applied. The colon <NUM> comprises a serosa <NUM>, a muscle layer <NUM>, a sub-mucosa <NUM>, and a mucosa <NUM>.

<FIG> schematically depicts abnormal growths <NUM> and <NUM> (e.g. polyps or tumours) that might occur in such a layered structure. Such growths are often limited to a subset of the layers of the multi-layer structure, such as within either or both of the mucosa <NUM> and sub-mucosa <NUM> in this particular example. The growths may take various forms, as indicated schematically by the two examples in <FIG>. An ideal surgical procedure will completely remove the abnormal growths <NUM> and <NUM> with minimal removal of other matter. Example surgical cutting lines are depicted by broken lines <NUM> and <NUM>. In this example, the cutting lines <NUM> and <NUM> extend into a shallow region within the muscle layer <NUM>. By testing for the presence of muscle in material removed by the surgical operation in a laboratory after the operation, it is possible to verify that the cutting operation went as deep as the muscle layer <NUM>. If the cutting operation reaches the muscle layer it is likely that complete removal of the abnormal growth is achieved. It is difficult for a surgeon to ensure that the muscle layer <NUM> is reached during the operation and/or to avoid taking too much of the muscle layer <NUM> (i.e. cutting too deeply). Embodiments of the present disclosure assist the surgeon by allowing the surgeon to receive real time feedback about the composition of material adjacent to an electrosurgical element (e.g. a cutting element) at the surgical site.

<FIG> depicts an electrosurgical apparatus <NUM> according to an embodiment. The electrosurgical apparatus <NUM> comprises an electrosurgical element <NUM> and a control system <NUM>. A catheter assembly <NUM> allows the electrosurgical element <NUM> to be delivered to a target site within the human or animal body while maintaining an electrical connection between the electrosurgical element <NUM> and the control system <NUM>. Catheter systems for such purposes are well known in the art. The catheter assembly <NUM> may, for example, comprise a longitudinal lumen for the electrosurgical element <NUM> and associated electrical connections, as well as other lumens to allow other surgical and/or endoscopic equipment to be brought to the surgical site as required.

The control system <NUM> is configured to electrically drive the electrosurgical element <NUM> in a first electrical driving mode. The first electrical driving mode is such as to cause heating of human or animal tissue by the electrosurgical element <NUM> when the apparatus <NUM> is used in a surgical operation. The heating contributes to (e.g. causes) modification (e.g. coagulation, desiccation, fulguration) or cutting of tissue by the electrosurgical element <NUM>.

Electrosurgical elements for modifying or cutting tissue by heating are known generally in the art and may take various geometries. The electrosurgical element <NUM> of embodiments of the present disclosure may take any of the forms known in the art, including shapes comprising closed loops, circular loops, elliptical loops, semi-circular loop portions, hooks, needle-shapes, disk shapes, or other shapes. In one particular class of embodiments, the modification or cutting of tissue is part of a sub-mucosal resection operation and measuring an electrical response of the electrosurgical element is used to detect whether the electrosurgical element has penetrated to a muscle layer. Further details on how the electrosurgical element may perform such measurements are provided below.

In the example of <FIG>, the electrosurgical element <NUM> is provided in the form of a loop. <FIG> depicts schematically how the loop may be moved over an abnormal growth <NUM> prior to cutting into tissue beneath the growth <NUM> in order to remove the growth, as explained above with reference to <FIG>. <FIG> depicts an alternative semi-circular geometry, which can be used in a similar manner to remove growths by scooping the element underneath the growths.

