Multi-button electrosurgical apparatus

• US 9,326,810 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apyx Medical Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bovie Medical Corporation
• Inventors: Shilev, Nickolay Dimitrov, Konesky, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieland, Robert N
• Application Number:
  US14/679,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20150209098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3209 Incision instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/04 by heating by applying electromagnetic radiation A61B18/18; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields, radiation or ultrasound A61N
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/042 using additional gas becoming plasma
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00178 Electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00607 Coagulation and cutting with the same instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0091 Handpieces of the surgical instrument or device
• 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 2018/00928 by sending a signal to an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0094 Types of switches or controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00958 for switching between different working modes of the main function
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00988 Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/128 generating two or more frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1286 having a specific transformer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1412 Blade
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 : for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument

Abstract

A multi-button electrosurgical apparatus includes a housing having a passage extending therethough, a distal end configured to support an electrode; at least four switches disposed on a surface of the housing configured to be selectively activated by a user; and three wires connected between the housing and a connector, the connector configured to be operatively coupled to an electrosurgical generator, a first wire being coupled to the electrode and configured to receive electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator, a second wire being coupled to a first switch and configured to generate a first activation signal and a third wire being coupled to a second switch and configured to generate a second activation signal, wherein a third and fourth switch are coupled to the first wire and the second or third wire via a respective reactive switching element configured to generate third and fourth activation signals.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical apparatus comprising:

a housing having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end configured to support an electrode;

at least four switches disposed on a surface of the housing configured to be selectively activated by a user; and

three wires connected between the housing and a connector, the connector configured to be operatively coupled to an electrosurgical generator, a first wire being coupled to the electrode and configured to receive electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator, a second wire being coupled to a first switch of the at least four switches and configured to generate a first activation signal and a third wire being coupled to a second switch of the at least four switches and configured to generate a second activation signal,

wherein a third and fourth switch of the at least four switches are coupled to the first wire and the second or third wire via a respective reactive switching element configured to generate third and fourth activation signals.

2. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the at least four switches are configured as pushbuttons.

3. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each of the respective reactive switching elements is selected to generate a different impedance value.

4. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 3, wherein each of the first and second activation signals is a short circuit signal.

5. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 3, wherein each of the respective reactive switching elements is a parallel combination of a resistor and a capacitor.

6. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 3, wherein each of the respective reactive switching elements is a series combination of a resistor and an inductor.

7. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 3, wherein each of the respective reactive switching elements is a series combination of a resistor and a capacitor.

8. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 3, wherein each of the respective reactive switching elements is a parallel combination of a resistor and an inductor.

9. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 3, wherein each of the respective reactive switching elements is a capacitor.

10. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 3, wherein each of the respective reactive switching elements is an inductor.

11. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the connector includes a three pin connector.

12. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 1, wherein at least two switches of the at least four switches are coupled to a single rocker button.

13. An electrosurgical apparatus comprising:

an electrosurgical generator coupled to an electrical power supply configured to generate electrosurgical energy;

a handpiece including;

a housing having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end configured to support an electrode;

at least four switches disposed on a surface of the housing configured to be selectively activated by a user; and

three wires connected between the housing and a connector, the connector configured to be operatively coupled to the electrosurgical generator, a first wire being coupled to the electrode and configured to receive electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator, a second wire being coupled to a first switch of the at least four switches and configured to generate a first activation signal and a third wire being coupled to a second switch of the at least four switches and configured to generate a second activation signal, wherein a third and fourth switch of the at least four switches are coupled to the first wire and the second or third wire via a respective reactive switching element configured to generate third and fourth activation signals; and

at least one activation sense circuit configured to distinguish between the first, second, third and fourth activation signals and to execute a corresponding action.

14. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the at least one activation sense circuit includes an oscillator generator and at least one transistor configured to operate as a voltage or current source for the reactive switching elements.

15. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 14, wherein a frequency of the oscillator generator is different than an operating frequency of the electrosurgical generator.

16. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 13, wherein each of the respective reactive switching elements is selected to generate a different impedance value.

17. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 16, wherein each of the first and second activation signals is a short circuit signal.

18. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 17, wherein the at least one activation sense circuit includes a comparator to compare each of the third and fourth activation signals to a predetermined value.

19. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 17, wherein the at least one activation sense circuit converts the third and fourth activation signals into a respective pulse width modulation (PWM) signal.

20. An electrosurgical apparatus comprising:

an electrosurgical generator coupled to an electrical power supply configured to generate electrosurgical energy;

a handpiece including;

a housing having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end configured to support an electrode;

at least four switches disposed on a surface of the housing configured to be selectively activated by a user; and

three wires connected between the housing and a connector, the connector configured to be operatively coupled to the electrosurgical generator, a first wire being coupled to the electrode and configured to receive electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator, a second wire being coupled to a first switch of the at least four switches and configured to generate a first activation signal and a third wire being coupled to a second switch of the at least four switches and configured to generate a second activation signal, wherein a third and fourth switch of the at least four switches are coupled to the first wire and the second or third wire via a respective resonant circuit configured to generate third and fourth activation signals; and

at least one activation sense circuit configured to distinguish between the first, second, third and fourth activation signals and to execute a corresponding action.

21. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the at least one activation sense circuit includes an oscillator generator and at least one transistor configured to operate as a voltage or current source for the resonant circuits.

22. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 21, wherein each respective resonant circuit is configured for a different frequency.

23. The electrosurgical apparatus as in claim 22, wherein the oscillator generator is a variable frequency oscillator generator configured to sweep through a predetermined range of frequencies, wherein the predetermined range of frequencies include the frequencies of the respective resonant circuits.