ELECTROSURGICAL GENERATOR WITH A SINGLE USE ACTIVATION COUNTER, ELECTROSURGICAL GENERATOR SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING AN ELECTROSURGICAL GENERATOR

The invention relates to an electrosurgical generator for operating an electrosurgical instrument, characterized in that the electrosurgical generator comprises a data storage device coupled to the control device for storing a warning time and a switch-off time, the warning time and the switch-off time each being assigned to a detected instrument in order to assign an instrument-specific warning time and switch-off time to each detected instrument, a time tracking device for determining an instrument-specific activation duration, wherein the activation duration is a duration of time detected from a first connection or a first activation of an electrosurgical instrument connected to the instrument terminal to an actual time value, and wherein an activation duration is detected for each detected instrument, and the activation duration is recorded continuously and independently of an operating state of the electrosurgical instrument, and the control device triggers the warning indication by triggering the signaling device when the determined activation duration exceeds the instrument-specific warning time of the connected instrument, and/or the control device triggers the taking or keeping the connected instrument out of operation by controlling the deactivation device when the determined activation duration exceeds the instrument-specific switch-off time. The invention also relates to an electrosurgical generator system and a method for operation an electrosurgical generator.