Multi-button electrosurgical apparatus
View Patent ↗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.
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.