Electrosurgical apparatus

Abstract

An electrosurgical apparatus 1 for use in surgery comprises: a control device 2 for generating a low-frequency electric current and a high-frequency electric current; and a handpiece 3 comprising a scalpel tip electrode 33 capable of outputting a low-frequency electric current or a high-frequency electric current to biological tissue. The handpiece 3 has: a diagnosis mode in which a low-frequency electric current is outputted from the scalpel tip electrode 33 to diagnose the presence or absence of nerves in the biological tissue that comes into contact with the scalpel tip electrode 33; and an incision mode in which a high-frequency electric current is outputted from the scalpel tip electrode 33 to perform an incision on the biological tissue. The control device 2 comprises a control program 21 that, when setting the handpiece 3 to the incision mode, performs control such that the incision mode is set after going through the diagnosis mode.

Description

Electrical scalpel device 【0001】 The present invention relates to an electrical scalpel device used in surgical operations. 【0002】 Conventionally, in surgical operations, a nerve monitoring system has been used to prevent nerve damage and preserve nerve function after surgery. This nerve monitoring system includes a low-frequency stimulation device, and is a system for diagnosing the presence or absence of nerves by detecting nerve and muscle reactions induced by the low-frequency current output from the device. Specifically, before incising living tissue with an electrical scalpel, first, the living tissue is stimulated with a low-frequency current output from the low-frequency stimulation device to diagnose the presence or absence of nerves at the target site. Then, when it can be determined that there is no nerve, the operator switches from the low-frequency stimulation device to the electrical scalpel and makes an incision at the site where the diagnosis was made. 【0003】 However, when switching between the low-frequency stimulation device and the electrical scalpel, there is a risk of making an incision at a location that does not exactly match the location where the diagnosis was made. Also, because nerve tissue is complex, while it is necessary to perform the surgery while frequently repeating the diagnosis and incision, since the low-frequency stimulation device and the electrical scalpel must be frequently switched, the efficiency of the surgery decreases. 【0004】 Against such a background, there is a demand for a device capable of performing both diagnosis and incision so that switching between the low-frequency stimulation device and the electrical scalpel is unnecessary. As a device capable of performing both diagnosis and incision, for example, the surgical device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The surgical device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a bipolar electrical scalpel, and it is possible to perform both diagnosis of the presence or absence of nerves and incision with this electrical scalpel. 【0005】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-126112 【0006】 However, a device capable of performing both diagnosis and incision as described above may accidentally make an incision when attempting to diagnose the presence or absence of nerves due to an operator's error. Making an incision without diagnosing the presence or absence of nerves may damage the nerves, leading to a decrease in the nerve function preservation rate after surgery. 【0007】 The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an electrosurgical device capable of improving the rate of nerve function preservation after surgery. 【0008】 To solve the above problems, the electrosurgical apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. 【0009】 (1) An electrosurgical device used in surgical procedures, comprising: a control device that generates low-frequency current and high-frequency current; and a handpiece equipped with a scalpel tip electrode capable of outputting the low-frequency current or the high-frequency current to biological tissue; wherein the handpiece comprises a diagnostic mode for diagnosing the presence or absence of nerves in biological tissue by outputting the low-frequency current from the scalpel tip electrode; and an incision mode for incising biological tissue by outputting the high-frequency current from the scalpel tip electrode; and the control device comprises a control program that controls the handpiece to go through the diagnostic mode before entering the incision mode. 【0010】 (2) In the electrosurgical apparatus described in (1), it is preferable that the control device is provided with a first operating unit for instructing the handpiece to enter the diagnostic mode, and a second operating unit for instructing the control device to enter the cutting mode, and that the control program enters the diagnostic mode while the first operating unit is being operated, enters the cutting mode when the second operating unit is operated while the first operating unit is still being operated, and does not enter the cutting mode when the second operating unit is operated by itself. 【0011】 (3) In the electrosurgical apparatus described in (2), it is preferable that the control program sets the handpiece to the diagnostic mode when the first operation unit is operated while the second operation unit is in operation, and then switches the handpiece from the diagnostic mode to the cutting mode after a predetermined time has elapsed. 