Electrosurgical counter and lockout mechanism

Abstract

An electrosurgical apparatus having a counter / lockout mechanism that monitors the number of sterilization / use cycles the electrosurgical apparatus undergoes and indicates the number of sterilization / use cycles that have actually been performed. The counter / lockout mechanism includes a temperature actuated element actuated in response to each sterilization cycle and a mechanically actuated element in response to a use cycle to effectuate a change of one or a plurality of indicia. The counter / lockout mechanism causes a single increment or decrement for each sterilization / use cycle that has been completed while also impeding use of the electrosurgical apparatus when the electrosurgical apparatus has undergone a predetermined number of sterilization / use cycles. In one embodiment, the distance of movement of the mechanically actuated element when fully actuated is greater than the distance the indicator moves when illustrating a change in the number of remaining uses.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to electrosurgical instruments. In particular, the present invention relates to a counter and lockout device for use with electrosurgical instruments to indicate to the user the number of disinfection / use cycles the electrosurgical instrument has undergone and once a predetermined number of disinfection / use cycles have been performed cycle, the device prevents the use of the electrosurgical instrument. Background technique [0002] In modern surgery, electrosurgical technology is an important means due to the multiple functions of electrosurgical instruments and instruments. Many electrosurgical instruments and instruments are reusable. Reusable electrosurgical instruments and instruments are sterilized after electrosurgery to ensure that the instruments are clean and non-toxic for use in subsequent procedures. The sterilization process is expensive and also causes wear and tear on reusable electrosurgical instruments a...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

A problem associated with these limited reuse instruments is that it can be difficult to monitor the number of disinfection / use cycles a particular tool or instrument has undergone

This results in multiple actuations of the temperature responsive element during a single sterilization process

Thus, during a single sterilization cycle, the count of the counter may be incremented / decremented multiple times, making it impossible to accurately represent the number of sterilization / use cycles the electrosurgical instrument has actually undergone

An additional complicating factor is that the cycle durations used by various types and settings of disinfection processes vary widely, making it difficult to design a disinfection response mechanism that is actuated once per disinfection process

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