Patent ID: 8287534

Claim:
An electrosurgical instrument for selectively providing electrical energy to an electrode blade for cutting and coagulation, comprising: a housing; a reduced neck portion at a first end of the housing, the neck portion being configured to receive and retain an electrode blade extending outwardly therefrom; a light source disposed within an interior of the housing; a light power source encapsulated within the interior of the housing; plural user-selectable switches disposed at an exterior of the housing and extending therethrough to the interior of the housing, wherein: a first switch of the plural switches is configured, when depressed, to close an electrical circuit and to communicate to the attached electrode blade either of a cutting signal or a coagulating signal, and a second switch of the plural switches is coupled in electrical communication with each of the light source and the light power source, wherein the second switch is configured, when actuated, to close an electrical circuit, to communicate an operable electrical signal to the light source, and to cause the light source to illuminate; a circuit board disposed within the housing and directly underlying the first switch, the circuit board further being coupled in electrical communication with the electrode blade; and an electrically conductive lead comprising: a first end disposed within the housing and being coupled in electrical communication with the circuit board; and a second end extending outwardly from the housing and being configured for electrically coupling with an external electrosurgical signal generator.