【0012】(4) In the electrosurgical apparatus described in (1), it is preferable that the apparatus is equipped with an operating unit for operating the handpiece, and that the control program sets the handpiece to diagnostic mode when the operating unit is operated, and switches the handpiece from the diagnostic mode to the cutting mode after a predetermined time has elapsed. 【0013】 The electrosurgical device of the present invention is controlled by a control program so that the handpiece goes through a diagnostic mode before entering the cutting mode. This prevents accidental incisions made by the operator when attempting to diagnose the presence or absence of nerves. As a result, it is possible to improve the rate of nerve function preservation after surgery. 【0014】 This figure shows the schematic configuration of the electrosurgical device according to the first embodiment. This figure schematically shows the usage state of the electrosurgical device according to the first embodiment. This is an enlarged view of the handpiece. This is an enlarged perspective view of part A of Figure 3. This is a timing chart explaining the switching of handpiece modes. This is a timing chart explaining the switching of handpiece modes in the electrosurgical device according to the second embodiment. 【0015】 (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the electrosurgical apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the electrosurgical apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the usage state of the electrosurgical apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the handpiece 3. Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of part A of Figure 3. Note that these drawings have been simplified for the sake of clarity of explanation and do not accurately represent the shape, size, etc. of each component. 【0016】 As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the electrosurgical unit 1 mainly consists of a control device 2, a handpiece 3, a counter electrode 4, and a foot switch 5 (an example of a first operating unit). Although the counter electrode 4 is omitted in Figure 2, the counter electrode 4 is a sheet-shaped electrode that is kept in constant contact with the patient during surgery. 【0017】(Regarding the control device) As shown in Figure 2, the control device 2 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with an operating section and display screen on the front, and is used by being installed on a pedestal or the like in an operating room. Note that the shape of the control device 2 shown in the figure is merely an example, and it may also be integrated with a pedestal with casters to make it easy to move the control device 2. 【0018】 The control device 2 is electrically connected to the handpiece 3 by cable 6, to the counter electrode 4 by cable 7, and to the foot switch 5 by cable 8. 【0019】 Furthermore, the control device 2 is capable of generating low-frequency and high-frequency currents, and can output these low-frequency or high-frequency currents to the handpiece 3 via the cable 6. In addition, the control device 2 stores a control program 21 in its built-in memory. This control program 21 controls the output of low-frequency or high-frequency currents from the control device 2 to the handpiece 3 in response to the operation of the hand switch 32 (an example of the second operating unit) or the foot switch 5, which will be described later. The expression of the handpiece 3 is controlled by controlling the output of low-frequency or high-frequency currents to the handpiece 3 (details will be described later). Note that low-frequency currents are, for example, currents between 2 Hz and 50 Hz, and high-frequency currents are, for example, currents between 300 kHz and 5 MHz. 【0020】 (Regarding the handpiece) The handpiece 3 is a monopolar electrosurgical unit, and its main components are the main body 31, the hand switch 32, and the scalpel tip electrode 33. 【0021】 As shown in Figure 2, the main body 31 is the part that the surgeon holds in their hand H during surgery, and therefore it is shaped like a pencil to make it easy to grip. Inside the main body 31, there is wiring for electrically connecting the hand switch 32 and the scalpel tip electrode 33 to the control device 2. 【0022】The scalpel tip electrode 33 is an electrode for outputting low-frequency or high-frequency current, which is output from the control device 2 to the handpiece 3 via the cable 6, to biological tissue. The handpiece 3 functions by outputting low-frequency or high-frequency current from the scalpel tip electrode 33 to the biological tissue. Specifically, it is as follows: 【0023】 The handpiece 3 has a diagnostic mode and an incision mode. First, the diagnostic mode is the mode in which the handpiece 3 performs the function of diagnosing the presence or absence of nerves in biological tissue. When the handpiece 3 is in diagnostic mode, if the tip of the scalpel electrode 33 is brought into contact with biological tissue, a low-frequency current is output from the scalpel electrode 33, which induces a nerve-muscle response in the biological tissue, making it possible to diagnose the presence or absence of nerves. Next, the incision mode is the mode in which the handpiece 3 performs the function of making an incision in biological tissue. When the handpiece 3 is in incision mode, if the tip of the scalpel electrode 33 is brought into contact with biological tissue, a high-frequency current is output from the scalpel electrode 33, which vaporizes the biological tissue and makes it possible to make an incision. 