Mechanical force switch for a medical device

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(11)

EP 2 486 866 A8

(12)	CORRECTED EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
	Note: Bibliography reflects the latest situation

(15)	Correction information:
	Corrected version no 1 (W1 A2)

(48)	Corrigendum issued on:
	10.10.2012 Bulletin 2012/41

(43)	Date of publication:
	15.08.2012 Bulletin 2012/33

(21)	Application number: 12001582.1

(22)	Date of filing: 31.05.2007

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International Patent Classification (IPC):

A61B 17/115^(2006.01)

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MT NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

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Priority:

02.06.2006 US 810272 P
09.11.2006 US 858112 P
12.02.2007 US 705334
12.02.2007 US 705246
12.02.2007 US 705381
21.02.2007 US 902534 P

(62)	Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
	07784247.4 / 2023825

(71)	Applicant: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC.
	Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 (US)

(72)	Inventor:
	Smith, Kevin W. Coral Gables, FL 33156 (US)

(74)	Representative: Banzer, Hans-Jörg et al
	Kraus & Weisert Patent- und Rechtsanwälte Thomas-Wimmer-Ring 15 80539 München 80539 München (DE)


	Remarks:
	This application was filed on 08.03.2012 as a divisional application to the application mentioned under INID code 62.

(54)	Mechanical force switch for a medical device

(57) A mechanical force switch for a medical device, wherein the switch comprises a switching piston (10), a hollow body (30) defining a body interior cavity (32, 34) in which the switching piston is moveably disposed along a piston axis to define a switch-making piston position and a switch-breaking piston position, and a bias device (50) imparting a variable longitudinal bias to the switching piston to retain the switching piston in the switch-making piston position or the switch-breaking piston position until an external force imparted to the switching system exceeds the longitudinal bias. An electrically-conductive contact (80, 160) is physically coupled to the switching piston and moveable between the two positions to define a switch-making state and a switch-breaking state, respectively.