SURGICAL EQUIPMENT SOCKET, SURGICAL GENERATOR, SURGICAL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING THE USE OF A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT IN A SURGICAL SYSTEM

Abstract

A surgical equipment socket for a surgical generator for connecting surgical instruments, a surgical system and a method for detecting the use of a surgical instrument in a surgical system, wherein the surgical equipment socket includes a first indicator assembly having a first movable element, and a first detection element; wherein the first movable element is movable from a free position to a mated position, and wherein the first detection element is adapted to detect whether the first movable element is in the mated position.

Description

Claims

1. A surgical equipment socket for a surgical generator for connecting surgical instruments, the surgical equipment socket comprising a first indicator assembly having a first movable element, and a first detection element; wherein the first movable element is movable from a free position to a mated position, and wherein the first detection element is adapted to detect whether the first movable element is in the mated position.

2. The surgical equipment socket according to claim 1, comprising a second indicator assembly having a second movable element, and a second detection element; wherein the second movable element is movable from a free position to a mated position, and wherein the second detection element is adapted to detect whether the second movable element is in the mated position.

3. The surgical equipment socket according to claim 1, wherein the first movable element is movable in a rotational movement direction from the free position to the mated position, and/or the first movable element is rotatably supported about a first pivot axis, and/orwherein the second movable element is movable in a rotational movement direction from the free position to the mated position, and/or the second movable element is rotatably supported about a second pivot axis.

4. The surgical equipment socket according to claim 1, wherein the first indicator assembly comprises a first return element, wherein the first return element is adapted to move the first movable element from the mated position to the free position, and/orwherein the second indicator assembly comprises a second return element, wherein the second return element is adapted to move the second movable element from the mated position to the free position.

5. The surgical equipment socket according to the claim 4, wherein the first detection element comprises a switch, and/or a sensor, and/orwherein the second detection element comprises a switch, and/or a sensor.

6. The surgical equipment socket according to claim 1, wherein the first indicator assembly and the second indicator assembly are spaced apart circumferentially, and/orwherein the first movable element has a first detection portion and a first plug contact portion, and/orwherein the second movable element has a second detection portion and a second plug contact portion.

7. The surgical equipment socket according to claim 1, wherein the first return element is formed as a spiral spring and/or a torsion spring, and/orwherein the first return element is positioned between the first movable element and the first pivot axis, and/orwherein the second return element is formed as a spiral spring and/or a torsion spring, and/orwherein the second return element is positioned between the second movable element and the second pivot axis.

8. The surgical equipment socket according to claim 1, comprising at least one contact opening for receiving at least one contact pin of a plug of a surgical instrument.

9. The surgical equipment socket according to claim 1, wherein the first movable element of the first indicator assembly is moveable upon insertion of a first plug of a first surgical instrument into the surgical equipment socket, and/orwherein the second movable element of the second indicator assembly is moveable upon insertion of a second plug of a second surgical instrument into the surgical equipment socket socket, and/orwherein the first movable element of the first indicator assembly and the second movable element of the second indicator assembly are moveable upon insertion of a third plug of a third surgical instrument into the surgical equipment socket.

10. A surgical generator, comprising a surgical equipment socket according to claim 1.

11. A surgical system, comprising a surgical generator according to claim 10, anda first surgical instrument having a first plug and a second surgical instrument having a second plug,wherein the first plug of the first surgical instrument is adapted to move the first movable element of the first indicator assembly from the free position to the mated position upon its insertion into the surgical equipment socket.

12. The surgical system according to claim 11, wherein the second plug of the second surgical instrument is adapted not to move the first movable element of the first indicator assembly from the free position to the mated position upon its insertion into the surgical equipment socket, and/orwherein the second plug of the second surgical instrument is adapted to move the second movable element of the second indicator assembly from the free position to the mated position upon its insertion into the surgical equipment socket.

13. The surgical system according to claim 12, comprising a third surgical instrument having a third plug, wherein the third plug of the third surgical instrument is adapted to move the first movable element of the first indicator assembly and the second movable element of the second indicator assembly upon its insertion into the surgical equipment socket socket, and/ora control unit adapted to generate a signal depending on whether the first detection element has detected that the first movable element is in the mated position and/or whether the second detection element has detected that the second movable element is in the mated position.

14. A method for detecting the use of a surgical instrument in a surgical system, the surgical system comprising a surgical generator and a first surgical instrument having a first plug and a second surgical instrument having a second plug, the method comprising inserting the first plug of the first surgical instrument into the surgical equipment socket and detecting whether a first movable element of a first indicator assembly is in a mated position.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising removing the first plug of the first surgical instrument from the surgical equipment socket, and/orinserting the second plug of the second surgical instrument into the surgical equipment socket and detecting whether the first movable element of the first indicator assembly is in the mated position, and/or whether a second movable element of a second indicator assembly is in a mated position, and/orremoving the second plug of the second surgical instrument from the surgical equipment socket, and/orinserting a third plug of a third surgical instrument into the surgical equipment socket and detecting whether the first movable element of the first indicator assembly is in the mated position and whether the second movable element of the second indicator assembly is in the mated position, and/orremoving the third plug of the third surgical instrument from the surgical equipment socket socket.