Patents by Inventor Robert Wham

Robert Wham has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20100042093
    Abstract: A system and method for performing electrosurgical procedures are disclosed. The system includes an electrosurgical generator adapted to supply energy at an output level to tissue. The electrosurgical generator includes a microprocessor adapted to generate a desired impedance trajectory having at least one slope. The target impedance trajectory includes one or more target impedance values. The microprocessor is also adapted to drive tissue impedance along the target impedance trajectory by adjusting the output level to substantially match tissue impedance to a corresponding target impedance value. The microprocessor is further adapted to compare tissue impedance to a threshold impedance value and adjust output of the electrosurgical generator when the tissue impedance is equal to or greater than the threshold impedance. The system also includes an electrosurgical instrument including at least one active electrode adapted to apply electrosurgical energy to tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Craig Weinberg
  • Publication number: 20080015564
    Abstract: An electrosurgical generator system includes an electrical generator having an RF stage for outputting electrical energy having at least one waveform for performing an electrosurgical procedure. The system further includes at least one control module executable on at least one processor which controls at least one parameter of the outputted electrical energy and a configuration controller operably associated with the electrical generator which generates configuration data to configure the at least one control module to provide at least one modality of control of the outputted electrical energy based on the configuration data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Thomas Sturm, William Faulkner
  • Patent number: 7303557
    Abstract: A method for electrosurgically sealing a tissue includes steps of: (A) applying a first pulse of RF energy to the tissue; and (B) applying at least one subsequent RF energy pulse to the tissue and keeping constant or varying RF energy parameters of individual pulses in accordance with at least one characteristic of an electrical transient that occurs during the individual RF energy pulses. The method terminates the generation of subsequent RF pulses upon a determination that the electrical transient has passed a predetermined limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Sherwood Services AG
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Steven P. Buysse, James H. Orszulak
  • Publication number: 20070250052
    Abstract: A system and method for performing electrosurgical procedures are disclosed. The system includes an electrosurgical generator adapted to supply electrosurgical energy to tissue in form of one or more electrosurgical waveforms having a crest factor and a duty cycle. The system also includes sensor circuitry adapted to measure impedance and to obtain one or more measured impedance signals. The sensor circuitry is further adapted to generate one or more arc detection signals upon detecting an arcing condition§. The system further includes a controller adapted to generate one or more target control signals as a function of the measured impedance signals and to adjust output of the electrosurgical generator based on the arc detection signal. An electrosurgical instrument is also included having one or more active electrodes adapted to apply electrosurgical energy to tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventor: Robert Wham
  • Publication number: 20070173803
    Abstract: A system and method for performing electrosurgical procedures are disclosed. The system includes an electrosurgical generator adapted to supply energy at an output level to tissue. The electrosurgical generator includes a microprocessor adapted to generate a desired impedance trajectory having at least one slope. The target impedance trajectory includes one or more target impedance values. The microprocessor is also adapted to drive tissue impedance along the target impedance trajectory by adjusting the output level to substantially match tissue impedance to a corresponding target impedance value. The microprocessor is further adapted to compare tissue impedance to a threshold impedance value and adjust output of the electrosurgical generator when the tissue impedance is equal to or greater than the threshold impedance. The system also includes an electrosurgical instrument including at least one active electrode adapted to apply electrosurgical energy to tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Craig Weinberg
  • Publication number: 20070173811
    Abstract: System and method for controlling delivery of energy to divide tissue are disclosed. The system comprises an electrosurgical instrument having an electrically energizable cutting element which communicates electrical energy to the tissue and a generator to supply the energy to the electrosurgical instrument which supplies the energy to the tissue in a first pulse to react the tissue, in slow pulses to create a desiccation line until impedance at the tissue has reached a threshold, and in rapid pulses to divide tissue across the desiccation line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Inventors: Gary Couture, Kristin Johnson, Robert Sharp, Jeff Unger, Craig Weinberg, Robert Wham
  • Publication number: 20070093800
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed enabling configuration of a control system for an electrosurgical generator system for creating new surgical applications without changing the underlying software system. The system includes an outer loop controller for generating a control signal in accordance with at least a first subset of sensor data from at least one sensor; an inner loop controller for generating a setpoint control signal which is provided to an RF stage in accordance with at least the control signal generated by the outer loop controller and a second subset of sensor data from the at least one sensor; and a configuration controller for generating configuration data and providing first and second configuration data sets of the configuration data to the inner loop and outer loop controllers, respectively, for configuration thereof to provide a type of control selectable from a variety of types of control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Applicant: SHERWOOD SERVICES AG
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Thomas Sturm, William Faulkner
  • Publication number: 20070038209
