Bipolar electrosurgery actuator
AssigneeBipad, Inc.
InventorLouis Cornacchia
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for selectively actuating a heating current conductible from a bipolar generator to a surgical tool may comprise an actuator assembly having an output receptacle, an input plug, and an actuating component. The output receptacle may be configured to receive a complementary tool plug of the surgical tool. The input plug may be configured for mating with a generator receptacle receivable of the heating current from the bipolar generator. The generator receptacle may be complementary to the tool plug. The actuating component may have at least one of a switch and a lever arm and may be configured to communicate with the bipolar generator for selectively actuating the heating current to flow from the input plug to the output receptacle upon engagement of the switch or the lever arm.
Claims19
An actuator assembly adapted for use with a bipolar electrosurgical tool comprising a forceps having a tool plug at a proximal region and two blades mounted to the tool plug with facing interior surfaces, each blade extending from the tool plug to an electrode at a distal region of the blade and having an exterior surface with a handle portion at an intermediate region of the blade for articulation of the forceps by a hand of a user, wherein the tool plug is electrically connected to the electrodes for applying to tissue electrical current introduced to the tool plug as the user articulates the forceps with the handle portions, the actuator assembly comprising:
- a connector for mounting the actuator assembly on the tool plug and a switch on the connector movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the connector is configured for connection to an electrical generating apparatus to introduce the electrical current to the tool plug in response to movement of the switch from the open position to the closed position;
- and
- an actuator arm having a proximal region configured for mounting to the connector for movement of the actuator arm by the hand of the user toward the switch to place the switch in the closed position by contacting the switch with the actuator arm, wherein the actuator arm and the connector are configured so that the actuator arm extends from the proximal region thereof in the direction of the distal region of one of the two blades and is spaced from the exterior surface of said blade to permit movement of the actuator arm toward said exterior surface and into contact with the switch when the actuator assembly is mounted on the tool plug.
An electrosurgical apparatus comprising:
- a bipolar electrosurgical tool comprising a forceps having a tool plug at a proximal region and two blades mounted to the tool plug with facing interior surfaces, each blade extending from the tool plug to an electrode at a distal region of the blade and having an exterior surface with a handle portion at an intermediate region of the blade for articulation of the forceps by a hand of a user, wherein the tool plug is electrically connected to the electrodes for applying to tissue electrical current introduced to the tool plug as the user articulates the forceps with the handle portions;
- and
- an actuator assembly having (i) a connector including an output plug cooperating with the tool plug to removably mount the actuator assembly on the bipolar electrosurgical tool and a switch on the connector movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the connector is configured for introducing the electrical current from an electrical generating apparatus to the tool plug in response to movement of the switch from the open position to the closed position, and (ii) an including an actuator arm having a proximal region mounted to the connector actuating component for movement of the actuator arm by the hand of the user toward the switch to place the switch in the closed position by contacting the switch with the actuator arm, wherein the actuator arm and the connector are configured so that the actuator arm extends from the proximal region thereof in the direction of the distal region of one of the two blades and is spaced from said exterior surface of said one blade to permit movement of the actuator arm toward said exterior surface and into contact with the switch when the actuator assembly is mounted on the tool plug.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.