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:
Sep. 28, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 22, 1997
Joepert R Lim, Palm Harbor, FL (US);
Linvatec Corporation, Largo, FL (US);
Abstract
An autoclavable remote control unit for controlling the operation of a surgical device. The remote control unit has a plurality of Hall effect sensors arranged on a printed circuit board hermetically encased within a polymeric housing molded from an autoclavable material. Each Hall effect sensor may be activated by an associated magnet which is resiliently supported within a panel which can be closed against the housing or hinged away from the housing. In the closed position, the magnets may be momentarily depressed to activate the associated Hall effect sensor to thereby control the operation of a selected function of the surgical device. The disclosure also includes the method of remotely controlling a surgical device by providing at least one non-contiguously activatable switch element in a hermetically sealed housing and activating the element by bringing into its proximity an activating element.