AUTOCLAVABLE CHARGING DEVICE FOR A RECHARGEABLE ENERGY STORE OF A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT AND ASSOCIATED METHOD

• US 20120007550A1
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Winter & Ibe GmbH (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Winter & Ibe GmbH (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Juergens, Thorsten
• Granted Patent: US 8,810,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/07 Steam
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/26 Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to an autoclavable charging device (12, 13, 15-20) for an electrical and rechargeable energy store (30) of a surgical instrument (11). The invention further relates to a method for charging a rechargeable energy store (30) in an autoclaved surgical instrument (11) or for an autoclaved surgical instrument (11).

The charging device according to the invention is characterized in that this device comprises a receiving device (13) for receiving and converting an electromagnetic field into an alternating current voltage, and comprising charging electronics (12) galvanically connected to the receiving device (13), wherein the charging electronics (12) convert the alternating current voltage into the charging voltage, and wherein the charging device (12, 13, 15-20) comprises at least one galvanic output connection (17, 18, 19, 20) for galvanically connecting to the energy store (30) of the surgical instrument (11).

The method according to the invention is characterized in that before charging the energy store (30) is galvanically connected to the at least one galvanic output connection (17-20) of the charging device (12, 13, 15-20), wherein the surgical instrument (11) and/or the energy store (30) is then autoclaved, wherein the surgical instrument (11) and/or the energy store (30) is then brought into an effective range of a device (14) generating an electromagnetic field, and a resonant coupling is generated between the device (14) generating the electromagnetic field and a receiving device (13) of the charging device (12, 13, 15-20), said coupling leading to an energy transfer from the device (14) generating the electromagnetic field to the receiving device (13), wherein the energy is used at least partially for generating a charging voltage for the energy store (30).

Claims

1. An autoclavable charging device for an electrical and rechargeable energy store of a surgical instrument, the charging device comprising:

a receiving device for receiving an electromagnetic field and for converting the field into an alternating current voltage, and

charging electronics galvanically connected to the receiving device, wherein the charging electronics convert the alternating current voltage into a charging voltage,

wherein the charging device comprises at least one galvanic output connection for galvanically connecting to the energy store of the surgical instrument.

2. The autoclavable charging device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device comprises a first resonator device.

3. The autoclavable charging device according to claim 1, wherein the charging electronics are adapted to charge a rechargeable energy store galvanically connected to the charging electronics.

4. An autoclavable carrying device with an integrated autoclavable charging device according to claim 1 for the rechargeable energy store disposed in the surgical instrument.

5. The autoclavable carrying device according to claim 4, wherein the carrying device has a receiving region which at least in sections has a compatible shape and/or is adapted in shape to at least one section of the surgical instrument.

6. An arrangement of an autoclavable charging device according to claim 1, further comprising a device generating an electromagnetic field, whereas the device is coupled to the receiving device via a specified path.

7. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the device generating the electric field has a second resonator device.

8. The arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the second resonator device is in resonance with a first resonator device.

11. The autoclavable charging device according to claim 2, wherein the charging electronics are adapted to charge a rechargeable energy store galvanically connected to the charging electronics.

12. The autoclavable charging device according to claim 3, wherein the rechargeable energy store is disposed in the surgical instrument.

13. The autoclavable charging device according to claim 11, wherein the rechargeable energy store is disposed in the surgical instrument.

14. The autoclavable carrying device according to claim 4, wherein the rechargeable energy store comprises an accumulator.

15. An arrangement of an autoclavable carrying device according to claim 4, further comprising a device generating an electromagnetic field, whereas the device is coupled to the receiving device via a specified path.

16. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the device generating the electric field has a second resonator device.

17. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the second resonator device is in resonance with a first resonator device.

9. A method for charging a rechargeable energy store in an autoclaved surgical instrument or for an autoclaved surgical instrument, the method comprising:

before charging, galvanically connecting the energy store to at least one galvanic output connection of a charging device;

autoclaving the surgical instrument and/or the energy store,

bringing one or more of the surgical instrument, the charging device and the energy store into an effective range of the device generating an electromagnetic field, and a resonant coupling is generated between the device generating the electromagnetic field and a receiving device of the charging device, said coupling leading to an energy transfer from the device generating the electromagnetic field to the receiving device,

wherein the energy is used at least partially for generating a charging voltage for the energy store.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein before charging, the surgical instrument is disposed on a carrying device and the surgical instrument that has the energy store is galvanically connected to the at least one galvanic output connection of the charging device, wherein the carrying device with the surgical instrument is then autoclaved and, wherein the carrying device with the surgical instrument is then brought into the effective range of the device transmitting the electromagnetic field.