Patent ID: 7998157

Claim:
A surgical tool system, said system including: a surgical handpiece, said surgical handpiece including a power generating unit that is actuated in response to application of energization signals; an accessory that extends from said handpiece for application to a surgical site, said accessory being connected to said power generating unit for actuation by said power generating unit; a memory integral with said handpiece, said memory including data indicating how energization signals are to be applied to said handpiece power generating unit; and a control console, said control console including: a socket to which said handpiece is removably connected so that, at different times, different surgical handpieces can be connected to said socket; a driver for supplying energization signals to said handpiece power generating unit through said socket, wherein, if the handpiece power generating unit is a motor, said driver is able to apply energization signals to windings integral with the motor to commutate the windings; and a controller connected to: said memory integral with said surgical handpiece through said socket for reading the data in said memory; and to said driver for regulating operation of said driver, said controller configured so that: if the data in said memory indicates said handpiece power generating unit is to be driven in a motor drive mode, said controller causes said driver to supply energization signals to the handpiece power generating unit to commutate windings integral with said power generating unit based on the signals from said handpiece representative of the position of a rotor integral with said power generating unit that are received by said control console; and if the data in said memory indicates said handpiece power generating unit is to be driven in a direct drive mode, said controller causes said driver to supply energization signals to the handpiece power generating unit independent of signals representative of rotor position.