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:
Aug. 14, 2012
Filed:
Jun. 11, 2008
Michael John Radley Young, Ashburton, GB;
Stephen Michael Radley Young, Ashburton, GB;
Michael John Radley Young, Ashburton, GB;
Stephen Michael Radley Young, Ashburton, GB;
SRA Developments Limited, , GB;
Abstract
A switch unit () is mountable to a distal end of a handpiece of an electrically-activatable surgical tool, such as an ultrasonically-vibratable surgical tool. The switch unit () has a generally bullet-shaped outer form with an axial bore () through which a waveguide of the tool extends. A resiliently deformable band () extends around the switch unit () above a polygonal-section contact zone (), such that fingertip pressure on the band () may locally depress the band () towards a flat area () of the contact zone (). Switch contacts () are mounted to an inner surface of the band () opposite a plated circuit () located on each flat area () so as to form a plurality of switches. A switch to activate the tool is thus easily accessible to a user's fingertip in any orientation of the handpiece in the user's hand. The switch contacts () may each comprise a body having an electrical resistance dependent on a pressure exerted thereon. A magnitude of a response from the tool may thus be controlled by the pressure exerted by the user's fingertip.