Patent ID: 8246616

Claim:
An electrosurgical system comprising: i) an electrosurgical generator comprising: a) at least one source of radio frequency (RF) power, b) a plurality of output connections, only one of the output connections at any one time being active in that it is able to receive radio frequency power from the source of radio frequency power, and c) a controller for controlling the supply of radio frequency power from the source to the active output connection; and ii) a plurality of electrosurgical assemblies, each including a respective electrosurgical instrument and a cable connecting that electrosurgical instrument to one of the output connections, each electrosurgical instrument being connected to a respective output connection of the generator, the electrosurgical instrument connected to the active output connection being designated the active instrument, each of the electrosurgical instruments including a handswitch adapted to change the active output connection; the system being such that the active output connection changes to a different output connection only after a signal has been sent from the handswitch of the active instrument to the generator.