Electrosurgical device having a dielectric seal

Abstract

An electrosurgical device is provided having at least one elastomeric seal capable of providing bio-contamination and dielectric protection by inhibiting the ingress of fluids and contaminants through the nose and actuator areas. The elastomeric seal is manufactured from a thermoplastic elastomer or resin which while in liquid form is placed within a mold. A housing section having the main circuit components and mechanisms of the electrosurgical device is then placed within the mold. Once the elastomer cures, the elastomeric seal seals the components and mechanisms within the housing partial-section. The elastomeric seal defines a flexible first opening at a distal end of the electrosurgical device to accommodate varying diameters of electrodes or blades connected to the nose area of the electrosurgical device. An actuator seal is also provided on the actuator area of the electrosurgical device to prevent fluids and contaminants from entering the electrosurgical device through the actuator area. Two buttons are insert molded within the actuator seal and are operatively associated with a self-cleaning switching mechanism within the housing section to operate the electrosurgical device between a cutting and coagulating mode. The actuator seal is also manufactured from a thermoplastic elastomer or resin. The self-cleaning switching mechanism includes a switch contact plate having pair of movable contacts having contact faces. Each movable contact corresponds to a stationary contact positioned within a circuit mold. As the actuator seal is depressed, contact faces of the movable and stationary contacts slide along each other to clean the contacts from non-conductive corrosion and contaminants. The device is further provided with a plug connector having a counting mechanism for counting the number of times the device is plugged into an electric generator. A disable mechanism is included at the proximal end of the plug connector to disable the device after a pre-determined number of operations.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.