In an embodiment, the driving of the electrosurgical element <NUM> in the first electrical driving mode comprises using the electrosurgical element <NUM> as an active electrode to generate current flow in tissue. In an embodiment, the first electrical driving mode causes intracellular oscillation of ionized molecules by applying a high frequency (e.g. radio frequency) alternating electric field. The oscillation of the ionized molecules causes localized heating of the tissue. The heating contributing to modification or cutting of tissue is predominantly provided by this mechanism in this class of embodiment. The alternating field is focussed at the electrosurgical element <NUM>, such that significant heating only occurs in a localized region directly adjacent to the electrosurgical element <NUM>. The electrosurgical element <NUM> may be configured to operate in a monopolar mode in which current flows from the electrosurgical element <NUM> to a dispersive electrode placed elsewhere on the patient's body (where the field and current are much more spread out). Alternatively, the electrosurgical element <NUM> may operate in a bipolar mode in which a further electrode is provided at the surgical site and current flows from the electrosurgical element <NUM> directly to the further electrode.

In an embodiment, the control system <NUM> is further configured to electrically drive the electrosurgical element <NUM> in a second electrical driving mode. In an embodiment, the driving in the second electrical driving mode is such that heat is generated predominantly by resistive heating within the electrosurgical element <NUM>.

<FIG> depicts a portion of the electrosurgical element <NUM> in an embodiment in which the the heating contributing to modification or cutting of tissue during the driving of the electrosurgical element <NUM> in the first electrical driving mode is generated predominantly by induced intracellular oscillation of ionized molecules in the tissue (with current flow schematically indicated by arrows <NUM>), and the driving in the second electrical driving mode is such that heat is generated predominantly by resistive heating within the electrosurgical element <NUM> (with current schematically indicated by arrow <NUM>).

While the electrosurgical element <NUM> is being driven in the second electrical driving mode, the control system <NUM> measures an electrical response of the electrosurgical element <NUM>. The electrical response (e.g. a change in resistance dependent on the temperature of the electrosurgical element <NUM>) depends on heat transfer characteristics of tissue in thermal contact with the electrosurgical element <NUM>. The response can therefore be used to determine compositional information about tissue in close proximity to the electrosurgical element <NUM>. In an embodiment, the control system <NUM> applies a heating pulse via the electrosurgical element <NUM> and measures a response of the electrosurgical element <NUM> to the heating pulse. The control system <NUM> may thus comprise a power supply, or be connectable to a power supply, and data processing hardware to control the supply of the heating power and to control the measurement process. The control system <NUM> may be connected to mains power or be powered by a battery. The control system <NUM> may comprise a memory for storing measurements and/or calibration data for analysing measurements. Example electronics for inclusion in the control system <NUM> are described below with reference to <FIG>.

In an embodiment, the heating pulse is applied by driving an electrical current through a portion of the electrosurgical element <NUM> to create resistive heating (Joule heating). In an embodiment, the control system <NUM> applies a plurality of the heating pulses. Each heating pulse is applied by driving an electrical current through the electrosurgical element <NUM>. In an embodiment, top hat shaped pulses are applied, but other pulse shapes could be used if desired. In an embodiment, the plurality of heating pulses each have the same duration. The heating pulses are regularly spaced apart from each other (i.e. the spacing between each pair of heating pulses is the same). The duration of each heating pulse is equal to or less than the separation between the heating pulses. This provides time for the electrosurgical element <NUM> to cool between each heating pulse. In an embodiment, the separation between heating pulses is the same as the duration of each heating pulse. This provides a minimum time for the electrosurgical element <NUM> to cool between heating pulses, thereby allowing a high measurement sampling rate and, as a consequence, high accuracy (by averaging) and/or time resolution.

The control system <NUM> measures an electrical response of the electrosurgical element <NUM> to the heating pulses, for example by measuring a voltage dependent on the resistance of a portion of the electrosurgical element <NUM> through which the current flows and the size of the current. The resistance varies as a function of the temperature of the electrosurgical element <NUM>. Measuring the electrical response thus corresponds to measuring a temperature response of the electrosurgical element <NUM>.