【0024】 The scalpel tip electrode 33 mainly consists of a cutting electrode 36, an insulating portion 37, a first electrode 38, and a second electrode 39. 【0025】 The insulating portion 37 extends linearly from the main body portion 31. The cutting electrode 36 is an electrode for passing a high-frequency current through biological tissue and is located coaxially with the insulating portion 37. The first electrode 38 and the second electrode 39 are electrodes for passing a low-frequency current through biological tissue and are provided within the insulating portion 37, sandwiching the cutting electrode 36. 【0026】 When the handpiece 3 is in diagnostic mode, if the tip of the scalpel electrode 33 is brought into contact with biological tissue, a low-frequency current is output from the first electrode 38, and this low-frequency current flows through the biological tissue to the second electrode 39. This induces a nerve-muscle response in the biological tissue, making it possible to diagnose the presence or absence of nerves. The low-frequency current that flows to the second electrode 39 is collected by the control device 2 via the cable 6. 【0027】 When the handpiece 3 is in cutting mode, when the tip of the scalpel electrode 33 is brought into contact with biological tissue, a high-frequency current is output from the cutting electrode 36, and this high-frequency current flows through the biological tissue to the counter electrode 4. As a result, the biological tissue at the site of contact with the scalpel electrode 33 is vaporized, making it possible to cut. The high-frequency current that flows to the counter electrode 4 is collected by the control device 2 via the cable 7. 【0028】 In this embodiment, the cutting electrode 36, the first electrode 38, and the second electrode 39 are provided on the same plane on the tip surface of the scalpel electrode 33, but this configuration is merely one example. For example, the insulating part 37, which includes the first electrode 38 and the second electrode 39, may be made to advance and retract along the axial direction of the cutting electrode 36. If it is made to advance and retract in this way, when the handpiece 3 is in diagnostic mode, it becomes easy to perform a diagnosis by advancing the insulating part 37, which includes the first electrode 38 and the second electrode 39, and when the handpiece 3 is in cutting mode, it becomes easy to perform a cutting by retracting the insulating part 37, which includes the first electrode 38 and the second electrode 39, to expose the cutting electrode 36. 【0029】 The hand switch 32 is located on the side of the main unit 31. While the location of the hand switch 32 is not particularly limited, it is positioned in a location that is easily accessible to the operator when they are holding the main unit 31. 【0030】 While the hand switch 32 is pressed, an electrical signal is output to the control device 2 via the cable 6. This electrical signal instructs the control device 2 to output a high-frequency current to the handpiece 3, that is, to put the handpiece 3 into cutting mode (hereinafter referred to as the cutting mode signal). 【0031】(Regarding the foot switch) The foot switch 5 is installed on the floor of the operating room when surgery is performed and is operated by the surgeon's foot F, as shown in Figure 2. The foot switch 5 shown in Figure 2 is a pedal type that can be operated from a specific direction, but it may also have other forms, such as a round foot switch. 【0032】 While the foot switch 5 is pressed, an electrical signal is output to the control device 2 via the cable 8. This electrical signal instructs the control device 2 to output a low-frequency current to the handpiece 3, that is, to put the handpiece 3 into diagnostic mode (hereinafter referred to as the diagnostic mode signal). 【0033】 (Regarding switching the handpiece mode by the control program) The control device 2 (control program 21) switches the handpiece 3 between diagnostic mode and dissection mode in response to the operation of the hand switch 32 and the foot switch 5. This will be explained in detail below using Figure 5. Figure 5 is a timing chart that explains the switching of the handpiece 3 mode. In the timing chart, under the item "Mode", "Dissection" means that the handpiece 3 is in dissection mode, "Diagnosis" means that the handpiece 3 is in diagnostic mode, and "OFF" means that the handpiece 3 is neither in dissection mode nor diagnostic mode. Also, under the item "Hand Switch" in the timing chart, "ON" means that the hand switch 32 is pressed, and "OFF" means that the hand switch 32 is not pressed. Furthermore, under the item "Foot Switch" in the timing chart, "ON" means that the foot switch 5 is pressed, and "OFF" means that the foot switch 5 is not pressed. 