Patent ID: 8035487

Claim:
A method of assembling and identifying a powered surgical tool assembly, said method including the steps of: connecting a powered surgical device to a control console, the powered surgical device having a power generating unit and an identification component that contains data specific to the powered surgical device; connecting a removable intermediate attachment to the powered surgical device; attaching to the intermediate attachment a removable accessory capable of performing a surgical task, the accessory having an identification component that contains data specific to the accessory wherein, as a result of said accessory attachment, the intermediate attachment links the power generating unit to the accessory; transmitting from the powered surgical device to the intermediate attachment an accessory interrogation signal; forwarding the accessory interrogation signal through the intermediate attachment to the accessory identification component; in response to receipt of the accessory interrogation signal by the accessory identification component, transmitting from the accessory identification component an accessory identification signal to the intermediate attachment; forwarding the accessory identification signal through the intermediate attachment to the powered surgical device; and transmitting from the powered surgical device to the control console: a signal from the powered surgical device identification component that identifies the powered surgical device; and the accessory identification signal that was forwarded from the intermediate attachment to the powered surgical device.