The electrical response of the electrosurgical element <NUM> to the heating pulses can be used to determine compositional (e.g. chemical and/or structural) information about materials adjacent to the electrosurgical element <NUM> because the variation in the temperature of the electrosurgical element with time will depend on the heat transfer characteristics of those materials.

In an embodiment, a response to the heating pulse is compared with the response to a corresponding heating pulse applied to a reference material. The size of the response, the variation of the response as a function of time, or various other aspects of the response may be considered. Any deviation from the response measured for the reference material may be used to detect a deviation from the reference material (e.g. indicating that the material being sensed is of a different type to the reference material, for example a different tissue type). The nature of the heating pulses may be selected to achieve optimum sensitivity for the particular region being measured. This may involve selecting particular pulse shapes, amplitudes, durations and/or repetition rates, for example. In the example of <FIG>, the heating of the first electrical driving mode comprises generation of current within the tissue and the heating of the second electrical driving mode is resistive (Joule heating) within the electrosurgical element.

In other embodiments, the heating for both of the first and second electrical driving modes is predominantly via Joule heating within the electrosurgical element <NUM>. In an embodiment, the electrical current follows the same path through the electrosurgical element during the resistive heating in both of the first and second electrical driving modes, as depicted schematically in <FIG>. This approach can be implemented particularly efficiently because the same conductive structure is used for producing both types of heating. A high level of resistive heating can be used to modify or cut tissue while a lower level heating can be used to sense compositional information (without modifying the structure of tissue in contact with the electrosurgical element <NUM>, which could undermine the accuracy of the measurement of compositional information).

In an embodiment, an example of which is depicted in <FIG>, the electrosurgical element <NUM> comprises a resistive element <NUM> mounted on a solid support structure <NUM>. In an embodiment, the support structure <NUM> is a multi-layered structure. In an embodiment, the support structure <NUM> comprises an electrically insulating layer 52B (e.g. a thin film layer) and an electrically conductive base portion 52A. The electrically conductive base portion 52A may define the overall form of the electrosurgical element <NUM> and thereby take any of the forms discussed above for the electrosurgical element (e.g. loop etc.). In the example of <FIG>, the electrically conductive base portion 52A has a loop shape and <FIG> is a view radially inwards onto a radially outer surface of the electrically conductive base portion 52A. The electrically insulating layer 52B may cover only a portion of the electrically conductive base portion 52A so as to allow another portion of the electrically conductive base portion 52A to be in direct electrical contact with tissue. The electrically insulating layer 52B is positioned between the resistive element <NUM> and the electrically conductive base portion 52A to prevent shorting of the resistive element <NUM> by the electrically conductive base portion 52A. In an embodiment, the resistive element <NUM> is mounted on the support structure <NUM> in such a way that at least <NUM>% of the surface area of the resistive element <NUM> is in contact with the support structure <NUM>, optionally more than <NUM>%, optionally around <NUM>%. In an embodiment the resistive element <NUM> is a thin film resistive element (e.g. thin film resistance thermometer). In an embodiment the resistive element <NUM> comprises a thin film of platinum or gold. In an embodiment, the resistive element <NUM> has a first surface configured to face towards the region to be sensed (facing out of the page in <FIG>) and a second surface facing towards the support structure <NUM> (facing into the page in <FIG>). It is understood that the first and second surfaces are the large surfaces of the thin film (and do not include any of the very thin side surfaces). In an embodiment no portion of the entity being sensed is present between the second surface and the support structure <NUM>. In the particular example of <FIG>, substantially <NUM>% of the surface of the resistive element <NUM> is in contact with the support structure <NUM>. In the example shown, electrically conductive tracks <NUM> are formed on the electrically insulating layer 52B to provide the required electrical connections to the resistive element <NUM>. The presence of the support structure <NUM> allows relatively large currents to be applied to the resistive element <NUM> without the resistive element <NUM> overheating, which could damage the resistive element <NUM> and/or tissue that is in contact with the resistive element <NUM>.

