Electrosurgical network

Abstract

Electrosurgical systems comprising an electrosurgical network connecting a plurality of electrosurgical connection units (each connectable to an electrosurgical instrument) and an electrosurgical generator such that an electrosurgical signal generated by the electrosurgical generator can be controllably provided to a selected combination of electrosurgical connection units. Such electrosurgical systems allow an electrosurgical instrument attached to any of the plurality of electrosurgical connection units to be dynamically controlled by the electrosurgical generator.

1 . An electrosurgical system comprising:
 a plurality of electrosurgical connection units, each electrosurgical connection unit comprising an input port connectable to an electrosurgical channel and an output port connectable to an electrosurgical instrument, the electrosurgical connection unit configured to connect the input port to the output port;   an electrosurgical network comprising a plurality of electrosurgical links that connect the input ports of the electrosurgical connection units to an electrosurgical channel via an electrosurgical output device; and   a control unit configured to transmit one or more control signals to the electrosurgical connection units and/or the electrosurgical output device to cause the output port of a selected combination of electrosurgical connection units to be connected to the electrosurgical channel.   
     
     
         2 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 1 , wherein each electrosurgical connection unit further comprises a switching unit between the input port and the output port, the switching unit configured to controllably connect the input port to the output port in response to a control signal. 
     
     
         3 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more control signals transmitted by the control unit cause a selected combination of electrosurgical links to be active and all other electrosurgical links to be inactive. 
     
     
         4 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrosurgical links connect at least two of the electrosurgical connection units to the electrosurgical channel in a daisy chain configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 4 , wherein at least one electrosurgical connection unit further comprises a second output port connected to the input port of another electrosurgical connection unit via an electrosurgical link, the at least one electrosurgical connection unit configured to electrically connect the input port to the second output port. 
     
     
         6 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one electrosurgical connection unit further comprises a switching unit situated between the input port and the second output port, the switching unit configured to controllably connect the input port to the second output port in response to a control signal. 
     
     
         7 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrosurgical links connect at least two of the electro surgical connection units to the electrosurgical channel in a star configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second electrosurgical network comprising a plurality of electrosurgical links connecting the input ports of the electrosurgical connection units to a second electrosurgical channel. 
     
     
         9 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 8 , wherein the electrosurgical channel and the second electrosurgical channel are controlled by a same electrosurgical generator or by different electrosurgical generators. 
     
     
         10 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the electrosurgical connection units further comprises a second output port and the at least one electrosurgical connection unit is configured to connect the electrosurgical channel to the output port and to connect the second electrosurgical channel to the second output port. 
     
     
         11 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the electrosurgical connection units comprises a switching unit situated between the input port and the output port, and the switching unit is configured to controllably connect one of the electrosurgical channel and the second electrosurgical channel to the output port in response to a control signal. 
     
     
         12 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 1 , wherein each link of the electrosurgical network comprises a plurality of electrosurgical conductors; the electrical output device is an electrosurgical multiplexer; and, the electrosurgical multiplexer is connected to the electrosurgical channel and a second electrosurgical channel and is configured to dynamically connect one or more of the electrosurgical channel and the second electrosurgical channel to one or more of the electrosurgical conductors in response to a control signal. 
     
     
         13 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 12 , wherein each electrosurgical connection unit comprises a switching unit between the input port and the output port and the switching unit is configured to controllably connect one or more electrosurgical conductors of the electrosurgical links to the output port in response to a control signal. 
     
     
         14 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the electrosurgical connection units comprise a second output port and the switching unit of the at least one electrosurgical connection unit is configured to controllably connect one or more electrosurgical conductors of the electrosurgical links to the second output port in response to the control signal. 
     
     
         15 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 8 , wherein one of the electrosurgical channel and the second electrosurgical channel is a monopolar electrosurgical channel and the other of the electrosurgical channel and the second electrosurgical channel is a bipolar electrosurgical channel. 
     
     
         16 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second electrosurgical channels are both bipolar electrosurgical channels or both monopolar electrosurgical channels. 
     
     
         17 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to transmit one or more control signals to the electrosurgical connection unit and/or the electrosurgical output device to cause the output port of only one electrosurgical connection unit to be connected to the electrosurgical channel. 
     
     
         18 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 1 , further comprising an electrosurgical generator configured to drive the electrosurgical channel. 
     
     
         19 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 18 , wherein the control unit is further configured to detect the location of the electrosurgical generator and transmit the one or more control signals based on the detection. 
     
     
         20 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of robot arms, each robot arm comprising:
 an attachment structure for removably attaching a surgical instrument to the robot arm; and   one of the electrosurgical connection units for connecting an electrosurgical instrument attached to the robot arm to an electrosurgical channel.   
     
     
         21 .- 37 . (canceled)