Two-stage switch for surgical device
A surgical device control assembly includes a control device operable to carry out at least two operational conditions of a surgical device and a button operatively connected to the control device. The button has a button-actuation direction in which the button actuates, an unactuated position at a rest point of the button, a first actuated position at first distance from the rest point in the button-actuation direction, and a second actuated position at a second distance further from the rest point in the button-actuation direction than the first distance. The first actuated position effects a first of the at least two operational conditions. The second actuated position effects a second of the at least two operational conditions different from the first operational condition.
1. A surgical device control assembly, comprising:
a control device operable to carry out at least two operational conditions of a surgical device; and
a button operatively connected to the control device, the button having:
a button-actuation direction in which the button actuates;
an unactuated position at a rest point of the button;
a first actuated position at first distance from the rest point in the button-actuation direction, the first actuated position effecting a first of the at least two operational conditions; and
a second actuated position at a second distance further from the rest point in the button-actuation direction than the first distance, the second actuated position effecting a second of the at least two operational conditions different from the first operational condition.
2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a force required to enter the first actuated position is less than a force required to enter the second actuation position.
3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a force required to sustain the first actuated position is less than a force required to enter the second actuation position.
4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a force required to sustain the first actuated position is less than a force required to enter the first operational condition and the force required to enter the second operational condition is greater than the force required to sustain the first operational condition.
5. The device according to claim 1 , which further comprises a handle having a self-contained power supply, the control device being disposed at the handle and operable to control power delivered from the power supply.
6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the first operational condition is power delivered from the power supply.
7. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the second operational condition is power delivered from the power supply.
8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the control device has a circuit; and
the button further comprises at least one electrical contact that electrically closes the circuit to effect at least one of the at least two operational conditions.
9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first actuated position is a partially depressed state of the button.
10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the second actuated position is a fully depressed state of the button.
11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the button comprises:
a two-position switch; and
a plunger coupled to the two-position switch and operable to change the positions of the two-position switch when pressure is applied to the plunger.
12. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the plunger is spring-biased.
13. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the two-position switch is comprised of at least a first sub-switch and a second sub-switch, the first sub-switch effecting the first actuated position and the second sub-switch effecting the second actuated position.
14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the first and second sub-switches are operably connected in a stacked configuration.
15. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a variable amount of pressure is applied to the button to cause the button to change between positions.
16. A surgical device control assembly, comprising:
a control device operable to carry out at least two operational conditions of the surgical device; and
a two-actuation-position button operatively connected to the control device and having a single actuation member, a first depressed position of the actuation member effecting a first of the at least two operational conditions and a second depressed position of the actuation member in substantially the same direction effecting a second of the at least two operational conditions that is different from the first operational condition.
17. The device according to claim 16 , wherein:
a force required to enter the first depressed position is less than a force required to enter the second depressed position; and
a force required to sustain the first depressed position is less than a force required to enter the second depressed position.
18. The device according to claim 16 , wherein a force required to sustain the first depressed position is less than a force required to enter the first operational condition and the force required to enter the second operational condition is greater than the force required to sustain the first operational condition.
19. The device according to claim 16 , wherein:
the first actuation position is a partially depressed state of the actuation member; and
the second actuation position is a fully depressed state of the actuation member.
20. In a surgical device, a surgical device control assembly, comprising:
a control device operable to carry out at least two operational conditions of the surgical device; and
a two-actuation-position button operatively connected to the control device and having a single actuation member, a first depressed position of the actuation member effecting a first of the at least two operational conditions and a second depressed position of the actuation member in substantially the same direction effecting a second of the at least two operational conditions that is different from the first operational condition.