Battery Assembly for Battery-Powered Surgical Instruments

• US 20110257650A1
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Palmer, Matthew A., Smith, Kevin W., Bales, Thomas O. JR., Deville, Derek Dee
• Granted Patent: US 8,663,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320092 with additional movable means for clamping or cutting tissue, e.g. with a pivoting jaw
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320071 with articulating means for working tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320089 node location
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320094 additional movable means performing clamping operation

Abstract

A battery assembly is used in battery-powered surgical instruments with handles having a battery chamber and different handle types. The battery assembly includes a housing having an exterior shape formed to removably connect with the battery chamber of the handles and a voltage-control circuit. The housing has at least one energy storage cell operable to power a signal generation assembly of the surgical instruments and a battery/handle interface having a plurality of connectors shaped to mate with a plurality of corresponding connectors within the battery chamber of the handles. The voltage-control circuit is operable to communicatively couple with and provide power to the signal generation assembly, detect which one of the handle types is connected to the housing, provide a first output in response to a detection of a first handle type, and provide at least a second output in response to a detection of a second handle type.

Claims

1. A battery assembly for use in a number of battery-powered surgical instruments with handles having a battery chamber and different handle types, the battery assembly comprising:

a housing having an exterior shape formed to removably connect with the battery chamber of the handles, the housing having;

at least one energy storage cell operable to power a signal generation assembly of the surgical instruments; and

a battery/handle interface having a plurality of connectors shaped to mate with a plurality of corresponding connectors within the battery chamber of the handles; and

a voltage-control circuit operable to;

communicatively couple with and provide power to the signal generation assembly;

detect which one of the handle types is connected to the housing;

provide a first output in response to a detection of a first handle type; and

provide at least a second output in response to a detection of at least a second handle type.

2. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

the battery-powered surgical instrument is a cordless, hand-held, ultrasonic cautery cutting device; and

the signal generation assembly comprises an ultrasonic-signal-generation assembly.

3. The battery assembly according to claim 2, wherein:

the first output is an ultrasonic-signal-generation assembly output signal for a first type of ultrasonic waveguide; and

the second output is an ultrasonic-signal-generation assembly output signal for a second type of ultrasonic waveguide different from the first type of ultrasonic waveguide.

4. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the voltage-control circuit comprises a memory operable to receive and store at least one piece of information pertaining to the surgical instrument handle.

5. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the voltage-control circuit comprises:

a memory operable to receive and store at least one piece of information; and

a communication interface coupled to the memory and operable to communicate information from the memory to an information receiver remote from the battery assembly.

6. The battery assembly according to claim 5, wherein the information is at least one of:

a battery-assembly-use history;

a battery assembly identifier;

a list of surgical instruments previously powered by the battery assembly; and

a software version identifier.

7. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the voltage-control circuit comprises a memory operable to store at least two output voltage profiles, each profile corresponding to one of a surgical instrument handle type and a surgical instrument attachment.

8. The battery assembly according to claim 7, wherein the voltage-control circuit comprises:

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable to;

interrogate the surgical instrument handle for at least one piece of information pertaining to the surgical instrument handle;

receive an instruction from the memory corresponding to the at least one piece of information pertaining to the surgical instrument handle; and

drive the voltage-control circuit according to the instruction.

9. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the battery assembly is at least one of watertightly sealed and autoclavably sealed.

10. The battery assembly according to claim 2, further comprising:

a surgical cautery and cutting end effector assembly; and

a handle being at least one of the first and second handle types and attached to the surgical cautery and cutting end effector assembly.

11. The battery assembly according to claim 10, wherein the surgical cautery and cutting end effector assembly comprises:

at least one jaw member; and

a cutting blade disposed adjacent the at least one jaw member.

12. The battery assembly according to claim 11, wherein the surgical cautery and cutting end effector assembly comprises:

an ultrasonic waveguide; and

the cutting blade is a part of the ultrasonic waveguide.

15. The battery assembly according to claim 2, wherein:

the first output is an ultrasonic-signal-generation assembly output signal for a first type of ultrasonic waveguide; and

the second output is an ultrasonic-signal-generation assembly output signal for a second type of ultrasonic waveguide different from the first type of ultrasonic waveguide.

16. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the voltage-control circuit comprises a memory operable to receive and store at least one piece of information pertaining to the surgical instrument handle, the at least one piece of information being at least one of:

a battery-assembly-use history;

a battery assembly identifier;

a list of surgical instruments previously powered by the battery assembly; and

a software version identifier.

17. The battery assembly according to claim 16, wherein the voltage-control circuit comprises:

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable to;

interrogate the surgical instrument handle for at least one piece of information pertaining to the surgical instrument handle;

receive an instruction from the memory corresponding to the at least one piece of information pertaining to the surgical instrument handle; and

drive the voltage-control circuit according to the instruction.

18. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the battery assembly is at least one of watertightly sealed and autoclavably sealed.

13. In combination with a battery-powered surgical instrument having:

a signal generation assembly;

different handle types with the handles each having a battery chamber, the signal generation assembly connected to the handle; and

the battery chamber having connectors therewithin electrically connected to the signal generation assembly,

the improvement comprising;

a battery assembly having;

a housing having an exterior shape formed to removably connect with the battery chamber of the handles, the housing having;

at least one energy storage cell operable to power the signal generation assembly of the surgical instruments; and

a battery/handle interface having a plurality of connectors shaped to mate with the connectors within each battery chamber; and

a voltage-control circuit operable to;

communicatively couple with and provide power to the signal generation assembly;

detect which one of the handle types is connected to the housing;

provide a first output in response to a detection of a first handle type; and

provide at least a second output in response to a detection of at least a second handle type.

14. The battery assembly according to claim 13, wherein:

the battery-powered surgical instrument is a cordless, hand-held, ultrasonic cautery cutting device; and

the signal generation assembly comprises an ultrasonic-signal-generation assembly.

19. A cordless, hand-held, ultrasonic cautery cutting device, comprising:

an ultrasonic signal generation assembly;

at least one handle selected from a set of different handle types each having a battery chamber, the battery chamber having connectors therewithin and electrically connected to the ultrasonic signal generation assembly; and

a removable battery assembly having;

a housing with an exterior shape formed to removably connect with the battery chamber of each of the handles, the housing having;

at least one energy storage cell operable to power the ultrasonic signal generation assembly; and

a battery/handle interface having a plurality of connectors shaped to mate with the connectors within the battery chamber; and

a voltage-control circuit operable to;

communicatively couple with and provide power to the ultrasonic signal generation assembly;

detect which one of the handle types is connected to the housing;

provide a first output in response to a detection of a first handle type; and

provide at least a second output in response to a detection of at least a second handle type.

20. The cordless, hand-held, ultrasonic cautery cutting device according to claim 19, wherein the voltage-control circuit comprises a memory operable to receive and store at least one piece of information pertaining to the surgical instrument handle, the at least one piece of information being at least one of:

a battery-assembly-use history;

a battery assembly identifier;

a list of surgical instruments previously powered by the battery assembly; and

a software version identifier.

21. The cordless, hand-held, ultrasonic cautery cutting device according to claim 20, wherein the voltage-control circuit comprises:

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable to;

interrogate the surgical instrument handle for at least one piece of information pertaining to the surgical instrument handle;

receive an instruction from the memory corresponding to the at least one piece of information pertaining to the surgical instrument handle; and

drive the voltage-control circuit according to the instruction.

22. The cordless, hand-held, ultrasonic cautery cutting device according to claim 19, wherein the battery assembly is at least one of watertightly sealed and autoclavably sealed.