Surgical system for powered instruments

An arthroscopic handpiece for use in a surgical system comprising said handpiece, a set of surgical devices having different operational limits, each surgical device having on its proximal portion an indicator means for denoting its operational limit, and a motor for driving said handpiece;

• said handpiece comprising automatic sensor means adapted for sensing one of said indicator means denoting the operational limit of a respective surgical device received by said handpiece, said arthroscopic handpiece having means adapted to alternatively receive a proximal portion of said surgical device of the set for operation of the surgical device at its indicated operational limit, and said handpiece also comprising rotation means for rotating a member within the handpiece wherein said member has means adapted to be associated with a respective surgical device, said rotation means adapted to be driven by said motor, said handpiece further comprising means responsive to said automatic sensor means for controlling said rotation means, thereby establishing the operational limit, and
• said handpiece adapted for operation of a surgical device comprising, at its distal portion, a rotary tip that has an operational limit of rotation indicated by that surgical device,
• each surgical device defining a vacuum passage connectible at one end to a vacuum passage of a respective rotary tip, said arthroscopic handpiece defining a vacuum passage having means adapted for connection to the vacuum passage of the surgical device and for connection proximally to a source of vacuum for removal of tissue severed by operation of the rotary tip from the surgical site through the vacuum passage of said handpiece.

A surgical device adapted for use in a surgical system which operates a set of different surgical devices having different operational limits and that includes said surgical device, said surgical system comprising:

• a handpiece adapted to alternately receive a proximal portion of each of said surgical devices;
• said set of surgical devices;
• and a motor for driving said handpiece,
• said surgical device including an indicator on its proximal portion that denotes its operational limit, said indicator being different from indicators disposed on the proximal portions of the other surgical devices in said set and including a magnet means for producing a magnetic field different from magnetic fields produced by said indicators of said other surgical devices;
• said handpiece including automatic sensor means for sensing said indicator of the surgical device received by said handpiece;
• said surgical system further including means responsive to said sensor means to automatically establish the operational limit of said motor in accordance with the respective surgical device received by said handpiece.

A surgical system adapted to operate a set of different surgical devices, each surgical device having at least one operational limit, comprising:

• a handpiece adapted to alternatively receive a proximal portion of each of said surgical devices;
• said set of surgical devices,
• each of said surgical devices having an indicator on its proximal portion that denotes the at least one operational limit of said device said operational limit corresponding to a range of operation of said surgical device,
• said handpiece including automatic sensor means for sensing said indicator;
• means for operating said handpiece, said means for operating having a range of operation that includes a pair of endpoints;
• and
• means responsive to said sensor means for automatically changing at least one of said endpoints in accordance with said at least one operational limit of the respective surgical device received by said handpiece and precluding selection of said operation of said operating means outside of
• said endpoints but not between said endpoints.

A surgical system adapted to operate a set of different surgical devices, each surgical device having at least one operational limit, comprising:

• a handpiece adapted to alternatively receive a proximal portion of each of said surgical devices;
• said set of surgical devices, each of said surgical devices having an indicator on its proximal portion that denotes the at least one operational limit of said device;
• said handpiece including automatic sensor means for sensing said indicator;
• a motor for driving said handpiece;
• and
• means responsive to said sensor means to automatically establish said at least one operational limit of the respective surgical device received by said handpiece;
• wherein said surgical devices include magnets in their proximal portions and said automatic sensor means of said handpiece comprises a set of switches actuatable by the presence of said magnets to establish the at
• least one operational limit.

A surgical system adapted to operate a set of different surgical devices, each surgical device having at least one operational limit, comprising:

• a handpiece adapted to alternatively receive a proximal portion of each of said surgical devices;
• said set of surgical devices, each of said surgical devices having an indicator on its proximal portion that denotes the at least one operational limit of said device;
• said handpiece including automatic sensor means for sensing said indicator;
• a motor for driving said handpiece;
• and
• means responsive to said sensor means to automatically establish said at least one operational limit of the respective surgical device received by said handpiece;
• wherein at least one surgical device of said set comprises rotary tips that have operational limits of rotation, said operational limits of rotating being indicated to said sensor means by that said surgical device,
• each said surgical device of said set having a vacuum passage connectible at one end to a vacuum passage of a respective rotary tip and, adjacent the other end, to a vacuum passage associated with said handpiece and connected proximally to a source of vacuum,
• whereby tissue severed by said rotary tip can be removed from the surgical
• site.

