Claims
- 1. A method of limiting usage of a medical probe, comprising:detecting an environmental condition to which the medical probe is exposed; electronically storing a probe sterilization indicator in the medical probe if the detected environmental condition indicates exposure of the medical probe to a sterilization cycle; determining whether the probe sterilization indicator is present; and conditionally operating the medical probe based on a presence of the sterilization indicator.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditional operation of the medical probe comprises preventing operation of the medical probe if the sterilization indicator is present.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditional operation of the medical probe comprises allowing operation of the medical probe if the sterilization indicator is absent.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein a presence of the probe sterilization indicator is determined when the medical probe is connected to a control unit.
- 5. A control unit for connection to a medical probe, the medical probe having electronic storage componentry, the control unit comprising:control circuitry configured to electrically couple to the electronic storage componentry for reading data from the electronic storage componentry, and for conditionally operating the medical probe based on a presence of a probe sterilization indicator in the data.
- 6. The control unit of claim 5, wherein the control circuitry prevents operation of the medical probe if the probe sterilization indicator is present.
- 7. The control unit of claim 5, wherein the control circuitry allows operation of the medical probe if the probe sterilization indicator is absent.
- 8. The control unit of claim 5, further comprising:an RF power source; and an interlocking device electrically coupled between the RF power source and the control circuitry.
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/391,122, filed Sep. 7, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,611,793 the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
WO9320770 |
Oct 1993 |
WO |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/391122 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
10/634533 |
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US |