JP2011206596A - Surgical footswitch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ergonomiclly improve a footswitch to be adapted to a variety of users regarding the footswitch used for controlling a microsurgical console.SOLUTION: This surgical footswitch includes a base; a treadle pivotally and rotatably mounted to the base; and a pair of switches mounted to the treadle so that rotation or counter-rotation of the treadle operates the switches.

Description

  The present invention relates generally to the field of surgical consoles, and more particularly to footswitches used to control a microsurgical console.

During modern surgery, particularly during ophthalmic surgery, surgeons use a variety of pneumatic and electronically driven microsurgical handpieces. Such handpieces are operated by a microprocessor-driven surgical console that receives input from a surgeon or assistant by various peripheral devices including footswitches. US Pat. Nos. 4,837,857 (Scheller et al.), 4,965,417 (massie), 4,983901 (lehmer), 5,091,556 (Gahn), 5,268,624 (Zanger), and 5,554,894. (Sepielli), 5580347 (Reimels), 5635777 (Telymonde et al.), 5787760 (Thorlakson), 59873749 (Holtorf), and 617929B1 (Bisch et al.), And International Patent Publication Nos. WO 98/084442 (Bisch et al.), WO 00/12037 (Chen) and WO 02/01310 (Chen), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. However, these patents focus primarily on the functional effects of the foot switch, not the ergonomics of the foot switch.
Accordingly, a need continues to exist for an ergonomically improved foot switch.

US Pat. No. 4,837,857 US Pat. No. 4,965,417 US Pat. No. 4,983,901 US Pat. No. 5,091,556 US Pat. No. 5,268,624 US Pat. No. 5,554,894 US Pat. No. 5,580,347 US Pat. No. 5,635,777 US Pat. No. 5,787,760 US Pat. No. 5,983,749 US Pat. No. 6,179,829 B1 International Patent Publication No. WO98 / 084442 International Patent Publication No. WO00 / 12037 International Patent Publication No. WO02 / 01310

The present invention seeks to improve a conventional surgical footswitch by providing a footswitch having an adjustablely arranged pedal and switch, thereby making the footswitch ergonomically more accurate for various users. It is to make it fit.
One object of the present invention is to provide a surgical switch that can be adjusted to fit different sized feet.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a surgical footswitch having an adjustable switch.

One form of the surgical foot switch according to the present invention for solving the above problems is as follows:
a) base,
b) a pedal attached to the base; and c) a pair of side switches rotatably attached to the base on both sides of the pedal;
The side switch is adjustable relative to the pedal to increase or decrease the spacing between the side switches.

Another form of surgical footswitch according to the present invention is:
a) base,
b) a pedal attached to the base; and c) a heel cup slidably held on the pedal to adjustably increase or decrease the length of the pedal.

Still another form of the surgical footswitch according to the present invention is:
a) base,
b) a pedal pivotally and rotatably mounted on the base; and c) a pair of switches mounted on the pedal to be actuated by rotation or counter rotation of the pedal.

Still another form of the surgical footswitch according to the present invention is:
a) base,
b) a pedal attached to the base; and c) a heel cup attached to the pedal so as to rotate independently of any movement of the pedal.

Still another form of the surgical footswitch according to the present invention is:
a) a base having a bottom;
b) a pedal attached to the base;
c) a plurality of plungers removably attached within the base; and d) a relatively high coefficient of friction material attached to the bottom of the base;
The plunger retracts into the base when weight is applied on the foot switch and extends outward from the base and the high coefficient of friction material when no weight is applied on the foot switch.

Still another form of the surgical footswitch according to the present invention is:
a) a base having a bottom;
b) a pedal attached to the base so as to be pivotable and rotatable;
c) a pair of side switches rotatably attached to the base on both sides of the pedal;
d) a heel cup slidably and rotatably held on the pedal to adjustably expand and contract the length of the pedal;
e) a pair of side switches attached to the pedal to be actuated by rotation of the pedal or counter rotation;
f) a plurality of plungers removably attached to the bottom; and g) a relatively high coefficient of friction material attached to the bottom;
The side switch is operable without movement of the pedal and is adjustable relative to the pedal to increase or decrease the spacing between the side switches;
The plunger retracts into the base when weight is applied on the foot switch and extends outward from the base and the high coefficient of friction material when no weight is applied on the foot switch.

Still another form of the surgical footswitch according to the present invention is:
a) base,
b) a pedal attached to the base to pivot about the pivot axis; and c) an adjustable length of the pedal while maintaining the pivot axis slightly in front of the ankle of the user's foot. Or a heel cup slidably held on the pedal for shortening.

  In a preferred embodiment, the side switch is configured to be locked at a predetermined position by a lock pin attached to the base and held in a claw in the side switch.

  In a preferred embodiment, the position of the side switch is visually displayed by a switch position indicator.

  In a preferred form, the pedal includes an upright reference point to assist in centering the foot on the pedal.

  In a preferred form, the side switch can be adjusted to fit the foot width or foot length of 95% women and 5% men, with or without shoes.

