Thermal management of an electrosurgical generator
An electrosurgical generator for operating an electrosurgical instrument is characterized by a control device which is adapted to control a cooling device at least with a first control curve and a second control curve, wherein the first control curve is used to control the rotational speed of the cooling device depending on the monitored temperature during a first operating mode of the electrosurgical generator and the second curve is used to control the rotational speed of the cooling device depending on the monitored temperature during a second operating mode of the electrosurgical instrument, wherein the first control curve and the second control curve are different from each other. A method for operating an electrosurgical generator for operating an electrosurgical instrument and to an electrosurgical generator system includes an electrosurgical generator and an electrosurgical instrument.
1 . An electrosurgical generator for operating an electrosurgical instrument, comprising:
a housing;
an active controllable cooling device for removing heat energy generated within the housing, wherein a rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device is temperature-controlled;
at least one temperature sensor for monitoring a temperature of a hardware component of the electrosurgical generator; and
a control device configured to control the active controllable cooling device, wherein:
the control device is configured to control the active controllable cooling device at least with a first control curve and a second control curve;
the first control curve is configured to control the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device depending on a monitored temperature during a first operating mode of the electrosurgical generator;
the second control curve is configured to control the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device depending on the monitored temperature during a second operating mode of the electrosurgical generator; and
the first control curve is different from the second control curve.
2 . The electrosurgical generator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first operating mode being a standby mode in which the electrosurgical instrument is not connected to the electrosurgical generator; or
the electrosurgical instrument is connected to the electrosurgical generator and is not supplied with electrical power from the electrosurgical generator.
3 . The electrosurgical generator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second operating mode being an activation mode in which the electrosurgical instrument is connected to the electrosurgical generator and is supplied with electrical power from the electrosurgical generator.
4 . The electrosurgical generator according to claim 1 , comprising:
a manual trigger device, wherein:
the manual trigger device is adapted to trigger a switching between the first operating mode of the electrosurgical generator and the second operating mode of the electrosurgical generator.
5 . The electrosurgical generator according to claim 4 , wherein:
the manual trigger device is one of a hand switch and a foot switch, the manual trigger device being connected to the electrosurgical generator; and
the manual trigger device is one of a switching mean and an input mean, the manual trigger device being integrated into the housing of the electrosurgical generator.
6 . The electrosurgical generator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first control curve increases the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device depending on the monitored temperature, in case the monitored temperature of the hardware component exceeds a first minimum temperature value; and
the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device is set to zero, when the monitored temperature is below the first minimum temperature value.
7 . The electrosurgical generator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second control curve increases the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device depending on the monitored temperature, in case the monitored temperature of the hardware component exceeds a second minimum temperature value; and
the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device is set to minimum rotational speed value, when the monitored temperature is below the second minimum temperature value.
8 . The electrosurgical generator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the control device is configured to control the active controllable cooling device additionally with a third control curve:
the third control curve is configured to control the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device depending on the monitored temperature; and
the third control curve is activated, when the second operating mode is deactivated.
9 . A method for operating an electrosurgical generator for operating an electrosurgical instrument, comprising:
providing an active controllable cooling device for removing heat energy generated within a housing of the electrosurgical generator:
monitoring a temperature of a hardware component of the electrosurgical generator by means of at least one temperature sensor; and
controlling the active controllable cooling device by means of a control device, wherein:
a controlling step includes controlling the active controllable cooling device with at least a first control curve and a second control curve:
the first control curve is used to control a rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device depending on a monitored temperature during a first operating mode of the electrosurgical generator; and
the second control curve is configured to control the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device depending on the monitored temperature during a second operating mode of the electrosurgical generator.
10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein:
the first operating mode being a standby mode in which the electrosurgical instrument is not connected to the electrosurgical generator or a connected electrosurgical instrument is not supplied with electrical power from the electrosurgical generator; and/or
the second operating mode is an activation mode in which the electrosurgical instrument is connected to the electrosurgical generator and is supplied with electrical power from the electrosurgical generator.
11 . The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
triggering a switching between the first operating mode of the electrosurgical generator and the second operating mode of the electrosurgical generator by means of a manual trigger device.
12 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein:
a controlling step further comprising:
increasing the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device by means of the first control curve depending on the monitored temperature, in case the monitored temperature of the hardware component exceeds a first minimum temperature value; and
setting the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device to zero, when the monitored temperature is below the first minimum temperature value.
13 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein:
a controlling step further comprises:
increasing the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device by means of the second control curve depending on the monitored temperature, in case the monitored temperature of the hardware component exceeds a second minimum temperature value; and
setting the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device to minimum rotational speed value, when the monitored temperature is below the second minimum temperature value.
14 . An electrosurgical generator system comprising:
the electrosurgical generator configured according to claim 1 ; and
an electrosurgical instrument, wherein:
the electrosurgical generator comprises at least one instrument terminal for connecting and electrically supplying power to the electrosurgical instrument:
in operation of the electrosurgical generator system, the electrosurgical instrument is connected to the instrument terminal:
the electrosurgical generator is adapted to perform a method for supplying power to operate the electrosurgical instrument.
15 . The electrosurgical generator according to claim 6 , wherein:
the first control curve increases the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device with a rising function, when the monitored temperature increases, in particular with a linear rising function, a quadratic rising function or an exponential rising function; and
the rising function is a manual adjustable function, which can be displayed at a display device of the electrosurgical generator and can be adjusted by user inputs.
16 . The electrosurgical generator according to claim 7 , wherein:
the second control curve increases the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device with a rising function, when the monitored temperature increases, in particular with a linear rising function, a quadratic rising function or an exponential rising function; and
the rising function is a manual adjustable function, which can be displayed at a display device of the electrosurgical generator and can be adjusted by user inputs.
17 . The electrosurgical generator according to claim 8 , wherein:
the third control curve is different from the first control curve and the second control curve:
the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device is set to a cool down rotational speed value by means of the third control curve; and
the third control curve is activated until a predefined time duration is reached or until a predefined temperature of the hardware component is reached.
18 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein:
the controlling step comprises:
increasing the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device with the first control curve by means of a rising function, when the monitored temperature increases, in particular increasing the rotational speed by means of a linear rising function, a quadratic rising function or an exponential rising function; and
providing a manual adjustable function as rising function, which can be displayed at a display device of the electrosurgical generator and can be adjusted by user inputs.
19 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein:
the controlling step comprises:
increasing the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device with the second control curve by means of a rising function, when the monitored temperature increases, in particular increasing the rotational speed by means of a linear rising function, a quadratic rising function or an exponential rising function; and
providing a manual adjustable function as rising function, which can be displayed at a display device of the electrosurgical generator and can be adjusted by user inputs.
20 . A method of operating the electrosurgical generator for supplying power to the electrosurgical instrument according to claim 14 , comprising:
providing the active controllable cooling device for removing the heat energy generated within the housing of the electrosurgical generator;
monitoring the temperature of the hardware component of the electrosurgical generator by means of the at least one temperature sensor; and
controlling the active controllable cooling device by means of the control device, including:
controlling the active controllable cooling device with at least the first control curve and the second control curve, wherein:
the first control curve is configured to control the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device based on the monitored temperature during the first operating mode of the electrosurgical generator, and
the second control curve is configured to control the rotational speed of the active controllable cooling device based on the monitored temperature during the second operating mode of the electrosurgical generator.