[54] SYSTEM FOR CUTTING BIOLOGICAL TISSUE
[75] Inventors: Heinz Lindenmeier, Planegg; Georg Lohr, Ottobrunn; Karl Fastenmeier, Munich; Gerhard Flachenecker,
deceased, late of Ottobrunn, all of
Germany, by Hilegard Flachenecker,
legal representative
[73] Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co., Tuttlingen, Germany
[21] Appl. No.: 555,254
[22] Filed: Nov. 8, 1995
Related U.S. Application Data
[63] Continuation of Ser. No. 193,111, filed as PCT/DE92/00675, Aug. 12,1992, published as WO93/03680, Mar. 4,1993, Jul. 18, 1994, abandoned.
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Aug. 12, 1991 [DE] Germany 41 26 608.0
[51] Int. CI. A61B 17/36
[52] U.S. CI 606/39; 606/34
[58] Field of Search 606/32-34, 37-40
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
4,209,018 6/1980 Meinke et al 606/38
4,474,179 10/1984 Koch 606/40
4,860,745 8/1989 Farin et al 606/40
5,108,391 4/1992 Flachenecker 606/40
5,133,711 7/1992 Hagen 606/40
5,167,658 12/1992 Ensslin 606/34
5,167,660 12/1992 Altendorf 606/46
Primary Examiner—Michael Peffley
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Donald D. Mon; David O'Reilly [57] ABSTRACT
A system for controlling the operation of a high frequency biological tissue cutting device for cutting biological tissue with high-frequency current having a HF generator component designed so that the amplitude of the voltage (UG) applied to the tissue can be changed. At least one adjustment device is provided to adjust one of the characteristic values (K) of the high frequency generator component to a 1st desired value (b), related to the output of an indicator device that indicates by an electrical signal (d) the size and intensity of the electric arc occurring between the surgical probe and the tissue during cutting. A desired-value transmitter provides a second desired value (c) representing the desired size and intensity of the electric arc. An evaluation unit receives the output signal (d) of the indicator device and the 2nd desired value representing the intensity of the electric arc (c) and provides therefrom a desired value (b) output for the adjustment device such that the maximum changing speed of the desired value (b) is at least one magnitude smaller than the speed with which the adjustment device adjusts the characteristic value (K) of the high-frequency generator component.
16 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
