Disposable electrosurgical switching assembly

An electrosurgical instrument for selectively providing electrical energy to an electrode blade for cutting, coagulation and the like, comprising:

• a housing;
• means on the housing for holding the electrode blade;
• a selector member movably mounted relative to the housing;
• an electrical contact mounting member positioned within the housing adjacent the selector member and including a mounting post and a protruding contact base member;
• at least a first and second electrical contact mounted on the mounting member for transmitting electrical power to the electrode blade, and
• an electrically conductive resilient member attached to the mounting post and the protruding contact base member to bias a first and second intermediate portion of the resilient member away from the respective first and second electrical contacts, the selector member having means for moving either one of the first and second portions of the resilient member to electrically contact one of the respective electrical contacts.

A disposable electrosurgical instrument for selectively providing electrical energy to an electrode blade for cutting, coagulation and the like, comprising:

• a housing;
• a selector member movably mounted relative to the housing;
• an electrical contact mounting member positioned within the housing adjacent the selector member;
• at least a first and second electrical contact mounted on the mounting member;
• a resilient member extending between the selector member and the electrical contact mounting member and biasing the selector member away from the electrical contacts, the resilient member being a one piece blank of conductive metal having a tubular configuration at one end for receiving the electrode blade and an electrical contact plate at the other end for transmitting electrical energy, and
• mounting means for restraining the resilient member to respectively bias a first and second portion of the resilient member away from respectively the first and second electrical contacts, the selector member having means for moving either one of the first and second portions of the resilient member to operatively contact one of the respective electrical contacts.

A switch assembly adapted to being connected to an electrode blade and electrically connected to a variable source of power comprising:

• a housing;
• a selector member movably mounted relative to the housing and having means for providing at least two modes of power connections;
• electrical contact mounting means mounted within the housing adjacent the selector member for providing a connection to the modes of power;
• and
• a resilient member extending between the electrical contact mounting means and the selector member, the selector member when actuated for a first mode of operation moving a first portion of the resilient member to provide a first power connection with the electrical contact mounting means and when actuated for a second mode of operation moving a second portion of the resilient member to provide a second power connection with the electrical contact mounting means, the resilient member is a one piece blank of conductive metal having an integral electrode blade mounting member at one end.

A method of manufacturing an electrosurgical instrument switch mechanism having a hollow housing with an alignment groove and aperture indent, an electrical contact mounting member with an indexing member, a selector member, an electrode blade holder and a resilient member comprising the steps of:

• inserting the selector member into the housing;
• connecting the resilient member to extend beyond one end of the electrical contact mounting member to form the electrode blade holder;
• positioning the mounting member with its indexing member in the alignment groove of the housing;
• sliding the mounting member adjacent the selector member until the resilient member operatively biases the selector member and the indexing member coacts with the housing aperture indent to be visible from the exterior of the housing for restraining the mounting member in the housing.

A method of manufacturing an electrosurgical instrument switch mechanism for energizing an electrode blade having a hollow housing, an electrical contact mounting member having a pair of terminal contacts, a resilient conductive member and a selector member, comprising the steps of:

• bending the resilient conductive member to form an electrode blade holder;
• inserting the selector member into the housing;
• fastening the resilient conductive member to the mounting member to provide a pair of bowed portions respectively biased away from a respective terminal contact;
• and
• positioning the mounting member in the housing relative to the selector member to permit a selective forcing of the respective bowed portions by the selector member against a terminal contact for a desired mode of energization of the electrosurgical instrument.