A surgical system adapted to operate a set of different surgical devices having different operational limits, comprising:

• a handpiece adapted to alternately receive a proximal portion of each of said surgical devices,
• said set of surgical devices,
• each of said surgical devices having an indicator on its proximal portion that denotes its operational limit,
• said handpiece including automatic sensor means for sensing said indicator;
• a motor for driving said handpiece;
• and
• means responsive to said sensor means to automatically establish the operational limit of said motor in accordance with the respective surgical device received by said handpiece;
• said indicator for each of said set of surgical devices comprises at least one magnet disposed at said proximal portion for producing a magnetic signal different from that of other surgical devices of said set,
• said automatic sensor means comprises at least one switch disposed in a distal end of said handpiece and responsive to said magnetic signal to establish the at least one operational limit, and
• said proximal portion of each of said surgical devices and said distal end of said handpiece are sufficiently sealed to permit sterilization of each of said set of surgical devices and said handpiece to be performed.

A surgical device adapted for use in a surgical system, said surgical system comprising:

• a handpiece adapted to receive a proximal portion of said surgical device;
• and means for operating said handpiece, said means for operating having a range of operation that includes a pair of endpoints,
• said surgical device having at least one operational limit and including an indicator on its proximal portion that denotes said at least one operational limit said operational limit corresponding to a range of operation of said surgical device,
• said handpiece including automatic sensor means for sensing said indicator, and said surgical system further comprising means for automatically changing at least one of said endpoints in accordance with the operational limit of the respective surgical device received by said handpiece in response to said sensor means so that the operating range of said means for operating corresponds to the range of operation of said surgical device, and precluding selection of said operation of said operating means outside of said endpoints but not between said endpoints. 0. The surgical device of claim 29 wherein said means for operating includes a motor for driving said handpiece, and said means for changes controls the operation of said motor in response to said sensor in accordance with said at least one operational limit.

A surgical system adapted to operate a set of different surgical devices having different operational limits, comprising:

• a handpiece adapted to alternately receive a proximal portion of each of said surgical devices;
• said set of surgical devices, each of said surgical devices comprising an arthroscopic surgical instrument adapted to be actuated by a motor to sever tissue at a surgical site in the body, each of said surgical devices having an indicator on its proximal portion that denotes its operational limit;
• said handpiece including automatic sensor means for sensing said indicator;
• a motor for driving said handpiece;
• means responsive to said sensor means to automatically establish the operational limit of said motor in accordance with the respective surgical device received by said handpiece;
• and
• wherein said indicator for each of said set of surgical devices comprises magnet means for producing a magnetic field different from that of other surgical devices of said set, said sensor means in said handpiece being responsive to said magnetic field to establish the respective at least one
• operational limit.

A surgical system adapted to operate a set of different surgical devices, each surgical device having at least one operational limit, comprising:

• a handpiece adapted to alternatively receive a proximal portion of each of said surgical devices;
• said set of surgical devices, each of said surgical devices having an indicator on its proximal portion that denotes the at least one operational limit of said device;
• said handpiece including automatic sensor means for sensing said indicator;
• a motor for driving said handpiece;
• means responsive to said sensor means to automatically establish said at least one operational limit of the respective surgical device received by said handpiece;
• said indicator for each of said set of surgical devices comprising at least one magnet disposed at said proximal portion for producing a magnetic signal different from that of other surgical devices of said set;
• said automatic sensor means comprising at least one switch disposed in a distal end of said handpiece and responsive to said magnetic signal to establish the at least one operational limit;
• and
• said proximal portion of each of said set of surgical devices and said distal end of said handpiece being sufficiently sealed to permit sterilization of each of said set of surgical devices and said handpiece
• to be performed.

A surgical system adapted to operate a set of different surgical devices, each surgical device having at least one operational limit, comprising:

• a handpiece adapted to alternatively receive a proximal portion of each of said surgical devices;
• said set of surgical devices, each of said surgical devices comprising an arthroscopic surgical instrument adapted to be actuated by a motor to sever tissue at a surgical site in the body, each of said surgical devices having an indicator on its proximal portion that denotes the at least one operational limit of said device;
• said handpiece including automatic sensor means for sensing said indicator;
• a motor for driving said handpiece;
• means responsive to said sensor means to automatically establish said at least one operational limit of the respective surgical device received by said handpiece;
• and
• wherein said indicator for each of said set of surgical devices comprises magnet means adapted to produce a magnetic field different from that of other surgical devices of said set, said sensor means in said handpiece being responsive to said magnetic field to establish the respective at least one operational limit.