Patent ID: 6875210

Claim:
A method of evaluating functionality of an electrosurgical generator which delivers electrosurgical output power from an output section of the electrosurgical generator in accordance with a selected mode of operation of the electrosurgical generator, comprising: generating a patterned pulse signal formed by a plurality of drive pulses in accordance with the selected mode of operation; applying the drive pulses of the patterned pulse signal to the output section of the electrosurgical generator; converting energy represented by the drive pulses to electrosurgical output power; within the output section of the electrosurgical generator; counting the number of drive pulses in the patterned pulse signal applied to the output section; establishing a predetermined expected number of drive pulses in accordance with the selected mode of operation; comparing the counted number of drive pulses to the expected number of drive pulses; and indicating an error condition when the counted number of drive pulses and the expected number of drive pulses differ by a predetermined finite amount.