In various embodiments the resistive element <NUM> is metallic. In these embodiments, the resistive element <NUM> may be configured such that the thermal contact between the resistive element <NUM> and the tissue being sensed will not result in a significant reduction in the electrical resistance between one end of the resistive element <NUM> and the other end of the resistive element <NUM>. This may be achieved by arranging for the resistivity of the resistive element <NUM> to be much lower than the resistivity of the tissue to be sensed or by positioning a thin layer of electrically insulating material between the resistive element <NUM> and the tissue to be sensed.

In an embodiment, the heating contributing to the modification or cutting of tissue during the driving of the electrosurgical element <NUM> in the first electrical driving mode is generated predominantly by resistive heating in the support structure <NUM>. The resistive heating may occur in an electrically conductive base portion 52A, for example. In such an embodiment, the electrical driving of the electrosurgical element <NUM> in the second electrical driving mode predominantly involves current flow through the resistive element <NUM> to generate resistive heating in the resistive element <NUM>. Thus, a single common support structure <NUM> provides mechanical support for two resistive elements performing separate operations: the electrically conductive base portion 52A in which resistive heating is applied to perform surgical operations; and the resistive element <NUM> in which resistive heating is used to measure thermal properties and therefore composition of tissue adjacent to the electrosurgical element <NUM>. For example, the electrically conductive base portion 52A can be made thick enough to support the relatively high levels of heating and mechanical stresses imposed by the surgical operations, while the resistive element <NUM> can be provided in thin film form suitable for providing highly sensitive measurements of thermal properties.

In an embodiment, the electrosurgical element <NUM> comprises an elongate metallic element (e.g. a length of wire) and the path of the electrical current is predominantly longitudinally along the elongate metallic element (i.e. parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongate metallic element) in both of the first and second electrical driving modes. Alternatively, the electrical current may follow a first path through the electrosurgical element <NUM> during the resistive heating in the first electrical driving mode (e.g. longitudinally along an elongate metallic element) and follow a second path through the electrosurgical element <NUM> during the resistive heating in the second electrical driving mode (e.g. through a resistive element mounted on the elongate metallic element). The first path is different from the second path. The arrangement of <FIG> is an example of such an embodiment. The first path may be electrically insulated from the second path (e.g. using an electrically insulating layer 52B such as that described above with reference to <FIG>).

The peak heating power delivered during the driving of the electrosurgical element <NUM> in the first electrical driving mode will typically be significantly higher than the peak heating power delivered during the driving of the electrosurgical element <NUM> in the second electrical driving mode, optionally more than twice as high, optionally more than <NUM> times as high, optionally more than <NUM> times as high, optionally more than <NUM> times as high, optionally more than <NUM> times as high, optionally more than <NUM> times as high. To avoid interference between the heating for implementing the surgical operation (generated during driving in the first electrical driving mode) and the measurement of the electrical response of the electrosurgical element <NUM> during the driving in the second electrical driving mode, the control system <NUM> may be configured to drive the electrosurgical element <NUM> in the first electrical driving mode at a different time to driving the electrosurgical element in the second electrical driving mode. The first and second electrical driving modes may occur during non-overlapping time windows for example. A gap between the first and second electrical driving modes may be long enough to allow tissue to cool completely after the heating of the first electrical driving mode.