  In a preferred embodiment, the heel cup is prevented from sliding by a plurality of lock pins mounted on the heel cup, and the lock pin is configured to fit into a locking hole in the pedal.

  In a preferred embodiment, the position of the heel cup is configured to be visually displayed by a position indicator.

  In a preferred form, the lock pin mounted on the pedal that fits into a locking hole in the base to prevent rotation of the pedal and actuation of the switch when the pedal is in a non-axial pivot position where the pedal is at rest Is further included.

  In a preferred embodiment, it includes a pair of side switches rotatably attached to the base on both sides of the pedal so as to operate independently of any movement of the pedal by rotation of the heel cup.

  In a preferred form, the plunger is formed of a material having a relatively low coefficient of friction.

1 is a perspective view of a surgical foot switch according to the present invention. FIG. (A)-(C) is an enlarged plan view of the foot switch of the present invention showing the adjustment range of the side switch. It is a disassembled perspective view of the surgical foot switch which shows the assembly of a side switch. (A)-(B) are bottom views of the side switch that can be used in the foot switch of the present invention showing the operation of the rotatable lock mechanism. It is a top view of the foot switch of the present invention. It is an exploded view of the assembly of the heel cup slide adjustment mechanism which can be used for the foot switch of this invention. (A)-(B) is a top view of the heel cup which can be used for the foot switch of this invention which shows the effect | action of a slidable heel cup adjustment mechanism. It is a top view of the foot switch by this invention similar to FIG. 6 which shows the rotation effect | action of a pedal. (A)-(B) is a bottom view of the switch of the pedal which can be used for the foot switch by this invention. It is a side view including the partial cross section of the foot switch of this invention which shows the position of the turning axis | shaft point of the pedal with respect to a user's ankle. (A)-(B) are side views of the foot switch according to the present invention showing the operation of the pedal rotation lock. 9 is a plan view of a foot switch according to the present invention similar to FIGS. It is an assembly exploded view of a heel cup rotation mechanism. It is a bottom view of the foot switch of the present invention. (A)-(C) are sectional views of a foot switch according to the present invention showing the action of a gravity resistant spring loaded plunger foot.

  As best shown in FIG. 1, a foot switch 10 according to the present invention generally includes a base 12, a pedal 14 having a heel cup 16, and a side or wing switch 18, such as stainless steel, titanium or plastic, etc. It can form with the material of. The base 12 includes a protective bumper 20 formed of a relatively soft elastic material. As best shown in FIGS. 2 (A)-(C), 3, and 4 (A)-(B), the side switch 18 expands or contracts the spacing between the side switches 18 and the user's foot. It can be adjusted inward (FIG. 2B) or outward (FIG. 2C) to accommodate 100 changes. Such adjustment is accomplished by pressing on the lock button 22 to release the lock pin 24 on the base 12 from the pawl 26 in the switch 18 and rotate around a pin 28 in a hole 30 formed on the base 12. Let As best shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, when the lock button 22 is released, the spring 32 biases the pawl 26 against the lock pin 24, thereby causing the switch 18 to enter the locked position. Hold. The relative position of the switch can be determined visually by use of the switch position indicator 34.

  As best shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 7 (A) and (B), the length of the pedal 14 may be adjusted by the sliding movement of the heel cup 16. As best shown in FIG. 6, the pedal 14 is attached to the pedal base 36 by a thrust bearing 38, thereby allowing rotation about the axis 40 of the pedal 14. The heel cup slide 42 is received on the pedal 14 and includes a lock lever 44, which is held on the heel cup slide 42 by a retainer 46. The lock pin 48 is held in the lock lever 44 by the shaft 50. The lock pin 48 is biased toward the lock pin hole or the locking hole 52 in the pedal 14 by a spring 54 that biases the lock pin holder 56. In this way, by pushing on the lock lever 44, the lock pin 48 is pulled from the lock pin hole 52, and along the slot 58 in the pedal 14 as shown in FIGS. 7 (A)-(B). Allows sliding of the heel cup slide 42 in the longitudinal direction. The relative position of the heel cup 16 with respect to the pedal 14 is visibly indicated by an indicator 60. Further, the pedal 14 may include an upstanding reference point 62 that indicates the center of the pedal 14.

  The width and length adjustments described above preferably allow the foot switch 10 to be adjusted to fit between 95% female to 5% male foot width and length, with or without shoes. As best shown in FIG. 10, the ankle rotation axis 65 of the foot 100 is behind the pivot axis 68 of the pedal 14 for all three pedal lengths.

