ACTIVE CONVERSION OF A MONOPOLAR CIRCUIT TO A BIPOLAR CIRCUIT USING IMPEDANCE FEEDBACK BALANCING
Systems, devices, and methods for electrosurgery wherein a circuit bridge is created for a monopolar electrosurgical circuit that provides a matched impedance to load condition thereby joining the active (working) and return (reference) electrode leads into a single bipolar mode device.
1 . An electronic bridging circuit comprising:
one or more circuit components arranged in electrical communication with a primary radiofrequency active or reference/return electrode lead of a hand piece of an electrosurgical generator upon which lead a super-imposed rider wave signal is transmitted, said super-imposed wave signal normalized to a monopolar balanced state of feedback to the electrosurgical generator reference plate electrode monitoring circuit via said one or more circuit components;
said one or more circuit components selected to affect said super-imposed wave signal by balancing said rider signal; and
wherein monopolar outputs of the electrosurgical generator are converted to bipolar outputs compatible with said hand piece upon connection of hand piece with the generator.
2 . The circuit of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said circuit components are connected in a parallel configuration.
3 . The circuit of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said circuit components are connected in a series configuration.
4 . The circuit of claim 1 wherein one of said circuit components comprises a capacitor.
5 . The circuit of claim 4 wherein at least one of said capacitors comprises a value of about 1 picofarad to a value of about 1 microfarad.
6 . The circuit of claim 4 wherein at least one of said capacitors comprises a value of about 40 picofarads to a value of about 0.1 microfarad.
7 . The circuit of claim 1 wherein one of said circuit components comprises an inductor.
8 . The circuit of claim 1 wherein one of said circuit components comprises a resistor.
9 . The circuit of claim 8 wherein said one or more components are arranged in a bridge circuit.
10 . An electrosurgical apparatus comprising a conventionally-shaped monopolar output universal plug for the delivery of primary RF electrical current, which comprises no more than two of the typical three conductors.
11 . A method for converting a monopolar electrosurgical generator which outputs a power wave and a super-imposed rider wave for use in a bipolar electrosurgical configuration comprising:
bridging leads connected to the monopolar electrosurgical generator with a bridging circuit comprising at least one balancing component,
the balancing component selected such that the impedance encountered by the rider wave when traveling through a bipolar hand piece, and
the balancing component is substantially similar to the impedance encountered by the rider wave when a monopolar hand piece and return pad is connected to the electrosurgical generator.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the balancing component comprises a resistive component.
13 . The method of claim 11 wherein the balancing component comprises a capacitive component.
14 . The method of claim 11 wherein the balancing component comprises an inductive component.
15 . The method of claim 11 wherein the balancing component is disposed within the bipolar hand piece.
16 . The method of claim 11 wherein the balancing components comprise a plurality of components.
17 . The method of claim 16 wherein said plurality of components comprises active and resistive components.
18 . The method of claim 16 wherein at lease some of the balancing components are arranged in a parallel configuration.
19 . The method of claim 16 wherein at lease some of the balancing components are arranged in a series configuration.
20 . The method of claim 11 wherein the bipolar hand piece is electrically connected to only one of the cut or coagulate outputs of the monopolar electrosurgical generator.
21 . A method for using a monopolar output of an electrosurgical generator for a bipolar electrosurgical application comprising:
connecting a plurality of active electrodes of a bipolar electrosurgical hand piece to an active electrode port of a monopolar electrosurgical generator;
providing one or more components through which a reference signal passes, the one or more components selected such that the total impendence encountered by the reference signal is at least substantially similar to a total impedance which would be encountered by the reference signal if it were traveling through a functioning monopolar electrosurgical hand piece.
22 . The method of claim 21 wherein at least one of the plurality of active electrodes is connected to the active electrode port of the monopolar electrosurgical generator through a switch.
23 . The method of claim 21 wherein each of a plurality of the active electrodes are connected to the active electrode port of the monopolar electrosurgical generator through respective switches.
24 . The method of claim 21 wherein the plurality of active electrodes are individually activated.
25 . The method of claim 24 wherein the plurality of active electrodes are simultaneously activated.
26 . An electrosurgical apparatus comprising:
a monopolar electrosurgical generator connected to a bipolar electrosurgical hand piece.
27 . The electrosurgical apparatus of claim 26 wherein said hand piece operates in a cut only mode.
28 . The electrosurgical apparatus of claim 26 wherein said hand piece operates in a coagulate only mode.
29 . A bipolar electrosurgical hand piece connectable and operable with a monopolar electrosurgical generator.