Patent ID: 7491199

Claim:
An electrosurgical system including a generator system for generating radio frequency (RF) power, and an electrosurgical instrument including at least three electrodes, the generator system comprising: one or more sources of RF output power, and a controller operable to control the generator system such that it is capable of delivering a first cutting RF waveform to the electrosurgical instrument or a second coagulating RF waveform to the electrosurgical instrument, and, in a combined mode, to deliver both first and second RF waveforms, the system also including means for feeding the waveforms to the at least three electrodes such that, in the combined mode, the cutting RF waveform is delivered between a first pair of the at least three electrodes, and the coagulating RF waveform is delivered between a second pair of the at least three electrodes, wherein the generator system comprises at least first and second sources of RF power, operating at different frequencies, the first source of RF power being adapted to deliver the first cutting RF waveform, and the second source of RF power being adapted to deliver the second coagulating RF waveform, and, in the combined mode, the controller is operable to cause the generator system to deliver both the first and second RF waveforms simultaneously.