WO2001037745A1

WO2001037745A1 - Switching appliance for electrosurgical devices

Info

Publication number: WO2001037745A1
Application number: PCT/EP2000/010823
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jörn Lehe; Raimo Sump
Original assignee: Ethicon Gmbh
Priority date: 1999-11-25
Filing date: 2000-11-02
Publication date: 2001-05-31
Also published as: DE19957919A1; AU2154201A

Abstract

A switching appliance for electrosurgical devices (5, 5') comprises a coupling device (3) with an input terminal which can be or is connected to an output of a generator (1). Furthermore, the coupling device (3) has at least two connection devices, to each of which an electrosurgical operating instrument (5, 5') can be conencted by means of a connection cable (4, 4') and each of which has an output, which can be coupled with the input terminal, and a control terminal. The coupling device (3) is adapted to couple, in response to an activation signal (6, 6') applied to the control terminal of a given connection device and conducted through a connection cable (4, 4') of the connected operating instrument (5, 5'), the input terminal with the output of this connection device and to block a coupling of the input terminal with the outputs of the remaining connection devices.

Description

Switching appliance for electrosurgical devices

The invention relates to a switching appliance or apparatus for electrosurgical devices which enables the electricity generated by a generator to be applied selectively to one of several electrosurgical operating instruments.

Such a switching appliance is known from US patent 5 342 356. This switching appliance has a coupling device in a separate housing, which is provided with an input terminal which can be connected via a cable to an output of a conventional high- frequency generator. The coupling device has several plug-in connections to each of which an electrosurgical operating in- stru ent (such as e.g. scissors or forceps) can be connected via a connection cable. Using a rotary switch arranged on the housing of the coupling device, the input terminal of the coupling device can be applied selectively to a plug-in connection for an operating instrument. The current or voltage signal emitted by the high-frequency generator can therefore be conducted via the rotary switch to one of the operating instruments whilst no current and no voltage is applied to the plug-in connections for the remaining operating instruments . This ensures that only one of the operating instruments is ever ready for operation, and e.g. operating instruments inadvertently laid aside cannot show any unexpected activity. The high-frequency generator itself can be activated by a foot switch or by finger switches attached to the connected operating instruments; however, these switches have no influence on the selection of the operating instrument that is ready for operation.

In the previously known switching appliance for electrosurgical devices, it is disadvantageous that the coupling device must be located in the sterile region of an operating area. The doctor or assistants working in the vicinity of the doctor must at all times be able to operate the rotary switch in order to select a desired electrosurgical operating instrument. To avoid contami- nation during this procedure, the whole coupling device must be kept sterile. The outlay which this entails is considerable, however, and in addition, there is the danger that after a surgery has been concluded, it will be overlooked that, in addition to the operating instruments, the coupling device has to be sterilized as well.

The object of the invention is to provide a switching appliance for electrosurgical devices with the help of which precisely one of several available electrosurgical operating instruments can be quickly and reliably made ready for operation, and wherein the expenditure required for sterilization can be at least largely avoided.

This object is achieved by a switching appliance for electrosurgical devices with the features of claim 1. Advantageous designs of the invention emerge from the dependent claims.

The switching appliance for electrosurgical devices according to the invention has a coupling device with an input terminal which is or can be connected to an output of a generator, in particular a high-frequency generator. The coupling device has at least two connection devices to each of which an electrosurgical operating instrument can be connected via a connection cable and each of which has an output, which can be coupled with the input terminal, and a control terminal. The coupling device is adapted to couple, in response to an activation signal applied to the control terminal of a given connection device and conducted through a connection cable of the connected operating instru- ment, the input terminal with the output of this connection device, and to block a coupling of the input terminal with the outputs of the remaining connection devices .

Preferably, the coupling device has its own housing, its input terminal being able to be connected via a cable to the output of a conventional high-frequency generator. It is also conceivable, however, that the coupling device is integrated into the housing of a high-frequency generator so that the input of the coupling device is permanently connected to the output of the high- frequency generator circuit or can be switched onto it via operating elements. (Here and in the following, the term "high- frequency generator" is used, which does not however exclude the usability of the switching appliance according to the invention with other generators for electrical surgery. )

As each of the connection devices, which are constructed e.g. as a socket for a plug on the connection cable of an electrosurgical operating instrument, has a control terminal, it is possible to enter an activation signal into the coupling device from outside via this control terminal. The activation signal is conducted through a connection cable of the operating instrument connected to the connection device in question, and the coupling device thereupon provides a connection between the high- frequency generator and this operating instrument. On the other hand, the connections to the remaining connection devices and thus to the remaining connected operating instruments are inter- rupted or blocked. As the activation signal can be triggered from a point which is remote from the coupling device and is preferably located in the vicinity of the operating instrument in question, it is not necessary to install the coupling device in the sterile operating area. Costly sterilization measures are thereby rendered superfluous.

