Treatment system, and treatment method for living tissue using energy

Abstract

A treatment system includes a pair of holding members, a high-frequency energy output section, a heat generating section and a control section. At least one of the pair of holding members moves to the other holding member. The high-frequency energy output section and the heat generating section are provided on at least one of the holding members. The high-frequency energy output section exerts high-frequency energy to a living tissue to denature the living tissue, and collects the biological information of the living tissue. The heat generating section applies heat to it held between the holding members, generates the heat owing to the supply of the energy, and conducts the heat therefrom to denature the living tissue. The control section controls the output of the energy to the high-frequency energy output section and the heat generating section based on the biological information collected by the high-frequency energy output section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surgical controller for controlling an electrosurgical apparatus, the surgical controller comprising:
 a circuit configured to detect an impedance of a tissue between a pair of holding members disposed at the electrosurgical apparatus and to output an impedance value indicative of the impedance; and   one or more processors configured to implement:
 controlling a first generator to apply a first electric power to a first energy element that is provided on each of the holding members and is configured to apply a first energy to the tissue, the first energy generating Joule heat in the tissue to heat the tissue; 
 receiving the impedance value from the circuit; 
 when the impedance value reaches a first threshold value, controlling a second generator to set a second electric power to be applied to a second energy element to a value higher than before reaching the first threshold value, the second energy element being configured to apply a second energy to the tissue, the second energy coagulating the tissue from a surface side of the tissue contacting a grasping face of the holding members towards an inside of the tissue; and 
 when the impedance value reaches the second threshold value, controlling the second generator to stop applying the second electric power. 
   
     
     
         2 . The surgical controller according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to implement controlling the second generator to apply the second electric power to the second energy element from before when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value. 
     
     
         3 . The surgical controller according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to implement controlling the second generator to gradually increase a value of the second electric power when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value, and maintain a certain value thereafter. 
     
     
         4 . The surgical controller according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to implement controlling the second generator to apply the second electric power to the second energy element discontinuously before when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value. 
     
     
         5 . The surgical controller according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to implement controlling the second generator to keep the tissue at temperature T0 that would not cause protein denaturation during until when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value. 
     
     
         6 . The surgical controller according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is configured to implement controlling the second generator not to apply the second electric power to the second energy element until when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value. 
     
     
         7 . A surgical system comprising:
 an electrosurgical apparatus including:
 a pair of holding members that is configured to grasp a tissue; 
 a first energy element that is provided on each of the holding members, and is configured to apply a first energy to the tissue, the first energy generating Joule heat in the tissue to heat the tissue; and 
 a second energy element that is provided on at least one of the holding members, and is configured to apply a second energy to the tissue, the second energy coagulating the tissue from a surface side of the tissue contacting a grasping face of the electrodes towards an inside of the tissue; and 
   a controller configure to control output of the first energy and output of the second energy, wherein the controller is configured to implement:
 controlling the first energy element to output the first energy, 
 measuring impedance of the tissue grasped by the pair of holding members and outputting an impedance value indicative of the impedance, 
 when the impedance value reaches a first threshold value, controlling the second energy element to output the second energy at an output that is higher than that before reaching the first threshold value, and 
 when the impedance value reaches a second threshold value that is higher than the first threshold value, controlling the second energy element to stop the output of the second energy. 
   
     
     
         8 . The surgical system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the first energy element is a high-frequency electrode that is configured to apply the first energy as a high-frequency current to the tissue, and   the second energy element is a heater that is configured to apply heat to the tissue.   
     
     
         9 . The surgical system according to  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to implement controlling the second energy element to apply the second energy to the tissue from before when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value. 
     
     
         10 . The surgical system according to  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to implement controlling the second energy element to gradually increase a value of the second energy when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value, and maintain a certain value thereafter. 
     
     
         11 . The surgical system according to  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to implement controlling the second energy element to apply the second energy discontinuously to the tissue before when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value. 
     
     
         12 . The surgical system according to  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to implement controlling the second energy element to keep the tissue at temperature T0 that would not cause protein denaturation during until when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value. 
     
     
         13 . The surgical system according to  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to implement controlling the second energy element not to apply the second energy to the tissue until when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value. 
     
     
         14 . A method for controlling an electrosurgical apparatus, the method comprising:
 controlling a first energy element that is provided on a pair of holding members that is configured to grasp a tissue, and is configured to apply a first energy to the tissue, the first energy generating Joule heat in the tissue to heat the tissue;   measuring impedance of the tissue grasped by the pair of holding members and outputting an impedance value indicative of the impedance;   controlling a second energy element that is provided on at least one of the pair of holding members, and is configured to apply a second energy to the tissue, the second energy coagulating the tissue from a surface side of the tissue contacting a grasping face of the at least one of the pair of holding members towards an inside of the tissue, and when the impedance value reaches a first threshold value, outputting the second energy at an output that is higher than that before reaching the first threshold value; and   when the impedance value reaches a second threshold value that is higher than the first threshold value, controlling the second energy element to stop the output of the second energy.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , comprising controlling the second energy element to apply the second energy to the tissue from before when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , comprising controlling the second energy element to gradually increase a value of the second energy when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value, and maintain a certain value thereafter. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , comprising controlling the second energy element to apply the second energy discontinuously to the tissue before when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , comprising controlling the second energy element to keep the tissue at temperature T0 that would not cause protein denaturation during until when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 14 , comprising controlling the second energy element not to apply the second energy to the tissue until when the impedance value reaches the first threshold value.