As described above, in embodiments of the disclosure the control system <NUM> determines compositional information about material in thermal contact with the electrosurgical element <NUM> during driving in a second electrical driving mode, by using a measured electrical response of the electrosurgical element <NUM> to the driving. In some embodiments, the compositional information comprises a variation in composition as a function of distance from the electrosurgical element <NUM>. This is possible because heat generated by the electrosurgical element <NUM> propagates some distance away from the electrosurgical element <NUM> and the electrical response of the electrosurgical element <NUM> to the heating will be affected by the heat transfer characteristics of all portions of material that are reached to a significant extent by the heating. Where plural layers of different composition are in thermal contact with the electrosurgical element <NUM>, two or more of these layers can be sampled by the heating if the layers are in sufficiently good thermal contact with the electrosurgical element. Portions of material that are closer to the electrosurgical element <NUM> will contribute to the measured electrical response of the electrosurgical element <NUM> sooner after the start of the heating than portions of material that are further away. It is therefore possible to analyse the measured electrical response to distinguish between contributions from different portions of material, for example different layers of material in the multilayer structure. In an embodiment, the control system <NUM> analyses the measured electrical response of the electrosurgical element <NUM> to identify one or more target time periods, each target time period being defined as a time period in which the electrical response of the electrosurgical element <NUM> is determined predominantly by a different combination of one or more of the plural layers. For example, in a case where the electrosurgical element <NUM> is brought into contact with tissue at point <NUM> in <FIG>, up to four different target time periods could be identified (depending on the level of heating and pulse duration, which would both need to be high enough to allow the heating pulse to penetrate significantly through all the layers during the driving of the electrosurgical element <NUM> in the second electrical driving mode): a first target time period in which only tissue in the abnormal growth <NUM> contributes; <NUM>) a second target time period in which only the tissue in the abnormal growth <NUM> and the underlying sub-mucosa <NUM> contribute; <NUM>) a third target time period in which only the tissue in the abnormal growth <NUM>, the sub-mucosa <NUM>, and the muscle layer <NUM> contribute; and <NUM>) a fourth time period in which the tissue in the abnormal growth <NUM>, the sub-mucosa <NUM>, the muscle layer <NUM>, and the serosa <NUM> contribute. In the case where the electrosurgical element <NUM> is brought into contact with tissue at point <NUM> in <FIG>, a different four target time periods could potentially be identified: a first target time period in which only the mucosa <NUM> contributes; <NUM>) a second target time period in which only the mucosa <NUM> and the sub-mucosa <NUM> contribute; <NUM>) a third target time period in which only the mucosa <NUM>, the sub-mucosa <NUM>, and the muscle layer <NUM> contribute; and <NUM>) a fourth time period in which the mucosa <NUM>, the sub-mucosa <NUM>, the muscle layer <NUM>, and the serosa <NUM> contribute. The same principle applies in other situations where plural layers are provided.

Use of a resistive element to detect different types of tissue by electrically driving the resistive element and measuring the electrical response of the resistive element to detect differences in heat transfer characteristics of tissue was tested by performing the measurement with the resistive element in contact with different layers of dead porcine tissue (a piece of pork belly) at <NUM> degrees C. Results were obtained in near real time and were reproducible. Example data is depicted in <FIG>, which shows a variation of a measured voltage across the resistive element with time during a heating pulse. Differences in thermal product between different types of tissue leads to characteristic differences in the behaviour of the measured voltage against time, demonstrating that the approach can distinguish sensitively between different types of tissue. The different curves are marked as follows: skin (<NUM>); fat (<NUM>); muscle (<NUM>); fascia (<NUM>); deep muscle (<NUM>); deep fat (<NUM>); and bone (<NUM>).

<FIG> depicts corresponding data for a case where the resistive element was brought into contact with different layers of porcine thigh tissue at <NUM> degrees C. The different curves are marked as follows: skin (<NUM>); fat (<NUM>); muscle (<NUM>) and fascia (<NUM>).

<FIG> depicts data obtained from experiments involving using the resistive element to measure different porcine organs. The data demonstrates further that the approach is sensitive to different tissue types. The different curves are marked as follows: liver at <NUM> degrees C (<NUM>); heart at <NUM> degrees C (<NUM>); lungs at <NUM> degrees C (<NUM>); aorta at <NUM> degrees C (<NUM>); oesophagus at <NUM> degrees C (<NUM>); larynx at <NUM> degrees C (<NUM>); trachea at <NUM> degrees C (<NUM>); thyroid at <NUM> degrees C (<NUM>); and pleura at <NUM> degrees C (<NUM>).