It is advantageous if the high-frequency generator, in addition to the switching possibilities provided by the switching appliance according to the invention, can also be activated as a whole in conventional manner, e.g. automatically by tissue contact or by a foot switch or by a finger switch on the connected operating instrument. On the other hand, the choice of which of the operating instruments connected to the coupling device is ready for operation is made in the manner explained via the switching appliance according to the invention. Preferably, the coupling device is set up to maintain the coupling between the input terminal and the output of the given connection device until an activation signal is applied to the control terminal of another connection device . With such a configuration, the activation signal can be of short duration, and it is not necessary to maintain it during the whole activation time for the desired operating instrument.

With a preferred configuration of the invention, an activation switch is allocated to an electrosurgical operating instrument, via which switch a given potential present in the coupling device can be applied to a connection pole of the control terminal for the operating instrument. If the given potential, which is e.g. provided by a power supply unit of the coupling device, is applied to the connection pole of the control terminal in question, the coupling device recognizes that the operating instrument in question is to be activated (or, if it is already activated, is to remain activated) . Preferably, the activation switch has a button which need be pressed only briefly in order to activate the desired operating instrument.

The switching appliance according to the invention preferably has as a further component one (or several) connection cables for the connection of an electrosurgical operating instrument, the activation switch being provided on the connection cable in the vicinity of the electrosurgical operating instrument. Such a switching appliance, in which in addition the coupling device is located in its own housing, can be used with an existing high- frequency generator and with existing electrosurgical operating instruments . The operating instruments themselves need not be modified. An existing connection cable must merely be replaced by a connection cable with an activation switch. As the activation switch is located in the region of the end of the cable in the vicinity of the electrosurgical operating instrument, it can be easily and conveniently actuated by the surgeon when the operating instrument is to be activated. Alternatively, it is also conceivable to arrange the activation switch on the electrosurgical operating instrument.

Preferably, the switching appliance contains a display device to display the electrosurgical operating instrument activated in each case. The display device can e.g. have at least one lighting apparatus for each connection device, e.g. a light-emitting diode on the coupling device and/or a light-emitting diode in the region of the connected operating instrument. The display device tells the operating staff which operating instrument is activated, which makes the operation easier and safer.

The switching functions in the coupling device can be implemented in a variety of ways. Thus the coupling device can e.g. have a relay circuit, preferably at least one relay being provided in a self-holding circuit. Electronic switching elements or the use of a microprocessor are also conceivable.

In the following, the invention is explained in more detail using an embodiment. The Figures show in

Figure 1 a schematic perspective representation of a version of the switching appliance according to the invention for electrosurgical devices, two electrosurgical operating instruments being connected to a coupling device connected to a high-frequency generator,

Figure 2 a block diagram of the switching appliance,

Figure 3 a circuit diagram of the coupling device of the switching appliance, the circuit being designed in the embodiment as a relay circuit, and

Figure 4 a circuit diagram of a connection cable for the con- nection of an electrosurgical operating instrument. In Figure 1, a version of a switching appliance for electrosurgical devices is shown in schematic representation. A conventional high-frequency generator 1 is connected to a coupling device 3 via a cable 2. A first electrosurgical operating in- strument 5 in the form of scissors is connected to the coupling device 3 using a connection cable 4. Arranged in the end region of the connection cable 4 in the vicinity of the scissors 5 is an activation button 6, beside which a light-emitting diode 7 is located. A further electrosurgical operating instrument 5' which is designed as forceps in the embodiment is connected to the coupling device 3 via a connection cable 4 ' . The connection cable 4' has an activation button 6' and a light-emitting diode 7' and has the same structure as the connection cable 4.

To make the operating instrument 5 ready for operation, the surgeon (or an assistant) must press briefly on the activation button 6. As a result of this, the light-emitting diode 7 remains switched on, even if the activation button 6 is released again, and the operating instrument 5 is ready for operation. If, on the other hand, operating instrument 5' is to be activated, activation button 6' must be actuated, which simultaneously leads to the deactivation of operating instrument 5. Thus only one of the two operating instruments 5, 5' can ever be ready for operation. The activation process is described in detail below in connection with Figure 3. The surgeon must actuate a foot switch 8 so that a high-frequency current flows to the activated operating instrument 5 or 5 ' . As soon as he releases the foot switch 8, the current or voltage supply through the cable 2 is interrupted.

