Integrated three-port receptacle and method for connecting hand and foot switched electrosurgical accessories
First Claim
1. An integrated three-port receptacle for alternatively electrically connecting a three-prong electrical connector of a finger-switched electrosurgical accessory and a single-prong electrical connector of a foot-switched electrosurgical accessory to an electrosurgical generator, the three-prong electrical connector having two control prongs and a single energy-conducting prong for conducting electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator to the finger-switched electrosurgical accessory, the single-prong electrical connector having a single energy-conducting prong for conducting electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator to the foot-switched electrosurgical accessory, the receptacle comprising:
- a first control port for receiving and electrically connecting to one of the control prongs of the three-prong electrical connector when inserted in the first control port;
a second control port for receiving and electrically connecting the other one of the control prongs of the three-prong electrical connector when inserted in the second control port;
an energy-delivery port for receiving the energy-conducting prong of the single-prong electrical connector when inserted in the energy-delivery port and for receiving the energy-conducting prong of the three-prong electrical connector when the energy-conducting prong and the two control prongs of the three-prong electrical connector are received in the energy-delivery and first and second control ports, respectively; and
an electrical contact positioned relative to the energy-delivery port for electrically contacting the energy-conducting prong of the three-prong electrical connector and the energy-conducting prong of the single-prong electrical connector when either energy-conducting prong is received in the energy-delivery port, the electrical contact conducting the electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator to the energy-conducting prong received in the energy-delivery port.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A three-port receptacle connects both single-prong and three-prong electrical connectors of electrosurgical accessories to an electrosurgical generator. The receptacle includes two control ports for accepting the two control prongs of the three-prong connector and an energy-delivery port for accepting the energy-conducting prong of the three-prong connector. The energy-delivery port also receives an energy-conducting prong of a single-prong connector. A single contact assembly is located behind the energy-delivery port and delivers electrosurgical power to the energy-conducting prongs of both types of accessory connectors.
258 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An integrated three-port receptacle for alternatively electrically connecting a three-prong electrical connector of a finger-switched electrosurgical accessory and a single-prong electrical connector of a foot-switched electrosurgical accessory to an electrosurgical generator, the three-prong electrical connector having two control prongs and a single energy-conducting prong for conducting electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator to the finger-switched electrosurgical accessory, the single-prong electrical connector having a single energy-conducting prong for conducting electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator to the foot-switched electrosurgical accessory, the receptacle comprising:
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a first control port for receiving and electrically connecting to one of the control prongs of the three-prong electrical connector when inserted in the first control port; a second control port for receiving and electrically connecting the other one of the control prongs of the three-prong electrical connector when inserted in the second control port; an energy-delivery port for receiving the energy-conducting prong of the single-prong electrical connector when inserted in the energy-delivery port and for receiving the energy-conducting prong of the three-prong electrical connector when the energy-conducting prong and the two control prongs of the three-prong electrical connector are received in the energy-delivery and first and second control ports, respectively; and an electrical contact positioned relative to the energy-delivery port for electrically contacting the energy-conducting prong of the three-prong electrical connector and the energy-conducting prong of the single-prong electrical connector when either energy-conducting prong is received in the energy-delivery port, the electrical contact conducting the electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator to the energy-conducting prong received in the energy-delivery port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of alternatively electrically connecting a finger-switched electrosurgical accessory and a foot-switched electrosurgical accessory to an electrosurgical generator by connecting a three-prong electrical connector and a single-prong electrical connector to the electrosurgical generator, respectively, the method comprising:
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inserting an energy-conducting prong of the three-prong electrical connector into an energy-delivery port of the electrosurgical generator and inserting two control prongs of the three-prong electrical connector into control ports of the electrosurgical generator to electrically connect the finger-switched electrosurgical accessory to the electrosurgical generator; retaining the energy-conducting prong of the three-prong electrical connector in the energy-delivery port by frictionally retaining the two control prongs of the three-prong electrical connector in the control ports; inserting the energy-conducting prong of the single-prong electrical connector into the energy-delivery port to electrically connect the foot-switched electrosurgical accessory to the electrosurgical generator; and retaining the energy-conducting prong of the single-prong electrical connector in the energy-delivery port by frictional retention of energy-conducting prong of the single-prong electrical connector in the energy-delivery port. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification