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:
Jul. 18, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 12, 1999
Jerry A Culp, Kalamazoo, MI (US);
Steven Anthony Tyler, San Francisco, CA (US);
Michael John Fraticelli, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Marshall Eric Finley, Ansonia, CT (US);
Stryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI (US);
Abstract
A surgical handpiece (940) for actuating a cutting attachment (944). The handpiece includes a housing (942) which contains a motor (52) for driving the cutting attachment. A coupling assembly (948) releasably holds the cutting attachment to the housing and connects the attachment to the motor. A state marker, such as a magnet (1012), is disposed in the housing. The state marker is connected to the coupling assembly to undergo physical displacement when the coupling assembly is transitioned from the run state to the attachment release state. A sensor (960) monitors the physical displacement of the state marker. Whenever the state marker undergoes physical displacement, the output signal from the sensor changes. Thus, an external device can monitor when the handpiece coupling assembly (948) is transitioned from the run to the release state by monitoring the output signal from the sensor (960).