In Figure 1, it is shown in schematic fashion which components of the operating equipment are located in the unsterile region of the operating area and which in the sterile region. Only the operating instruments 5 and 5', which must be sterilized after every surgical operation anyway, as well as the connection cables 4 and 4', which can be easily sterilized, are located in the sterile region. On the other hand, the coupling device 3 is 7

arranged in the unsterile region and therefore need not be decontaminated after an operation.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the coupling device 3 and the connection cables 4 and 4' are components of the switching appliance for electrosurgical devices. The coupling device 3 is housed in its own housing and can therefore be used as an additional device with a conventional high-frequency generator 1. The operating instruments 5 and 5' are also of conventional construction and need not be modified for use with the switching appliance for electrosurgical devices. Alternatively, however, the coupling device 3 can also be integrated into the housing of the high-frequency generator 1. Furthermore, it is conceivable to provide the activation buttons 6 and 6" directly on the operating instruments 5 and 5' respectively. All types of electrosurgical operating instruments can be used as operating instruments 5, 5', both unipolar and bipolar. Whereas, in the embodiment, the coupling device 3 is set up to connect two operating instruments 5 and 5', in other versions, more than two connection devices can be provided for electrosurgical operating instruments.

In the following, the structure of the coupling device 3 and of the connection cable 4 and/or 4' is explained in more detail.

Figure 2 shows a block diagram. The coupling device 3 is located in a housing 10. The voltage supply for the coupling device 3 is provided via a separate plug-in power supply unit 12, the output voltage of which is supplied to a voltage processor 14 via a switch 13. The voltage processor 14 supplies a control circuit 16 with power, which serves, with the help of a coupling circuit 17, to feed the output of the high-frequency generator 1, via the cable 2, selectively to one of two connection devices 18 and 18'. The connection devices 18 and 18' are designed in the embodiment as five-pin sockets into which matching plugs of the connection cables 4 and 4 ' , respectively, for the operating instruments 5 and 5', respectively, can be plugged. In Figure 3, the circuit of the coupling device 3 is shown in detail. In the embodiment, the control circuit 16 and the coupling circuit 17 are designed as a relay circuit. Other configu- rations, in which electronic switches are used, are also con^¬ ceivable.

In the upper part of Figure 3, the plug-in power supply unit 12 and the voltage processor 14 are shown. The alternating voltage on the output side of a mains transformer, not shown, is applied to a rectifier bridge 22 via the mains switch 13 and a fuse 20. The output voltage thereof is converted, with the help of a voltage control circuit 24 and by four capacitors 25, into a controlled d.c. voltage. A light-emitting diode 26 serves as monitor. In the embodiment, ground potential and +5V are present at the voltage outputs 28.

In the lower part of Figure 3, the details of the control circuit 16 and the coupling circuit 17 are shown. The output of the high-frequency generator 1 is connected via the cable 2 to a two-pole input terminal 30. The high-frequency current required for the respective electrosurgical operating instrument 5 or 5' is applied either at the two-pole output 32 of the connection device 18 or at the two-pole output 32' of the connection device 18', depending on which of two switching relays 34 and 34', each having two switching contacts, is switched through. In the situation shown in Figure 3, the switching contacts of both switching relays 34 and 34' are open so that neither of the two operating instruments 5 and 5' is activated. This situation arises e.g. after the coupling device 3 is switched on using the mains switch 13 before one of the activation buttons 6 or 6' is actuated.

An activation signal which can be supplied via a control termi- nal 36 serves to trigger the switching relay 34. The control terminal 36 has three connection poles, namely a first activation pole 37, a second activation pole 38 and an LED terminal 39. The control terminal 36 and the output 32 form the connec^¬ tion device 18 for the operating instrument 5. Accordingly, the connection device 18' for the operating instrument 5' has the output 32' and a control terminal 36' with a first activation pole 37', a second activation pole 38' and an LED terminal 39'.

