Patent ID: 7297145

Claim:
An electrosurgical system for ablating or modifying tissue at a target site, comprising: a shaft having a shaft distal end portion and a shaft proximal end portion, the shaft distal end portion having an active electrode and an opposing return electrode in pivotable relationship with said active electrode such that said electrodes have an open configuration or a closed configuration and wherein the closed configuration is adapted to clamp and hold tissue between the first and second electrode; a voltage supply in electrical communication with said active and return electrode; an electrically conductive fluid supply assembly containing electrically conductive fluid having an electrical conductivity equal to or greater than isotonic saline, wherein the electrically conductive fluid supply assembly is adapted to supply electrically conductive fluid to the target site such that a current flow path is present through the electrically conductive fluid between the active and the return electrode when a first high frequency voltage is applied between the active electrode and the return electrode; a mode switch for switching the system between a coagulation mode and an ablation mode, wherein the mode switch is responsive to a shift in configuration of the shaft distal end portion.