Powered surgical handpiece with removable control switch

A surgical handpiece, said handpiece comprising:

• a body;
• a power generating unit disposed in said body;
• an attachment connected to said body and coupled to said power generating unit to apply the power generated by said power generating unit to a surgical site;
• a sensor mounted in said body, said sensor configured to monitor the strength of an electromagnetic field in the vicinity of said sensor and to output a variable sensor signal as a function of the strength of said electromagnetic field;
• a removable switch assembly, said removable switch assembly including:
• a collar attached to said body, said collar having at least one element shaped to at least partially a surround said body so as to removably hold said collar to said body;
• a switch element moveably attached to said collar;
• and
• a sensed member moveably mounted to said switch element so as to move relative to said body upon movement of said switch element or movement of said sensed member on said switch element, said sensed member being formed from material that, when moved, varies the electromagnetic field sensed by said sensor.

A surgical handpiece, said handpiece including:

• a housing;
• a motor disposed in said housing, said motor having a rotating shaft;
• a coupling assembly attached to said housing for releasably securing an attachment to said housing and connecting the attachment to said shaft;
• a magnetic field sensor mounted in said housing, said sensor configured to generate a variable output signal as a function of the strength of a sensed magnetic field;
• and
• a removable switch assembly comprising:
• a collar mounted to said housing, said collar having at least one member shaped to at least partially surround said housing so as to removably hold said at least one member to said housing;
• a switch element moveably attached to said collar;
• a magnet moveably mounted to said switch element to move with the movement of said switch element, said magnet being positioned adjacent said sensor so that movement of said switch element or movement of said magnet on said switch element results in movement of said magnet towards or away from said sensor.

A surgical handpiece, said handpiece comprising:

• a body;
• a power generating unit disposed in said body;
• an attachment connected to said body and coupled to said power generating unit to apply power generated by said power generating unit to a surgical site;
• a static member that at least partially surrounds said body so as to be releasably mounted to said body without a supplemental fastener;
• a switch element moveably attached to said static member, said switch element including a sensed member;
• and
• a sensor mounted in said body, said sensor configured to monitor the proximity of said sensed member to said sensor and to output a variable sensor signal as a function of the proximity of said sensed member.

A surgical handpiece, said surgical handpiece including:

• a housing;
• an electrical power consuming unit located within said housing, said power consuming unit being configured to receive energization signals;
• a coupling assembly for releasably holding a surgical attachment to said housing and for coupling the surgical attachment to said power consuming unit for actuation by said power consuming unit;
• a static member that is disposed over said housing and that is shaped to at least partially surround said housing so as to be releasably secured to said housing without a supplemental fastener;
• a lever moveably attached to said static member, said lever having a sensed element that moves with the movement of said lever;
• and
• a sensor disposed in said housing for monitoring the position of said sensed element, said sensor configured to generate a variable sensor signal as a function of the proximity of said sensed element to said sensor.