【0034】First, let's explain how to put the handpiece 3 into diagnostic mode. To put the handpiece 3 into diagnostic mode, the practitioner only needs to operate the foot switch 5. Specifically, when the practitioner starts pressing the foot switch 5 with their foot F, a diagnostic mode signal is sent to the control device 2 via cable 8. The control device 2 (control program 21), upon receiving the diagnostic mode signal, outputs a low-frequency current to the handpiece 3 via cable 6. This puts the handpiece 3 into diagnostic mode (time t1 in Figure 5). While the foot switch 5 is pressed, the handpiece 3 remains in diagnostic mode (times t1-t2 in Figure 5), and the practitioner can diagnose the presence or absence of nerves by touching the scalpel tip electrode 33 to the biological tissue. The practitioner can adjust the duration for which the handpiece 3 remains in diagnostic mode. When the practitioner releases their foot F from the foot switch 5, the diagnostic mode is deactivated (time t2 in Figure 5). 【0035】 Next, we will explain the operation required to put the handpiece 3 into cutting mode. The handpiece 3 will not enter cutting mode by operating the hand switch 32 alone. Specifically, when the operator starts pressing the hand switch 32 with their hand H, a cutting mode signal is sent to the control device 2 via the cable 6. However, the control device 2 (control program 21) does not output a high-frequency current to the handpiece 3 if it only receives the cutting mode signal. In other words, the handpiece 3 does not enter cutting mode and remains in the OFF state (times t3-4 in Figure 5). 【0036】 In order to put handpiece 3 into cutting mode, the operator must operate the foot switch 5 while simultaneously operating the hand switch 32. Specifically, this is done as follows: 【0037】First, when the practitioner starts pressing the foot switch 5 with their foot F, a diagnostic mode signal is sent to the control device 2 via cable 8. Upon receiving the diagnostic mode signal, the control device 2 (control program 21) outputs a low-frequency current to the handpiece 3 via cable 6. This puts the handpiece 3 into diagnostic mode (time t5 in Figure 5). Then, while the foot switch 5 remains pressed, the hand switch 32 is pressed, sending an incision mode signal to the control device 2 via cable 6. Upon receiving both the diagnostic mode signal and the incision mode signal, the control device 2 (control program 21) outputs a high-frequency current to the handpiece 3 via cable 6. This puts the handpiece 3 into incision mode (time t6 in Figure 5). As long as both the foot switch 5 and the hand switch 32 are pressed, the handpiece 3 remains in incision mode, and the practitioner can perform an incision by bringing the scalpel tip electrode 33 into contact with biological tissue (times t6-t7 in Figure 5). The time between pressing the foot switch 5 and pressing the hand switch 32 (the time from time t5 to time t6 in Figure 5), and the time for maintaining the handpiece 3 in cutting mode, can be adjusted at the operator's discretion. 【0038】 Thus, for the handpiece 3 to enter cutting mode, both the foot switch 5 and the hand switch 32 must be operated, thus passing through the diagnostic mode. This control prevents the practitioner from accidentally making an incision while attempting to diagnose the presence or absence of a nerve due to operational error. If the handpiece 3 could be put into cutting mode with a single operation, there would be a risk of the practitioner accidentally making an incision. Specifically, for example, if the handpiece 3 could be put into cutting mode by operating only the hand switch 32, the practitioner might mistakenly operate the hand switch 32 instead of the foot switch 5 when attempting to diagnose the presence or absence of a nerve, and thus make an incision. The electrosurgical device 1 according to this embodiment can prevent this. 【0039】Furthermore, in this embodiment, the electrosurgical unit 1 can also be put into cutting mode by operating the foot switch 5 while operating the hand switch 32. However, even in this case, the handpiece 3 is controlled to go through diagnostic mode before entering cutting mode. Specifically, this is as follows. 【0040】 First, when the operator starts pressing the hand switch 32 with their hand H, the handpiece 3 does not enter either diagnostic mode or incision mode (time t9 in Figure 5). Then, when the foot switch 5 is pressed while the hand switch 32 is still pressed, the handpiece 3 does not immediately enter incision mode, but first enters diagnostic mode (time t10 in Figure 5). The handpiece 3 remains in diagnostic mode until a predetermined time has elapsed (times t10-t11 in Figure 5), at which point it automatically switches from diagnostic mode to incision mode (time t11 in Figure 5). 【0041】 Thus, in order for the handpiece 3 to enter incision mode, it must go through diagnostic mode. This control prevents the practitioner from accidentally making an incision while attempting to diagnose the presence or absence of a nerve due to operational error. If the handpiece 3 were to enter incision mode without going through diagnostic mode when the foot switch 5 is operated while the hand switch 32 is operated, the practitioner might forget that they are operating the hand switch 32 and accidentally make an incision when they operate the foot switch 5 to diagnose the presence or absence of a nerve. The electrosurgical device 1 according to this embodiment can prevent this. The predetermined time mentioned above is a few seconds and can be set to any time desired by the practitioner. 