The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 27, 1998
Filed:
Apr. 10, 1996
Douglas D Sjostrom, Reading, MA (US);
Smith & Nephew Endoscopy Inc., Andover, MA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling a surgical device includes a housing and a magnetic switching element mounted on the housing. The magnetic switching element includes a magnet, a magnetic sensor configured to produce a control signal for controlling the surgical device, and an actuator mounted on the housing for movement between a first position in which a magnetic field of the magnet is decoupled from the magnetic sensor and a second position in which the magnetic field is coupled to the magnetic sensor so as to change a value of the control signal produced by the magnetic sensor. The magnetic switching element may also include magnetically soft material positioned so that movement of the actuator causes relative movement between the magnet and the magnetically soft material.