Back to results
US 11,684,406 B2Granted
Plasma treatment device
AssigneeErbe Elektromedizin GmbH
InventorMatthias Zenker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The plasma sensor monitors parameters characterizing the condition of the plasma during the treatment phase and/or the change thereof in order to recognize a prefiguring or already occurred interruption of the plasma in this manner and to avoid this interruption and, in the ideal case, avoid this by already changing the voltage form previously. The mentioned mechanisms can be used by the control device (22) also during a pulse packet. The length of each pulse packet is adapted at each change of the voltage form according to their characteristics in order to guarantee a constant average power.
Claims14
A device (10) for plasma treatment comprising:
- a generator (15) that is configured to create a radio frequency alternating voltage (HF) in different adjustments, an instrument (12) that is connected or connectable to the generator (15) for supplying the instrument with a treatment current, wherein the instrument (12) comprises at least one electrode (20) to which the radio frequency alternating voltage (HF) is fed for creating a plasma at the electrode (20), wherein the radio frequency alternating voltage created in the different adjustments comprise at least one of different ignition capabilities and different plasma maintenance capabilities,
- a control device (22) that is connected to the generator (15) for adjustment of the generator (15), such that the generator (15) is started in an ignition operating mode and then operated in an operating mode,
- a plasma sensor (23) that is connected to at least one of the generator (15) and the instrument (12) to determine a behavior of the plasma at the instrument (12),
- wherein the control device (22) is connected to the plasma sensor (23) to allow adjustment of the generator (15) by the control device (22) based on the behavior of the plasma detected by the plasma sensor (23),
- wherein the control device (22) is configured to at least one of:
- determine an adjustment of the different adjustments with at least one of reduced ignition capability and reduced plasma maintenance capability for the generator (15), based on the behavior of the plasma detected by the plasma sensor (23), if the behavior of the plasma characterizes at least one of a reliable ignition behavior and a reliable plasma maintenance, and
- determine an adjustment of the different adjustments with at least one of increased ignition capability and increased plasma maintenance capability for the generator (15), based on the behavior of the plasma detected by the plasma sensor (23), if the behavior of the plasma characterizes at least one of a non-reliable ignition behavior and a non-reliable plasma maintenance, and
- wherein the control device (22) is configured to operate the generator (15) during operation of the instrument (12) in a treatment phase with a voltage form that is pulsed at a medium frequency (MF) having a pulse/pause ratio after build-up of the plasma has been achieved in an ignition phase, wherein the pulse/pause ratio is reduced for the treatment phase following a subsequent ignition phase, if a stable presence of the plasma has been detected by the plasma sensor within a treatment duration in at least one treatment phase and wherein the pulse/pause ratio is increased, if an extinction tendency of the plasma has been determined.
5 more elements
A method for control of a device (10) for plasma treatment that comprises a radio frequency generator (15) for supply of an instrument (12), the method comprising:
- operating the radio frequency generator (15) at one of a plurality of different adjustments, wherein in the plurality of different adjustments an alternating voltage (HF) output from the radio frequency generator comprises at least one of:
- different ignition characteristics,
- different plasma maintenance characteristics, and
- alternating voltage (HF) outputs for which the created plasma comprises visible light and acoustic noise emissions of different intensity,
- operating the radio frequency generator (15) for ignition and maintenance of a plasma at the instrument (12) in one of the plurality of different adjustments with at least one of a lowest visible light emission and lowest acoustic noise emission, that also allows ignition and plasma maintenance, and
- operating the radio frequency generator (15) during operation of the instrument (12) in a treatment phase with a voltage form that is pulsed at a medium frequency (MF) having a pulse/pause ratio after build-up of the plasma has been achieved in an ignition phase, wherein the pulse/pause ratio is reduced for the treatment phase following a subsequent ignition phase, if a stable presence of the plasma has been detected within a treatment duration in at least one treatment phase and wherein the pulse/pause ratio is increased, if an extinction tendency of the plasma has been determined.
3 more elements
A device (10) for plasma treatment comprising:
- a generator (15) that is configured to create a radio frequency alternating voltage (HF) in different adjustments,
- an instrument (12) that is connected or connectable to the generator (15) for supplying the instrument with a treatment current, wherein the instrument (12) comprises at least one electrode (20) to which the radio frequency alternating voltage (HF) is fed for creating a plasma at the electrode (20), wherein the radio frequency alternating voltage created in the different adjustments comprise at least one of different ignition capabilities and different plasma maintenance capabilities,
- a control device (22) that is connected to the generator (15) for adjustment of the generator (15), such that the generator (15) is started in an ignition operating mode and then operated in an operating mode,
- a plasma sensor (23) that is connected to at least one of the generator (15) and the instrument (12) to determine a behavior of the plasma at the instrument (12),
- wherein the control device (22) is connected to the plasma sensor (23) to allow adjustment of the generator (15) by the control device (22) based on the behavior of the plasma detected by the plasma sensor (15),
- wherein the control device (22) is configured to continuously determine an adjustment of the different adjustments such that at least one of an ignition readiness and a stability of the plasma created at the electrode is just maintained, and
- wherein the control device (22) is configured to operate the generator (15) during operation of the instrument (12) in a treatment phase with a voltage form that is pulsed at a medium frequency (MF) having a pulse/pause ratio after build-up of the plasma has been achieved in an ignition phase, wherein the pulse/pause ratio is reduced for the treatment phase following a subsequent ignition phase, if a stable presence of the plasma has been detected by the plasma sensor within a treatment duration in at least one treatment phase and wherein the pulse/pause ratio is increased, if an extinction tendency of the plasma has been determined.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.