【0042】In addition, when the handpiece 3 is in the incision mode (the state where both the foot switch 5 and the hand switch 32 are operated), if the pressing of the hand switch 32 is first released and the pressing of the foot switch 5 is continued, the handpiece 3 enters the diagnostic mode at the moment when the pressing of the hand switch 32 is released (see time points t6 - t8 in FIG. 5). On the other hand, if the pressing of the foot switch 5 is first released and the pressing of the hand switch 32 is continued, the handpiece 3 enters the OFF state at the moment when the pressing of the foot switch 5 is released, and it is neither in the incision mode nor in the diagnostic mode (see time points t11 - t13 in FIG. 5). 【0043】 As described in detail above, according to the electric scalpel device 1 according to the present embodiment, (1) in the electric scalpel device 1 used for surgical operations, a control device 2 that generates a low-frequency current and a high-frequency current, and a handpiece 3 including a cutting-edge electrode 33 capable of outputting a low-frequency current or a high-frequency current to a living tissue are provided. The handpiece 3 includes a diagnostic mode for diagnosing the presence or absence of nerves in a living tissue by outputting a low-frequency current from the cutting-edge electrode 33, and an incision mode for incising the living tissue by outputting a high-frequency current from the cutting-edge electrode 33. The control device 2 includes a control program 21 that controls the handpiece 3 to enter the incision mode after passing through the diagnostic mode when the handpiece 3 is set to the incision mode. This is the feature. 【0044】 (2) In the electric scalpel device 1 according to (1), the control device 2 is provided with a first operation unit (for example, the foot switch 5) for giving an instruction to set the handpiece 3 to the diagnostic mode, and a second operation unit (for example, the hand switch 32) for giving an instruction to set the handpiece 3 to the incision mode. The control program 21 sets the handpiece 3 to the diagnostic mode while the first operation unit (foot switch 5) is being operated, and sets the handpiece 3 to the incision mode when the second operation unit (hand switch 32) is operated while the first operation unit (foot switch 5) is still being operated. When the second operation unit (hand switch 32) is operated alone, it is preferable that the handpiece 3 is not set to the incision mode. 【0045】(3) In the electrosurgical device 1 described in (2), it is preferable that the control program 21 puts the handpiece 3 into diagnostic mode when the first operation unit (foot switch 5) is operated while the second operation unit (hand switch 32) is in operation, and then switches the handpiece 3 from diagnostic mode to incision mode after a predetermined time has elapsed. 【0046】 The electrosurgical unit 1 described above is controlled by a control program 21 so that the handpiece 3 must go through a diagnostic mode before entering the cutting mode. This prevents the operator from accidentally making an incision while attempting to diagnose the presence or absence of nerves due to operational error. As a result, it is possible to improve the rate of nerve function preservation after surgery. 【0047】 In the above explanation, the foot switch 5 is described as the trigger for putting the handpiece 3 into diagnostic mode, and the hand switch 32 is described as the trigger for putting the handpiece 3 into incision mode. However, the foot switch 5 may be used as the trigger for putting the handpiece 3 into incision mode, and the hand switch 32 may be used as the trigger for putting the handpiece 3 into diagnostic mode. Furthermore, it is not necessary to use the foot switch 5 and the hand switch 32 as a combination. For example, the switch that triggers the handpiece 3 into diagnostic mode and the switch that triggers the handpiece 3 into incision mode may both be the foot switch. 【0048】(Second Embodiment) The electric scalpel device 1 according to the first embodiment has two operation units, namely a hand switch 32 and a foot switch 5, and was controlled such that the handpiece 3 enters the cutting mode only when both are operated. However, when either the hand switch 32 or the foot switch 5 is operated, the handpiece 3 enters the diagnosis mode, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, it may be controlled to switch from the diagnosis mode to the cutting mode. Hereinafter, for example, assuming that only the hand switch 32 is used among the hand switch 32 and the foot switch 5, a specific explanation will be given using FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a timing chart for explaining the switching of the mode of the handpiece 3 in the electric scalpel device according to the second embodiment. In the item "Mode" in the timing chart, "Cutting" means the state where the handpiece 3 is in the cutting mode, "Diagnosis" means the state where the handpiece 3 is in the diagnosis mode, and "OFF" means that the handpiece 3 is not in either the cutting mode or the diagnosis mode. Also, in the item "Hand Switch" in the timing chart, "ON" means the state where the hand switch 32 is pressed, and "OFF" means the state where the hand switch 32 is not pressed. 