Electrosurgical generator and method with removable front panel having replaceable electrical connection sockets and illuminated receptacles
AUSTRALIAN PATENT OFFICE (-1-1) Application NoAU2003287199 A8 (54) Title Electrosurgical generator and method with removable front panel having replaceable electricalconnection sockets and illuminated receptacles (51)G International Patent Classification(s) A61B 018/14 H01R 013/436 H01R 013/717 (21) Application No: 2003287199 (22) Application Date: 2003.10.27 (87) WIPO No: WO04/045441 (30) (31) Priority Data Number (32) Date 10/298,707 2002.11.18 (33) Country US 200511037 (43) (43) Publication Date : 2004.06.15 Publication Journal Date : 2004 .07.15 (71) Applicant(s) CONMED CORPORATION (72) Inventor(s) Gonnerinq, Wayne J. (19)AUSTRALIAN PATENT OFFICE (-1-1) Application NoAU2003287199 A8 (54) Title Electrosurgical generator and method with removable front panel having replaceable electricalconnection sockets and illuminated receptacles (51)G International Patent Classification(s) A61B 018/14 H01R 013/436 H01R 013/717 (21) Application No: 2003287199 (22) Application Date: 2003.10.27 (87) WIPO No: WO04/045441 (30) (31) Priority Data Number (32) Date 10/298,707 2002.11.18 (33) Country US 200511037 (43) (43) Publication Date : 2004.06.15 Publication Journal Date : 2004 .07.15 (71) Applicant(s) CONMED CORPORATION (72) Inventor(s) Gonnerinq, Wayne J. -1- Access to the internal components within an electrosurgical generator (20) is facilitated by removing a panel (22) from a housing of the electrosurgical generator and separating electrical connections in the panel housing. A socket-defining connector member (102) is removable from and replaceable within an insert receptacle (112) in which it is retained in a plug-receiving receptacle (108) in the housing panel. A light emitter (166) projects light supplied by an optical fiber (168) into the plug-receiving receptacle. The non-electrical light conductors do not pick up noise created by the high voltage electrosurgical power conducted through the front panel. Spring electrical contacts (144) facilitate making and breaking mechanical and electrical connections between the front panel and the internal components within the electrosurgical generator. An electrosurgical generator (20) comprising an plug-receiving receptacle (108) attached to a housing panel (22) and having a connector member (102) which defines a socket (100) which mechanically accepts and electrically connects to a prong (104) of a connector plug (106) that connects an accessory (24, 26, 28, 30) for use with the electrosurgical generator (20), the improved plug-receiving receptacle (108) characterized by:
an insert receptacle (112) connected to the housing panel (22) and having a front end connected to the plug-receiving receptacle (108) and extending rearwardly from the plug-receiving receptacle to a rear end (114), the front end of the insert receptacle (112) defining a front opening (118) from the insert receptacle (112) into the plug-receiving receptacle (108);the socket (100) extending from a front end (120) of the connector member (102) toward a rear end of the connector member, the connector member (102) removably positioned within the insert receptacle (112) with the front end (120) of the connector member positioned adjacent to and within the front opening (118) of the insert receptacle (112) with the socket (100) accessible through the front opening (118); anda retainer (128) located at the rear end (114) of the insert receptacle (112) and contacting the connector member (102) at the rear end of the insert receptacle to retain the connector member within the insert receptacle. An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that:
the insert receptacle (112) includes a shoulder (116) surrounding the front opening (118) at the front end of the insert receptacle (112); andthe shoulder (116) of the insert receptacle (112) contacts the front end (120) of the connector member (102) to retain the connector member (102) within the insert receptacle (112). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 2, further characterized in that:the connector member (102) includes a shoulder (126) located adjacent to the rear end (114) of the insert receptacle (112); andthe retainer (128) contacts the shoulder (126) of the connector member (102). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 3, further characterized in that:
the connector member (102) is confined within the insert receptacle (112) by contact of the front end (120) of the connector member (102) with the shoulder (116) of the insert receptacle (112) and contact of the shoulder (126) of the connector member (102) with the retainer (128) at the rear end (114) of the insert receptacle (112). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 4, further characterized in that:
the retainer (128) includes a retaining panel (130) having a hole (132) formed therethrough;the connector member (102) includes a shank portion (124) extending beyond the rear end (114) of the insert receptacle (112); andthe retaining panel (130) is connected at the rear end (114) of the insert receptacle (112) with the hole (132) surrounding the shank portion (124). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 5, which also includes a circuit board (140) located behind the housing panel (22), and further characterized by:
an electrical contact (144) connected to the circuit board (140) at a position to contact the shank portion (124) of the connector member (102) to establish an electrical connection between the circuit board (140) and the connector member (102). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 2, further characterized in that:
the connector member (102) is insertable into and removable from the insert receptacle (112) at the rear end (114) of the insert receptacle (112), upon removal of the retainer (128). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 1, which also includes a circuit board (140) located behind the housing panel (22), and further characterized in that:
the connector member (102) includes an extension portion (124) extending rearwardly beyond the rear end (114) of the insert receptacle (112); andan electrical contact (144) is connected to the circuit board (140) at a position to contact the extension portion (124) of the connector member (102) to establish an electrical connection between the circuit board (140) and the connector member (102). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 8, further characterized in that:
the electrical contact (144) comprises a spring member. An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 9, further characterized in that:
the spring member comprises a leaf spring contact which is deformed upon physical contact with the extension portion (124). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 8, further characterized in that:
the connector member (102) includes a forward portion (122) which defines the socket (100) and the front end (120), the forward portion (122) is located substantially within the insert receptacle (112), the extension portion (124) extends rearwardly from the forward portion (122), and the extension portion (124) is of smaller cross-sectional size than the forward portion (122); andthe retainer (128) is connected at the rear end (114) of the insert receptacle (112) and contacts the extension portion (124) to confine the connector member (102) relative to the insert receptacle (112) by contact of the front end (120) of the connector member (102) with the shoulder (116) of the insert receptacle (112) and by contact of the extension portion (124) with the retainer (128) at the rear end (114) of the insert receptacle (112). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 8, further characterized in that:
the electrical contact (144) is resilient and contacts the extension portion (124) with bias force to establish an electrical connection between the circuit board (140) and the connector member (102). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 12, which also includes a housing (110), further characterized in that:
the housing panel (22) is disconnectable from a housing (110); andthe extension portion (124) separates from the resilient electrical contact (114) upon disconnection of the housing panel (22) from the housing (110). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that:
the retainer (128) includes a bracket (154) which extends forwardly from the rear end (114) of the insert receptacle (112) to the front end of the insert receptacle (112);a light emitter (166) is connected to a front end of the bracket (154) to project light into the plug-receiving receptacle (108); andan optical fiber (168) is connected to the light emitter (166) to conduct the light to the light emitter (166). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 14, further characterized in that:
the light emitter (166) is connected to the front end of the bracket (154) by a retaining portion (164) of the bracket (154); andthe light emitter (166) is removable from the retaining portion (164) of the bracket (154). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 14, further characterized by:
an electrically energized light source (170) which supplies the light conducted by the optical fiber (168). An electrosurgical generator (20) as defined in claim 16, which transfers high-frequency, high voltage electrosurgical power to the accessory (24, 26, 28, 30) through the connector member (102), further characterized in that:
the electrically energized light source (170) is located remotely from the connector member (102) and the plug-receiving receptacle (108); andthe optical fiber extends between the light source (170) and the light emitter (166).