    Abstract: A closed-loop control system is disclosed for use with an electrosurgical generator that generates electrosurgical energy. The closed loop control system includes a user interface for allowing a user to select at least one pre-surgical parameter, such as the type of surgical instrument operatively connected to the generator, the type of tissue and the desired surgical effect. A sensor module is also included for continually sensing at least one of electrical and physical properties proximate a surgical site and generating at least one signal relating thereto. The system also includes a control module for continually receiving the at least one selected pre-surgical parameter from the user interface and each of the signals from the sensor module, and processing each of the signals in accordance with the at least one pre-surgical parameter using at least one of a microprocessor, computer algorithm and a mapping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Inventors: Steven Buysse, Bret Felton, David Heard, David Keppel, Ronald Podhajsky, Dale Schamltz, Robert Wham, Edward Meagher, Kate Lawes, David Schechter, Chelsea Shields, Philip Tetzlaff
  • Publication number: 20060224152
    Abstract: A control system for use with an electrosurgical generator which delivers electrosurgical energy to tissue has a control module. The module includes a processor executing an algorithm. The algorithm has the steps of determining a sensed voltage value corresponding to a sensed voltage signal output by the electrosurgical generator and determining a sensed current value corresponding to a sensed current signal output by the electrosurgical generator. The algorithm has the steps of determining phase information corresponding to a phase shift between the voltage signal and the current signal and determining a characteristic related to the electrosurgical energy delivered to the tissue using the phase information, the sensed voltage value and the sensed current value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Robert Behnke, Robert Wham
  • Publication number: 20050203504
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling an electrosurgical generator generating electrosurgical energy which is delivered to a patient for performing an electrosurgical procedure for sealing tissue. The system includes a control module executable on a processor for receiving sensed data corresponding to at least one physical or electrical property related to delivery of the electrosurgical energy. The control module processes the received sensed data and controls the electrosurgical generator including generating at least one corresponding control signal in accordance with the processed sensed data for regulating electrosurgical energy output from the electrosurgical generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Chelsea Shields, Philip Tetzlaff, Jeremy James
  • Publication number: 20050113819
    Abstract: An automatic control system for an electrosurgical generator is herein disclosed. The automatic control system includes voltage and current sensing circuits, a processing circuit, an output determining circuit, and a control circuit. Samples of the voltage and current outputs are supplied to the processing circuit and the output determining circuit to generate an output signal. The output signal is compared to a reference signal to generate a feedback signal for controlling a drive circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Thomas Sturm
  • Publication number: 20050101951
    Abstract: A method for electrosurgically sealing a tissue includes steps of: (A) applying a first pulse of RF energy to the tissue; and (B) applying at least one subsequent RF energy pulse to the tissue and keeping constant or varying RF energy parameters of individual pulses in accordance with at least one characteristic of an electrical transient that occurs during the individual RF energy pulses. The method terminates the generation of subsequent RF pulses upon a determination that the electrical transient has passed a predetermined limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2004
    Publication date: May 12, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Steven Buysse, James Orszulak
  • Publication number: 20050004564
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed enabling configuration of a control system for an electrosurgical generator system for creating new surgical applications without changing the underlying software system. The system includes an outer loop controller for generating a control signal in accordance with at least a first subset of sensor data from at least one sensor; an inner loop controller for generating a setpoint control signal which is provided to an RF stage in accordance with at least the control signal generated by the outer loop controller and a second subset of sensor data from the at least one sensor; and a configuration controller for generating configuration data and providing first and second configuration data sets of the configuration data to the inner loop and outer loop controllers, respectively, for configuration thereof to provide a type of control selectable from a variety of types of control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Publication date: January 6, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Thomas Sturm, William Faulkner
  • Patent number: 6796981
    Abstract: A method for electrosurgically sealing a tissue includes steps of: (A) applying a first pulse of RF energy to the tissue; and (B) applying at least one subsequent RF energy pulse to the tissue and varying RF energy parameters of individual pulses of subsequent RF energy pulses in accordance with at least one characteristic of an electrical transient that occurs during the individual pulses of the subsequent RF energy pulses. The method terminates the generation of subsequent RF pulses upon a determination that the electrical transient has passed a predetermined limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Sherwood SErvices AG
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Steven P. Buysse, James H. Orszulak
  • Publication number: 20040167508
    Abstract: A method for electrosurgically sealing a tissue includes steps of: (A) applying a first pulse of RF energy to the tissue; and (B) applying at least one subsequent RF energy pulse to the tissue and varying RF energy parameters of individual pulses of subsequent RF energy pulses in accordance with at least one characteristic of an electrical transient that occurs during the individual pulses of the subsequent RF energy pulses. The method terminates the generation of subsequent RF pulses upon a determination that the electrical transient has passed a predetermined limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Steven P. Buysse, James H. Orszulak
  • Publication number: 20030004510
    Abstract: A method for electrosurgically sealing a tissue includes steps of: (A) applying a first pulse of RF energy to the tissue; and (B) applying at least one subsequent RF energy pulse to the tissue and varying RF energy parameters of individual pulses of subsequent RF energy pulses in accordance with at least one characteristic of an electrical transient that occurs during the individual pulses of the subsequent RF energy pulses. The method terminates the generation of subsequent RF pulses upon a determination that the electrical transient has passed a predetermined limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Steven P. Buysse, James H. Orszulak