The experiments providing the data of <FIG> were all performed on dead tissue. Differences in thermal product between different tissue types are even larger for living tissue due to the presence of different reaction products/concentrations due to differences in metabolism. Metabolism in cancer cells, for example, is often very different to the metabolism of surrounding cells, leading to markedly different levels of CO<NUM> for example.

<FIG> depicts example circuitry for use in the control system <NUM> for measuring the response of the electrosurgical element <NUM> to heating pulses. The following elements are shown in <FIG>:.

A voltage generated by voltage supply <NUM> is fed through a rectifier diode <NUM> to charge a high capacity storage <NUM>. The storage <NUM> provides a high current power source to the power amplifier <NUM>. A voltage reference <NUM> sets a high side voltage presented at E.

A bridge is created between the points A, E, B and F. In an example, R3 and RG are about <NUM> Ohms, and R1 and R2 are about <NUM> Ohms. A power switch device Q1 is provided to rapidly bring point F to ground under a signal pulse at G. The circuit enables a steady bridge voltage to be maintained without demanding a high gain bandwidth from the power amplifier <NUM>. The power amplifier <NUM> needs only to maintain a DC level. High energy pulses of precise timing are made possible using a fast MOSFET power switch for Q1 at the low side of the bridge.

When the bridge is energised the differential voltage points (A & B) will provide a voltage corresponding to the Ohmic resistance change of the gauge element RG (e.g. the portion of the electrosurgical element <NUM> being measured, for example a resistive element <NUM>). The other resistors in the bridge are chosen to have a very low parts-per-million (ppm) change in resistance with temperature. Therefore observed bridge voltages are only a function of the gauge RG.

For precise measurements of heat transfer to the electrosurgical element, and from the electrosurgical element to material in contact with the electrosurgical element, it is desirable to measure the voltage V and current I across the portion of the electrosurgical element being measured. The current is determined from the output of the circuit at C. The voltage is determined from the output of the circuit at D. Thus the energy input and the corresponding rise in temperature can be determined and the heat transfer function to the material in contact with the electrosurgical element can be computed.

The total energy and energy rate can be controlled by varying the reference voltage <NUM> and the pulse duration at G.

The circuit allows a modest power source to store energy to deliver very high energy density pulses. Electronic controls may be provided to activate the power level and pulses duration whilst reading the voltage signals at C and D. The electronic controls may be provided by the measurement system <NUM> or processing unit <NUM>, or both.

Claim 1:
An electrosurgical apparatus (<NUM>), comprising:
an electrosurgical element (<NUM>); and
a control system (<NUM>) configured to:
electrically drive the electrosurgical element (<NUM>) in a first electrical driving mode, the first electrical driving mode being such as to cause heating of human or animal tissue by the electrosurgical element (<NUM>) when the apparatus (<NUM>) is used in a surgical operation, the heating contributing to modification or cutting of tissue by the electrosurgical element (<NUM>);
electrically drive the electrosurgical element (<NUM>) in a second electrical driving mode; and
measure an electrical response of the electrosurgical element (<NUM>) during the electrical driving of the electrosurgical element (<NUM>) in the second electrical driving mode, wherein the control system (<NUM>) is further configured to use the measured electrical response to determine compositional information about material that is or was in thermal contact with the electrosurgical element (<NUM>) during the driving of the electrosurgical element (<NUM>) in the second electrical driving mode, characterized in that:
the electrical driving of the electrosurgical element (<NUM>) in the second driving mode is such as to generate heating predominantly by resistive heating within a resistive element of the electrosurgical element (<NUM>) and the measuring of the electrical response of the electrosurgical element (<NUM>) during the electrical driving of the electrosurgical element (<NUM>) in the second electrical driving mode comprises measuring an electrical response of the resistive element to the heating generated within the resistive element.