Variable active clipper circuit to control crest factor in an AC power converter

An electrosurgical generator, comprising:

• a power supply configured to output a direct current (DC) waveform;
• a voltage source coupled to the power supply and configured to output a voltage;
• a power converter coupled to the voltage source, the power converter including at least one power switching element operated at a switching waveform and configured to generate a radio frequency waveform based on the voltage from the voltage source, the radio frequency waveform including at least one pulse having an overshoot peak;
• a clipper circuit coupled to the voltage source and the power converter, the clipper circuit configured to generate a clipping voltage to clip the overshoot peak;
• and
• a controller coupled to the power converter and configured to modulate the switching waveform to generate the radio frequency waveform.

A method for controlling an electrosurgical generator, the method comprising:

• activating a first pair of power switching elements and a second pair of power switching elements of a power converter, wherein the power converter is disposed within the electrosurgical generator, the electrosurgical generator including a power supply configured to output a direct current (DC) waveform;
• deactivating the first pair of the power switching elements to generate a radio frequency waveform including at least one pulse having an overshoot peak;
• and
• activating a clipper circuit coupled to the power converter and the power supply to generate a clipping voltage to clip the overshoot peak.