Autoclavable remote hand control

A remote control handpiece for use with a control means for operating a surgical device comprising:

• a printed circuit board comprising at least one first switch means for controlling, upon activation thereof, a predetermined operation in said control means;
• a selectively movable second switch means for activating said at least one first switch means, said second switch means juxtaposed relative to said first switch means;
• support means associated with said second switch means for enabling selective movement of said second switch means relative to said first switch means to thereby selectively affect a circuit comprising said first switch means;
• holding means for positioning said support means in a predetermined position to juxtapose said second switch means adjacent said first switch means;
• and
• an air-tight housing hermetically encasing said printed circuit board and said first switch means to thereby enable said handpiece to be autoclaved, said housing enabling said second switch means to non-contiguously activate said first switch means.

A remote control handpiece for use with a control means for operating a surgical device comprising:

• at least one non-contiguously activatable switch element means for remotely affecting said control means;
• an air-tight housing hermetically encasing said switch element means to thereby enable said handpiece to be autoclaved;
• and
• activating means for non-contiguously activating said switch element means.

A method of producing activating signals in a remote control handpiece for use with a control means for operating a surgical device comprising the steps of:

• providing a first switch means for controlling, upon activation thereof, an operation in said control means;
• hermetically encasing said first switch means in an autoclavable air-tight housing to thereby enable said handpiece to be autoclaved;
• providing a second switch means for activating said first switch means;
• juxtapositioning said second switch means adjacent said first switch means;
• biasing said second switch means away from said first switch means into a first position wherein said first switch means is not activated thereby;
• and
• moving said second switch means into a second position relative to said first switch means to activate same.

A method of producing activating signals in a remote control handpiece for use with a control means for operating a surgical device comprising the steps of:

• providing at least one non-contiguously activatable switch element means for controlling, upon activation thereof, an operation in said control means;
• hermetically encasing said at least one switch element means in an autoclavable air-tight housing;
• and
• non-contiguously activating said switch element means.