【0049】 When the control program 21 detects that the hand switch 32 is pressed while the handpiece 3 is in the OFF state, first, the handpiece 3 is set to the diagnosis mode (time point t1 in FIG. 6). Then, the handpiece 3 is maintained in the diagnosis mode until a predetermined time elapses (time points t1 - t2 in FIG. 6). When the predetermined time has elapsed, the handpiece 3 is automatically switched from the diagnosis mode to the cutting mode (time point t2 in FIG. 6). And this cutting mode is maintained while the hand switch 32 is pressed (time points t2 - t3 in FIG. 6). 【0050】Thus, since the handpiece 3 goes through diagnostic mode before entering incision mode, it is possible to prevent the operator from accidentally making an incision while attempting to diagnose the presence or absence of a nerve due to operational error. The predetermined time (times t1-t2 in Figure 6) can be set to any number of seconds by the operator. Alternatively, the time may be automatically set according to the operator through machine learning. 【0051】 As described in detail above, according to the electrosurgical device of the second embodiment, it is preferable that the electrosurgical device 1 described in (4)(1) is equipped with an operating unit for operating the handpiece 3 (for example, either a hand switch 32 or a foot switch 5), and that the control program 21 puts the handpiece 3 into diagnostic mode when the operating unit is operated, and switches the handpiece 3 from diagnostic mode to incision mode after a predetermined time has elapsed. With this configuration as well, the control program 21 controls the handpiece 3 to go through diagnostic mode before entering incision mode, so it is possible to prevent the operator from accidentally making an incision when trying to diagnose the presence or absence of a nerve due to an operational error. This makes it possible to improve the rate of nerve function preservation after surgery. 【0052】 The first and second embodiments described above are merely illustrative and do not limit the present invention in any way. Therefore, the present invention can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from its essence. For example, although the handpiece 3 is described as having a diagnostic mode and an incision mode, it may also have a mode for coagulating biological tissue in addition to these. 【0053】 Furthermore, although handpiece 3 is described as a monopolar electrosurgical unit, it can also be described as a bipolar electrosurgical unit. 【0054】 Furthermore, the handpiece 3 may be equipped with an LED or similar to indicate whether the handpiece 3 is in diagnostic mode or incision mode, or to display the diagnostic results regarding the presence or absence of nerves, based on the color of the light. 【0055】Furthermore, the first embodiment (a mode requiring operation of both the foot switch 5 and the hand switch 32 to put the handpiece 3 into cutting mode) and the second embodiment (a mode requiring operation of either the foot switch 5 or the hand switch 32 to put the handpiece 3 into cutting mode) may share hardware and be designed to allow mode switching. 【0056】 1. Electrosurgical unit 2. Control unit 3. Handpiece 5. Foot switch 21. Control program 32. Hand switch 33. Scalpel tip electrode

Claims

1. An electrosurgical device used in surgical procedures, comprising: a control device for generating low-frequency current and high-frequency current; a handpiece equipped with a scalpel tip electrode capable of outputting the low-frequency current or the high-frequency current to biological tissue; the handpiece comprising: a diagnostic mode for diagnosing the presence or absence of nerves in biological tissue by outputting the low-frequency current from the scalpel tip electrode; and an incision mode for incising biological tissue by outputting the high-frequency current from the scalpel tip electrode; and the control device comprising a control program for controlling the handpiece to enter the incision mode via the diagnostic mode.

2. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a first operating unit for instructing the control device to set the handpiece to the diagnostic mode; a second operating unit for instructing the control device to set the handpiece to the incision mode; the control program being configured to set the handpiece to the diagnostic mode while the first operating unit is being operated; set the handpiece to the incision mode when the second operating unit is operated while the first operating unit is still being operated; and not set the handpiece to the incision mode when the second operating unit is operated independently.

3. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the control program, when the first operating unit is operated while the second operating unit is in an operated state, sets the handpiece to the diagnostic mode, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, switches the handpiece from the diagnostic mode to the incision mode.

4. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an operating unit for operating the handpiece, wherein the control program, when the operating unit is operated, sets the handpiece to the diagnostic mode, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, switches the handpiece from the diagnostic mode to the incision mode.

Images