Bipolar adaptor for electrosurgical instrument

• US 5,562,503 A
• Filed: 12/05/1994
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ellman International, Inc. (Hologic Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ALAN G. ELLMAN, Jon C. Garito
• Inventors: Garito, Jon C., Ellman, Alan G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US08/349,428
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 439/52, 439/638, 200/51 R, 200/51.02, 200/51.03, 200/51.04, 200/51.05, 200/51.06, 200/554, 606/32, 606/34, 606/42, 606/45, 606/48
• US Class Current: 439/638
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00178 Electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/70 with built-in switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2101/00 One pole
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/28 Coupling parts carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/02 Intermediate parts for distributing energy to two or more circuits in parallel, e.g. splitter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/92

Abstract

An adaptor apparatus configured to plug directly into the connectors on the front panel of an electrosurgical instrument, and provided with connector means for receiving mating connectors of both an unipolar handpiece and a bipolar forceps. Switch means are provided on the adaptor apparatus for allowing a surgeon in an operating room to easily switch over from the unipolar to the bipolar mode by simply throwing the switch. Since the adaptor can be attached to the electrosurgical instrument and the unipolar handpiece and bipolar forceps both attached to the adaptor before a sterile field is created, only the switch handle need be touched to switch between the two modes. Thus, it is easy to maintain the sterile field of the operating room.

Claims

1. An adaptor for connection to electrosurgical apparatus and for selectively providing power to operate a unipolar handpiece and a bipolar forceps, said adaptor comprising:

(a) a housing,

(b) a double-pole, double-throw switch within the housing, said switch having an operating handle protruding from a side of the housing, said switch having a first pair and a second pair of terminals and a set of common terminals for selective connection to the first terminals when the switch handle is in a first position and to the second terminals when the switch handle is in a second position,

(c) first electrical connectors at a side of the housing for receiving connectors of a unipolar handpiece and of a ground plate, said first connectors being connected to the first pair of terminals of the switch,

(d) second electrical connectors at a side of the housing for receiving connectors of a bipolar forceps, said second connectors being connected to the second pair of terminals of the switch,

(e) third electrical connectors at a side of the housing for respectively engaging a fourth connector providing RF electrosurgical currents and a fifth connector providing electrical ground, said third connectors being respectively connected to the set of common terminals of the switch.

2. An adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the third connectors are firmly anchored at a side of the housing such that the third connectors are engageable to the fourth and fifth connectors by plugging the housing via its third connectors into the fourth and fifth connectors.

3. An adaptor according to claim 1, wherein all the connectors are banana-type connectors.

4. An adaptor for connection to electrosurgical apparatus and for selectively providing power to operate a unipolar handpiece and a bipolar forceps, said adaptor comprising:

(a) a housing,

(b) a double-pole, double-throw switch within the housing, said switch having an operating handle protruding from a first side of the housing, said switch having a first pair and a second pair of terminals and a set of common terminals for selective connection to the first terminals when the switch handle is in a first position and to the second terminals when the switch handle is in a second position,

(c) first electrical connectors at a second side of the housing for receiving connectors of a unipolar handpiece and of a ground plate, said first connectors being connected to the first pair of terminals of the switch,

(d) second electrical connectors at a third side of the housing for receiving connectors of a bipolar forceps, said second connectors being connected to the second pair of terminals of the switch,

(e) third electrical connectors at a fourth side of the housing for respectively engaging a fourth connector on the electrosurgical apparatus providing RF electrosurgical currents and a fifth connector on the electrosurgical apparatus providing electrical ground, said third connectors being respectively connected to the set of common terminals of the switch.

5. An adaptor according to claim 4, wherein the first and second connectors are female connectors, and the third connectors are male connectors.

6. An adaptor according to claim 5, wherein the third connectors are firmly anchored to the fourth side of the housing whereby the adaptor as a whole can be plugged into the fourth and fifth connectors on the electrosurgical apparatus.

7. In combination:

an electrosurgical apparatus having a housing with a front panel and on the front panel an RF female connector supplying RF power and an electrical ground female connector when the electrosurgical apparatus is enegized;

an adaptor for connection to the electrosurgical apparatus and for selectively providing power to operate a unipolar handpiece and a bipolar forceps;

said adaptor comprising;

(a) an adaptor housing,

(b) a double-pole, double-throw switch within the adaptor housing, said switch having an operating handle protruding from a first side of the adaptor housing, said switch having a first pair and a second pair of terminals and a set of common terminals for selective connection to the first terminals when the switch handle is in a first position and to the second terminals when the switch handle is in a second position,

(c) first electrical connectors at a second side of the adaptor housing for receiving connectors of a unipolar handpiece and of a ground plate, said first connectors being connected to the first pair of terminals of the switch,

(d) second electrical connectors at a third side of the adaptor housing for receiving connectors of a bipolar forceps, said second connectors being connected to the second pair of terminals of the switch,

(e) third electrical connectors at a fourth side of the adaptor housing for respectively engaging the RF connector on the electrosurgical apparatus front panel for providing RF electrosurgical currents and the ground connector on the electrosurgical apparatus front panel providing electrical ground, said third connectors being respectively connected to the set of common terminals of the switch.

8. The combination according to claim 7, wherein the first and second connectors are female connectors, and the third connectors are male connectors.

9. The combination according to claim 8, wherein the third connectors are firmly anchored to the fourth side of the housing whereby the adaptor as a whole can be plugged into the connectors on the front panel of the electrosurgical apparatus.

10. The combination according to claim 7, further comprising an electrosurgical handpiece with a connector for engaging one of the first connectors, a ground plate with a connector for engaging another of the first connectors, and a bipolar forceps with twin connectors for engaging the second connectors.