BATTERY DRAIN KILL FEATURE IN A BATTERY POWERED DEVICE

• US 20130123777A1
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Monson, Gavin M., Trees, Gregory A., Leather, Gordon J., Evans, John Hefin Bowen, Ruddenklau, David I., Green, Alan E., Roberts, Paul C., Styler, Clive, Daily, Christopher E., Pinheiro, Paulo Alexandre da Torre
• Granted Patent: US 9,283,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1233 with circuits for assuring patient safety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00115 with audible or visual output
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00196 reciprocating lengthwise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00595 Cauterization
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0072 Current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00726 Duty cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00732 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00767 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00827 Current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00892 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00916 with means for switching or controlling the main function of the instrument or device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00922 by switching or controlling the treatment energy directly within the hand-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1226 powered by a battery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1286 having a specific transformer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 : having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/20 : Clips, i.e. with gripping action effected solely by the inherent resistance to deformation of the material of the fastening
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20666 : Lever engaging

Abstract

A medical instrument is disclosed. The medical instrument includes at least one electrical contact, a radio frequency (RF) generation circuit coupled to and operated by the battery and operable to generate an RF drive signal and to provide the RF drive signal to the at least one electrical contact, a battery discharge circuit coupled to the RF generation circuit, a processor coupled to the battery discharge circuit, and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores computer instructions that when executed cause the processor to monitor battery capacity and send a signal to the battery discharge circuit to discharge a battery coupled to the battery discharge circuit when the battery capacity falls below a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A medical instrument, comprising:

at least one electrical contact;

a radio frequency (RF) generation circuit coupled to and operated by the battery and operable to generate an RF drive signal and to provide the RF drive signal to the at least one electrical contact;

a battery discharge circuit coupled to the RF generation circuit;

a processor coupled to the battery discharge circuit; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory stores computer instructions that when executed cause the processor to;

monitor battery capacity; and

send a signal to the battery discharge circuit to discharge a battery coupled to the battery discharge circuit when the battery capacity falls below a predetermined threshold.

2. The medical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

monitor capacity of a battery coupled to the battery discharge circuit; and

determine when the battery capacity is below a predetermined threshold;

wherein, when the processor determines that the battery capacity is below the predetermined threshold, the processor outputs the signal to the battery discharge circuit to controllably discharge the battery.

3. The medical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the battery discharge circuit comprises an electronic switch element coupled to the processor and coupled to a battery coupled to the battery discharge load resistor, wherein when the processor applies the signal to the electronic switch element, the electronic switch element conducts current from the battery to controllably discharge the battery.

4. The medical instrument according to claim 3, wherein the electronic switch element is selected from the group consisting of a transistor, relay, silicon controlled rectifier, optical isolator, optical coupler.

5. The medical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising an output sensing circuit coupled to the processor, wherein the output sensing circuit is configured to verify output current and output voltage sensing functions.

6. The medical instrument according to claim 5, wherein the output sensing circuit comprises a dummy load, and wherein the processor is configured to:

measure a first battery voltage;

apply a dummy load;

measure a second battery voltage after dummy load is applied;

remove the dummy load;

calculate the voltage drop between the first battery voltage measured and the second battery voltage measured; and

determine if there is sufficient energy to proceed based on the voltage drop.

7. A medical instrument, comprising:

a battery discharge circuit;

a processor coupled to the battery discharge circuit; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory stores computer instructions that when executed cause the processor to send a signal to the battery discharge circuit to discharge a battery coupled to the battery discharge circuit.

8. The medical instrument according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured:

to monitor capacity of a battery coupled to the battery discharge circuit; and

determine when the battery capacity is below a predetermined threshold;

wherein, when the processor determines that the battery capacity is below the predetermined threshold, the processor outputs the signal to the battery discharge circuit to controllably discharge the battery.

9. The medical instrument according to claim 7, wherein the battery discharge circuit comprises an electronic switch element coupled to the processor and coupled to a battery coupled to the battery discharge load resistor, wherein when the processor applies the signal to the electronic switch element, the electronic switch element conducts current from the battery to controllably discharge the battery.

10. The medical instrument according to claim 9, wherein the electronic switch element is selected from the group consisting of a transistor, relay, silicon controlled rectifier, optical isolator, optical coupler.

11. The medical instrument according to claim 7, further comprising an output sensing circuit coupled to the processor, wherein the output sensing circuit is configured to verify output current and output voltage sensing functions.

13. A method of discharging a battery in a medical instrument comprising a battery discharge circuit, a processor coupled to the battery discharge circuit, and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory stores computer instructions that when executed control the operation of the processor, the method comprising:

monitoring battery capacity by a processor; and

sending a signal by the processor to a battery discharge circuit to discharge a battery coupled to the battery discharge circuit when the battery capacity falls below a predetermined threshold.

12. The medical instrument according to claim 13, wherein the output sensing circuit comprises a dummy load, and wherein the processor is configured to:

measure a first battery voltage;

apply a dummy load;

measure a second battery voltage after dummy load is applied;

remove the dummy load;

calculate the voltage drop between the first battery voltage measured and the second battery voltage measured; and

determine if there is sufficient energy to proceed based on the voltage drop.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising:

monitoring capacity by the processor of a battery coupled to the battery discharge circuit; and

determining by the processor when the battery capacity is below a predetermined threshold;

determining by the processor that the battery capacity is below the predetermined threshold;

outputting the signal by the processor to the battery discharge circuit;

controllably discharging the battery by the battery discharge circuit.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising conducting by the electronic switch element current from the battery to controllably discharge the battery.

16. The method according to claim 13, comprising verifying output current and output voltage sensing functions by an output sensing circuit coupled to the processor.

17. The method according to claim 19, wherein the output sensing circuit comprises a dummy load, and wherein the method comprises:

measuring by the processor a first battery voltage;

applying by the processor a dummy load;

measuring by the processor a second battery voltage after dummy load is applied;

removing by the processor the dummy load;

calculating by the processor the voltage drop between the first battery voltage measured and the second battery voltage measured; and

determining by the processor if there is sufficient energy to proceed based on the voltage drop.