Patent ID: 7094231

Claim:
An electrosurgical instrument for selectively providing RF power to operate as main modes both a monopolar handpiece and a bipolar handpiece each in multiple sub-modes including CUT, and HEMO sub-modes, comprising: (a) a console unit, (b) RF power generating circuitry inside the console and capable of generating electrosurgical currents at a given carrier frequency in the MHz range, (c) first electrical connectors at the console for receiving a monopolar handpiece, (d) second electrical connectors at the console for receiving a bipolar handpiece, e) circuit means for generating first and second different modulation waveforms representing, respectively, the CUT, and HEMO sub-modes, f) first means for delivering the first waveform representing the CUT sub-mode to the RF power generating circuitry for modulating the given carrier frequency to produce CUT sub-mode electrosurgical currents, g) second means for delivering the second waveform representing the HEMO sub-mode to the RF power generating circuitry for modulating the given carrier frequency to produce HEMO sub-mode electrosurgical currents, h) third means for supplying both the CUT and HEMO sub-mode electrosurgical currents to the first electrical connectors, i) fourth means for supplying both the CUT and HEMO electrosurgical currents to the second electrical connectors, j) whereby both a monopolar handpiece and a bipolar handpiece can be operated at the given frequency in both the CUT and HEMO sub-modes.