Patent ID: 6966907

Claim:
An electrosurgical system comprising: a generator system for generating radio frequency (RF) power, and an electrosurgical instrument including an instrument shaft, at the distal end of which is an electrode assembly including at least three electrodes, the generator system comprising: (i) one or more sources of RF output power, and (ii) 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 electrosurgical system further comprising means for feeding the RF waveforms to the three or more electrodes such that, in the combined mode, the cutting RF waveform is delivered between a first pair of the three or more electrodes, and the coagulating RF waveform is delivered between a second pair of the three or more electrodes, and the controller is operable to cause the feeding means to switch constantly between delivering the first cutting RF waveform between the first pair of electrodes and delivering the second coagulating RF waveform between the second pair of electrodes.