Detecting short circuits in electrosurgical medical devices

An electrosurgical system for providing an electrosurgical signal to a patient, the system comprising:

• a control circuit, wherein the control circuit is programmed to:
• provide the electrosurgical signal to first and second electrodes, wherein the electrosurgical signal defines a plurality of pulses;
• receive a first reading of an impedance between the first and second electrodes, wherein the first reading is taken at a first point of a first pulse of the electrosurgical signal;
• receive a second reading of the impedance between the first and second electrodes, wherein the second reading is taken at a first point of a second pulse of the electrosurgical signal, wherein the first point of the first pulse and the first point of the second pulse are at equivalent positions within the first and second pulses;
• based on comparing the first reading with the second reading, determine that a short circuit is present between the first and second electrodes, wherein comparing the first reading with the second reading comprises computing a difference in impedance between the first reading and the second reading, and the determination that the short circuit is present between the first and second electrodes is based further on determining that a magnitude of the difference is less than a predetermined impedance threshold value;
• generate a signal indicating the short circuit between the first and second electrodes.