Switch Assembly for Electrosurgical Instrument

• US 20110077648A1
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: LaCosta, Scott N., Sanders, Jason T., Lee, Weng-Kai K., Townsend, Jeffrey R., Sims, Grant T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,820,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/51
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00916 with means for switching or controlling the main function of the instrument or device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00922 by switching or controlling the treatment energy directly within the hand-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00952 rotatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00958 for switching between different working modes of the main function
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1246 characterised by the output polarity

Abstract

An electrosurgical forceps includes a housing having a shaft affixed thereto, the shaft including jaw members at a distal end thereof. The forceps also includes a switch assembly that includes a supporting member, a flexible membrane circuit having snap dome switch contacts operably fixed thereto, and ergonomically-contoured keytops. The switch assembly provides at least one monopolar activation switch, and a bipolar activation switch. The forceps also include a drive mechanism which causes the jaw members to move relative to one another for manipulating tissue. A monopolar safety switch is incorporated into the switch assembly which cooperates with the drive mechanism to inhibit the monopolar activation switch when the jaw members are in an open position.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical switch assembly, comprising:

a switch carrier;

a flex circuit assembly disposed on an exterior surface of the switch carrier, comprising;

at least one monopolar switch configured to selectively activate a source of monopolar electrosurgical energy;

a monopolar safety switch configured to enable the at least one monopolar switch upon actuation of the monopolar safety switch; and

a bipolar switch configured to selectively activate a source of bipolar electrosurgical energy.

2. The electrosurgical switch assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least two monopolar switches coupled in parallel.

3. The electrosurgical switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the monopolar safety switch is coupled in series with the at least one monopolar switch.

4. The electrosurgical switch assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one monopolar keytop disposed over the at least one monopolar switch.

5. The electrosurgical switch assembly of claim 4, further comprising:

at least one retention opening defined in at least one of a left face or a right face adapted to receive a keytop retention clip; and

a retention clip disposed on the at least one monopolar keytop.

6. The electrosurgical switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the flex circuit assembly includes a voltage dividing network configured to provide a predetermined monopolar activation signal upon actuation of the monopolar switch.

7. The electrosurgical switch assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the monopolar switch or bipolar switch includes a snap dome.

8. The electrosurgical switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the switch carrier is formed from liquid crystal polymer.

9. The electrosurgical switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the switch carrier includes a left face, a right face, a top face, and a top-proximal face.

10. The electrosurgical switch assembly of claim 9, wherein the flex circuit assembly is disposed on at least one of the left face, right face, top face, or top-proximal face.

11. An electrosurgical forceps, comprising;

a housing;

a shaft affixed to the housing having jaw members at a distal end thereof, wherein the jaw members are configured to move relative to one another from a first position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a second position wherein the jaw members are closer to one another for manipulating tissue;

a switch assembly included within the housing, comprising;

a switch carrier;

a flex circuit assembly disposed on an exterior surface of the switch carrier, comprising;

at least one monopolar switch configured to selectively activate a source of monopolar electrosurgical energy;

a monopolar safety switch configured to enable the at least one monopolar switch upon actuation of the monopolar safety switch; and

a bipolar switch configured to selectively activate a source of bipolar electrosurgical energy; and

a movable handle configured to cause the jaw members to move between the first and second positions and to actuate the monopolar safety switch when the jaw members are in the second position.

12. The electrosurgical forceps of claim 11, wherein the movable handle is rotatable around a pivot and further comprising a cam member adapted to actuate the monopolar safety switch when handle the jaw members are in the second position.

13. The electrosurgical forceps of claim 11, further comprising a source of electrosurgical energy.

14. The electrosurgical forceps of claim 13, wherein the source of electrosurgical energy is configured to provide electrosurgical energy selected from the group consisting of monopolar electrosurgical energy and bipolar electrosurgical energy.

15. The electrosurgical forceps of claim 13, wherein the source of electrosurgical energy is operably coupled to at least one of the switch assembly or the jaw members.

16. The electrosurgical forceps of claim 11, further comprising at least two monopolar switches coupled in parallel.

17. The electrosurgical forceps of claim 11, wherein the monopolar safety switch is coupled in series with the at least one monopolar switch.

18. A method for performing electrosurgery, comprising:

providing an electrosurgical forceps that includes jaw members at a distal end thereof, a drive mechanism that causes at least one of the jaw members to move relative to the other jaw member between an open position to a closed position for manipulating tissue, and a switch assembly that includes a supporting member and a flexible membrane circuit having a monopolar activation switch, a bipolar activation switch, and a monopolar safety switch;

determining whether the jaw members are in a closed position or an open position;

enabling the monopolar activation switch if the jaw members are in the closed position; and

disabling the monopolar activation switch if the jaw members are in the open position.

19. The method for performing electrosurgery according to claim 18, further comprising:

providing a source of electrosurgical energy; and

operably coupling the source of electrosurgical energy with the electrosurgical forceps.

20. The method for performing electrosurgery according to claim 19, wherein the determining step includes operably engaging at least a portion of the drive mechanism with the monopolar safety switch.