  As best shown in FIGS. 8, 9 (A) and (B), the pedal 14 may rotate about the thrust bearing 38 or counter-rotate to actuate the left / right switch 64. This left / right switch is mounted on the pedal base 36. The rotation spring 66 is provided for automatic centering of the pedal 14 following the rotation. As best shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the pedal base 36 includes an alignment pin 70 that is a hole in the base 12 when the pedal 14 is in a non-rotating position. 72. Such a configuration prevents rotation of the pedal 14 that starts the switch 64 when the pedal 14 is in a non-turning position (FIG. 11A), but the pedal 14 is depressed or pivoted (FIG. 11B). Sometimes the pedal 14 is allowed to rotate.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the heel cup 16 is attached to the heel cup slide 42 using thrust bearings 74, alignment caps 76 and screws 82. Such an arrangement allows the heel cup 16 to rotate independently of any rotation of the pedal 14 (shown in FIGS. 8 and 9A-B), and the pedal 14 is resting and rotatable in the locked position (FIG. 11A). Sometimes, the side switch 18 can be actuated. A return lever 78 attached to the heel cup 16 acts on the return spring 80 to allow automatic centering of the heel cup 16 in the rest position.

  14 and 15 (A)-(C), the bottom 85 of the base 12 is preferably coated with a relatively high coefficient of friction polymer material 84 (eg, VERSFLEX TPE (trade name), etc.). And a plurality of retractable or retractable gravity resistant spring loaded plunger feet 86 formed from a low coefficient of friction polymer material (eg, DELRIN® acetal resin). When the foot switch 10 is not subjected to weight, the spring loaded plunger 86 projects a short distance D (eg, 0.04 inch = about 0.1 cm) outward from the bottom 85 as shown in FIG. And the sliding of the foot switch 10 on the plunger tip 88 with a relatively low coefficient of friction, as shown in Fig. 15C, when weight is applied on the foot switch 10. The plunger foot 86 is retracted and the high coefficient of friction bottom 85 is in contact with the floor, thereby making it more difficult to slide the foot switch 10 in use.

  The above description is for explanation and explanation. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made to the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

10 Foot switch 12 Base 14 Pedal 16 Heel cup 18 Side switch 24 Lock pin 26 Claw 34 Switch position indicator 36 Pedal base 42 Heel cup slide 44 Lock lever 44
48 Lock Pin 52 Lock Pin Hole (Locking Hole)
60 Display 62 Reference point 64 Switch 68 Rotating axis 88 Plunger foot

Claims (16)

a) base,
a surgical footswitch comprising: b) a pedal pivotally and rotatably attached to the base; and c) a pair of switches attached to the pedal to be actuated by rotation or counter-rotation of the pedal.   A lock pin mounted on the pedal that fits into a locking hole in the base to prevent rotation of the pedal and actuation of the switch when the pedal is in a non-axial pivot position; The surgical footswitch of claim 1. a) base,
A surgical footswitch comprising: b) a pedal attached to the base; and c) a heel cup rotatably attached to the pedal so as to rotate independently of any movement of the pedal.   The surgical footswitch of claim 3, further comprising a pair of side switches rotatably attached to the base on opposite sides of the pedal so as to operate independently of any movement of the pedal by rotation of the heel cup. . a) a base having a bottom;
b) a pedal attached to the base;
c) a plurality of plungers removably attached within the base; and d) a relatively high coefficient of friction material attached to the bottom of the base;
The surgical foot retracts into the base when weight is applied on the foot switch and extends outward from the base and the high coefficient of friction material when weight is not applied on the foot switch. switch.   The surgical footswitch of claim 5, wherein the plunger is formed of a relatively low coefficient of friction material. a) a base having a bottom;
b) a pedal attached to the base so as to be pivotable and rotatable;
c) a pair of side switches rotatably attached to the base on both sides of the pedal;
d) a heel cup slidably and rotatably held on the pedal to adjustably expand and contract the length of the pedal;
e) a pair of side switches attached to the pedal to be actuated by rotation of the pedal or counter rotation;
f) a plurality of plungers removably attached to the bottom; and g) a relatively high coefficient of friction material attached to the bottom;
The side switch is operable without movement of the pedal and is adjustable relative to the pedal to increase or decrease the spacing between the side switches;
The surgical foot retracts into the base when weight is applied on the foot switch and extends outward from the base and the high coefficient of friction material when weight is not applied on the foot switch. switch.   The surgical foot switch according to claim 7, wherein the side switch is locked in place by a lock pin attached to the base held in a claw in the side switch.   The surgical footswitch of claim 7, wherein the position of the side switch is visually displayed by a switch position indicator.   The surgical footswitch of claim 7, wherein the pedal includes an upstanding reference point to assist in centering the foot on the pedal.   The surgical footswitch of claim 7, wherein the heel cup is adjustable to fit a foot width of 95% of women and 5% of men, with or without shoes.   The surgical footswitch of claim 7, wherein the heel cup is prevented from sliding by a plurality of lock pins mounted on the heel cup, and the lock pins fit into locking holes in the pedal.   The surgical footswitch of claim 7, wherein the position of the heel cup is visually displayed by a position indicator.   The surgery of claim 7, wherein the heel cup is slidably adjustable to fit the foot length of 95% of women and 5% of men, with or without shoes. Foot switch.   A lock pin mounted on the pedal that fits into a locking hole in the base to prevent rotation of the pedal and actuation of the switch when the pedal is in a non-axial pivot position; The surgical footswitch of claim 7.   The surgical footswitch of claim 7, wherein the plunger is formed of a relatively low coefficient of friction material.

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