Ergonomic actuator for electrosurgical tool

An electrosurgical apparatus comprising:

• a bipolar electrosurgical tool having two blades including a handle portion at a proximal region of the blades and a longitudinal axis extending generally between a plug at a proximal end of the blades and electrodes at a distal end of the blades operatively connected to the plug for applying to tissue electrical current introduced to the plug as the user manipulates the tool with the handle portion;
• and
• an actuator assembly having (i) an actuating component including a connector mounting the actuator assembly on the tool and a switch mounted to the connector for movement between an open position and a closed position, the connector being configured for connection to an electrical generating apparatus to introduce electrical current to the plug when the switch is in the closed position, and (ii) an actuator lever arm rotatably mounted to the actuating component and positioned for operation by one finger of a user's hand to move the switch to the closed position when the actuating component mounted to the tool is held in the user's hand, wherein:
• a three-dimensional space is defined by a right hand coordinate system having mutually orthogonal x, y, and z axes with a y-z plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tool and an x-y plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the actuator lever arm, and
• the actuator lever arm includes a first region proximate to the tool extending obliquely in the positive y- and z-directions to a location where it connects to a second region spaced from the handle portion in the positive x-direction and extending generally in the positive y-direction.