Patent ID: 8512332

Claim:
An electrosurgical generator comprising: a radio frequency output stage configured to generate at least one radio frequency waveform having a voltage waveform and a current waveform; a sensor circuit configured to determine at least one property of each of the voltage waveform and the current waveform during a predetermined sampling period; a shunt capacitor disposed between active and return terminals of the electrosurgical generator; a controller configured to compare the at least one property of each of the voltage waveform and the current waveform to determine at least one deviation between the at least one property of each of the voltage waveform and the current waveform indicative of an arc event, the controller further configured to determine at least one of total charge, total energy and duration of the arc event based on the at least one deviation, wherein the controller includes a total energy calculator module configured to temporally integrate a product of total charge deposited by the at least one radio frequency waveform and voltage across the shunt capacitor to determine the total energy deposited by the at least one radio frequency waveform during the predetermined sampling period.