Activation signals triggered via the activation buttons 6 and 6', respectively, act on control relays 40 and 40', each of which has a first control contact 42 and 42 ' , respectively, and a second control contact 43 and 43', respectively. For the following, it is assumed that the circuit is in the initial state shown in Figure 3. The operating instrument 5 is now to be activated. To do this, the activation button 6 is pressed, which results in the first activation pole 37 and the second activa- tion pole 38 being short-circuited, as explained below with reference to Figure 4. Because of this, the voltage at the coil of the control relay 40 is +5V, and the first control contact 42 is closed whilst the second control contact 43 (which is closed in the initial state shown in Figure 3) is opened. Since the second control contact 43' of the control relay 40' is closed, the coil of the control relay 40 remains live even if the connection between the first activation pole 37 and the second activation pole 38 is re-opened by releasing the activation button 6. The operating instrument 5 is now ready for operation and can be switched on via the foot switch 8 as required. This situation is displayed by a light-emitting diode 44.

Since the second control contact 43 of the control relay 40 is opened when operating instrument 5 is activated, the control relay 40' remains currentless and it is ensured that the switching relay 34' is switched off and the operating instrument 5' which is not used is not inadvertently live.

If the activation button 6' is now pressed to activate the operating instrument 5', the connection between the first activation pole 37' and the second activation pole 38* of the connection device 18' is short-circuited so that the control relay 40' switches through, the first control contact 42' closing and the second control contact 43' opening. The effect of the latter is that the switching relay 34 and control relay 40 become currentless and thus the operating instrument 5 which is now not required is blocked. The new situation can be recognized by the lighting-up of a light-emitting diode 44' whilst the light- emitting diode 44 goes out.

Figure 4 shows the circuitry of the connection cable 4. A plug 50 serves for connection to the connection device 18, the five connection poles of which plug are designated 32, 32, 39, 38 and 37 in Figure 4, in order to illustrate the allocation to the connection poles of the connection device 18. The connection poles 32 lead directly to a two-pole high-frequency terminal 52 which is designed as a connection plug for a conventional electrosurgical operating instrument. By pressing the activation button 6, which is located together with the light-emitting diode 7 in a button housing 54 in the end-region of the connection cable 4, the first activation pole 37 and the second acti- vation pole 38 are short-circuited so that the potential of +5V applies at the control relay 40 (see Figure 3) . The light- emitting diode 7 is thereby also supplied with voltage and lights up. This situation remains even after the activation button 6 has been released, as the second activation pole 38 remains on the potential of +5V, as explained previously. The light-emitting diode 7 goes out only when the other operating instrument 5' is activated or else the mains switch 13 is opened.

Claims

Switching appliance for electrosurgical devices, having a coupling device (3) with an input terminal (30), which can be or is connected to an .output of a generator (1), and with at least two connection devices (18, 18'), to each of which an electrosurgical operating instrument (5, 5') can be connected by means of a connection cable (4, 4') and each of which has an output (32, 32'), which can be coupled with the input terminal (30) , and a control terminal (36, 36'), the coupling device (3) being adapted to couple, in response to an activation signal applied to the control terminal (36, 36') of a given connection device (18, 18') and conducted through a connection cable (4, 4') of the connected operating instrument (5, 5'), the input terminal (30) with the output (32, 32') of this connection device (18, 18') and to block a coupling of the input terminal (30) with the outputs (32', 32) of the remaining connection devices (18', 18).

Switching appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling device (3) is adapted to maintain the coupling between the input terminal (30) and the output (32) of the given connection device (18) until an activation signal is applied to the control terminal (36') of another connection device (18').

Switching appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that an activation switch (6) is allocated to an electrosurgical operating instrument (5) , via which switch a given potential (37) present in the coupling device (3) can be applied to a connection pole (38) of the control terminal (36) for the operating instrument (5) .

Switching appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that the activation switch has a button (6) .

5. Switching appliance according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by a connection cable (4) for the connection of an electrosurgical operating instrument (5) , the activation switch (6) being provided at the connection cable (4) in the vicinity of the electrosurgical operating instrument (5) .

6. Switching appliance according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the activation switch is arranged at the electrosurgical operating instrument.

7. Switching appliance according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by a display device (7, 44, 7', 44") to display the electrosurgical operating instrument (5, 5') activated in each case.

8. Switching appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that the display device has at least one lighting apparatus (7, 44, 7^!, 44') for each connection device (18, 18').

9. Switching appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that for each connection device (18, 18'), the display device has a light-emitting diode (44, 44') at the coupling device (3) and/or a light-emitting diode (7, 7') in the region of the connected operating instrument (5, 5').

10. Switching appliance according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the coupling device (3) has a relay circuit.

11. Switching appliance according to claim 10, characterized in that the coupling device (3) has at least one relay in a self-holding circuit.