Battery initialization clip
View Patent ↗A medical instrument is disclosed. The medical instrument includes a housing, a control lever rotatably coupled to the housing, at least one electrical contact, a radio frequency (RF) generation circuit coupled to and operated by the battery and operable to generate an RF drive signal and to provide the RF drive signal to the at least one electrical contact and an initialization clip coupled to housing and the control lever to prevent operation of the RF generation circuit and movement of the control lever.
1. A medical instrument comprising:
a housing;
a control lever rotatably coupled to the housing;
at least one electrical contact;
a radio frequency (RF) generation circuit configured to and operated by a battery and operable to generate an RF drive signal and to provide the RF drive signal to the at least one electrical contact; and
an initialization clip coupled to the housing and the control lever to prevent operation of the RF generation circuit and movement of the control lever.
2. The medical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the initialization clip comprises a first half and a second half fastened by at least one mechanical fastening element.
3. The medical instrument according to claim 2 , comprising:
a battery; and
a battery connection circuit coupled to the battery;
wherein when the initialization clip is attached to the housing, the battery connection circuit electrically disconnects the battery from the RF generation circuit.
4. The medical instrument according to claim 3 , wherein when the initialization clip is removed from the housing, the battery connection circuit electrically couples the battery to the RF generation circuit.
5. The medical instrument according to claim 3 , comprising:
a remotely activated switch element coupled between the battery and the battery connection circuit; and
a remote switch activation element supported by the initialization clip.
6. The medical instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the remotely activated switch element electrically disconnects the battery from the RF generation circuit when the remote switch activation element is in proximity to the remotely activated switch element.
7. The medical instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the remotely activated switch element electrically connects the battery from the RF generation circuit when the remote switch activation element is not in proximity to the remotely activated switch element.
8. The medical instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the remotely activated switch element is a magnetically operated element and the remote switch activation element is a magnet.
9. The medical instrument according to claim 8 , wherein the magnetically operated element is any one of a reed switch and a Hall-effect sensor.
10. The medical instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the battery connection circuit comprises a field effect transistor (FET), wherein when the initialization clip is removed from the housing, the remotely activated switch element closes, enabling current to flow through the FET to couple the RF generation circuit to a return (−) terminal of the battery.
11. The medical instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the battery connection circuit comprises a relay comprising a primary winding that controls a switch, wherein when the initialization clip is removed from the housing, the remotely activated switch element closes, enabling current to flow through the primary winding and closing the switch to couple the RF generation circuit to a return (−) terminal of the battery.
12. The medical instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one mechanical fastening element is a snap button.
13. The medical instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the initialization clip comprises a chamber to contain a remote switch activation element.
14. The medical instrument according to claim 13 , wherein the chamber is tilted.
15. A method of configuring a medical instrument comprising a housing, a control lever rotatably coupled to the housing, at least one electrical contact, a radio frequency (RF) generation circuit configured to be to and operated by a battery and operable to generate an RF drive signal and to provide the RF drive signal to the at least one electrical contact, a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory, the method comprising:
fitting an initialization clip on the housing and the control lever a first time;
storing an application code in the memory, the application code comprising a set of computer instructions to be executed by the processor;
turning the instrument to an off state;
removing the initialization clip;
placing the instrument in production mode; and
fitting an initialization clip on the housing and the control lever a second time.
16. The method according to claim 15 , comprising removing the initialization clip to activate the RF generation circuit.
17. The method according to claim 16 , comprising:
disabling the RF generation circuit when the initialization clip is refitted to the housing and the control lever; and
discharging the battery.
18. A medical instrument comprising:
a housing;
a battery supported by the housing;
a control lever rotatably coupled to the housing;
at least one electrical contact;
a radio frequency (RF) generation circuit coupled to and operated by the battery and operable to generate an RF drive signal and to provide the RF drive signal to the at least one electrical contact;
a battery connection circuit coupled to the battery; and
a remotely activated switch element coupled between the battery and the battery connection circuit;
wherein when an initialization clip is attached to the housing, the battery connection circuit electrically disconnects the battery from the RF generation circuit; and
wherein when the initialization clip is removed from the housing, the battery connection circuit electrically couples the battery to the RF generation circuit.
19. The medical instrument according to claim 18 , wherein the remotely activated switch element electrically disconnects the battery from the RF generation circuit when a remote switch activation element is in proximity to the remotely activated switch element.
20. The medical instrument according to claim 18 , wherein the remotely activated switch element electrically connects the battery from the RF generation circuit when a remote switch activation element is not in proximity to the remotely activated switch element.
21. The medical instrument according to claim 18 , wherein the remotely activated switch element is a magnetically operated element responsive to a magnet.