Patent ID: 7811282

Claim:
An electrosurgical apparatus to provide controlled delivery of radio-frequency power and a fluid to an electrosurgical hand device to treat tissue, the apparatus comprising: a radio-frequency generator to deliver the radio-frequency power, the radio frequency power from the radio-frequency generator selectable at a radio-frequency power level; a pump to deliver the fluid; a primer to prime the hand device with the fluid; a control system to control a flow of the fluid delivered by the pump with a functional relationship between the radio-frequency power level and the flow of the fluid, the functional relationship to increase the flow of the fluid in response to an increase in the radio-frequency power level and to decrease the flow of the fluid in response to a decrease in the radio-frequency power level; a fluid flow selector which changes the functional relationship between the radiofrequency power level and the flow of the fluid; and wherein the functional relationship is stored in a memory of the apparatus for use by a microprocessor, the functional relationship in the form of a mathematical equation having a proportionality constant and the fluid flow selector changes the proportionality constant.