Method of charging and using an aseptic battery assembly with a removable battery pack

• US 8,400,108 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Powell, Matt, Gerber, Vaughn R., Duis, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhang, Jue
• Application Number:
  US12/766,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20100264876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 320/110, 320112-115
• US Class Current: 320/113
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A battery assembly with a housing that contains a removable battery pack. The housing, which is sterilzable, has a head designed to couple to a power consuming device. The battery pack, which is not sterlizable, contains at least one rechargeable cell. The battery pack has a head dimensioned to fit the same charger socket that can receive a sterlizable battery. The battery pack has contacts that abut charger contacts. The housing has internal contacts. Collectively, the housing and battery pack are shaped so that, when the battery pack seats in the housing, the battery pack contacts abut the housing internal contacts. The housing internal contacts are connected to the housing external contacts for supply power to the power consuming device. A cover selectively holds the battery pack in the housing chamber.

Claims

1. A method of charging and using an aseptic battery, said method including the steps of:

providing a charger with a socket, the socket shaped to receive a sterilizable battery that has at least one rechargeable cell, the socket having terminals across which a charging current is applied to the at least one rechargeable cell of the sterilizable battery;

fitting to the charger socket shaped to receive a sterilzable battery a non-sterilizable battery pack that has at least one rechargeable cell;

with the charger, charging the at least one rechargeable cell of the non-sterilizable battery pack;

after said charging of the at least one rechargeable cell of the battery pack, placing the battery pack in a sterilizable housing that has been sterilized, the housing have a head with external contacts and internal contacts located in the housing, the internal contacts being electrically connected to the external contacts wherein, as a result of the said placement of the battery pack in the housing, the battery pack at least one rechargeable cell is placed in contact with the housing internal contacts, and enclosing the battery pack in the housing;

after said enclosing the battery pack in the sterilizable housing, connecting the housing head to a surgical tool; and

providing power to the surgical tool from the battery pack at least one rechargeable cell through the housing internal and external contacts.

2. The method of charging and using an aseptic battery of claim 1, wherein:

the battery pack has at least one external contact that is connected to the at least one rechargeable cell of the battery pack;

in said step of fitting the battery pack to the charger socket, the battery pack is fitted to the socket so that the battery pack external contact contacts a terminal to which contacts integral with the sterilizable battery would contact, so that, in said charging step, the charger charges the battery pack at least one rechargeable cell through the terminal over which current would be applied to the at least one rechargeable cell of the sterilizable battery; and

in said step of placing the battery pack in the sterilizable housing, the battery pack is positioned so that the at least one external contact of the battery pack abuts one of the internal contacts of the sterilizable housing so that, in said step of providing power to the surgical tool, power is provided from the at least one rechargeable cell of the battery pack through the at least one external contact of the battery pack, at least one of the internal contacts of the sterilizable housing and at least one of the external contacts of the sterilizable housing.

3. The method of charging and using an aseptic battery of claim 2, wherein:

the battery pack has a plurality of external contacts connected to the at least one rechargeable cell of the battery pack;

in said step of placing the battery pack in the sterilizable housing, the battery pack is positioned so that the external contacts of the battery pack abut separate ones of the internal contacts of the sterilizable housing so that, in said step of providing power to the surgical tool, power is provided from the at least one rechargeable cell of the battery pack through the external contacts of the battery pack, the internal contacts of the sterilizable housing and the external contacts of the sterilizable housing.

4. The method of charging and using an aseptic battery of claim 1, wherein:

a lid is moveably attached to said sterilizable housing so that when the sterilizable housing is subjected to a sterilization process, the lid is sterilized; and

in said step of enclosing the battery pack in the sterilizable housing, the lid is moved so as to be positioned over the battery pack and is latched to the sterilizable housing.

5. The method of charging and using an aseptic battery of claim 1, wherein, in said step of enclosing the battery pack in the sterilized housing, a cover is secured over the battery pack and the sterilizable housing, a seal is positioned between the cover and the sterilizable pack so that when the cover is secured over the sterilizable housing, the seal is compressed between the cover and the sterilizable housing.

6. The method of charging and using an aseptic battery of claim 1, wherein:

the battery pack includes a memory and a communications contact that is connected to the battery memory and the sterilizable housing includes an internal data contact disposed in the housing and an external data contact located outside of the housing, the internal and external data contacts being connected together;

as a result of said placement of the battery pack in the sterilizable housing, a conductive link is established between the battery pack communications contact and the internal data contact of the sterilizable housing; and

after said step of connecting the sterilizable housing to the surgical tool, further including the step of writing data from the surgical tool through the sterilizable housing external and internal data contacts and the battery pack communications contact to the battery pack memory.

7. The method of charging an aseptic battery of claim 1, wherein the sterilizable housing is sterilized to a sterilization assurance level of at least 10⁻

4.

8. A method of charging and using an aseptic battery, said method including the steps of:

providing a charger with a socket, the socket shaped to receive a sterilizable battery that has at least one rechargeable cell, the socket having terminals across which a charging current is applied to the at least one rechargeable cell of the sterilizable battery;

seating a battery pack that is not sterilizable in the charger socket, the battery pack having at least one rechargeable cell and power contacts that are connected to the at least one cell, wherein in said step of seating the battery pack, the battery pack power contacts are electrically connected to the socket terminals;

charging the at least one rechargeable cell of the battery pack by applying a charging current through the socket terminals and the battery pack power contacts to the cell;

after said step of charging the at least one rechargeable cell of the battery pack, placing the battery pack in a previously sterilized housing, the housing having;

a void space in which the battery pack is placed;

internal power contacts located in the void space; and

external power contacts located outside of the housing that are connected to the internal power contacts wherein, as a result of said step of placing the battery pack in the sterilized housing, electrical connections are established between the battery pack power contacts and the housing internal power contacts;

with a sterilized cover, enclosing the battery pack in the sterilized housing;

connecting the sterilized housing to a surgical tool so that, as a result of said connection step, the housing external power contacts are conductively connected to power contacts integral with the surgical tool; and

providing power to the surgical tool from the battery pack at least one rechargeable cell through the battery pack power contacts, the internal and external power contacts of the sterilized housing and the surgical tool power contacts integral with the surgical tool.

9. The method of charging and using an aseptic battery of claim 8, wherein, in said step of enclosing the battery pack in the sterilized housing, a lid that is moveably attached to housing so that the lid is sterilized with housing so as to function as the sterilized cover is closed over the battery pack.

10. The method of charging and using an aseptic battery of claim 8, wherein, in said step of enclosing the battery pack in the sterilized housing, a seal is compressed between the sterilized cover and sections of the sterilized housing.

11. The method of charging and using an aseptic battery of claim 8, wherein:

the battery pack includes a memory and a communications contact that is connected to the battery memory and the sterilized housing includes an internal data contact disposed in the housing and an external data contact located outside of the housing, the internal and external data contacts being connected together;

as a result of said placement of the battery pack in the sterilized housing, a conductive link is established between the battery pack communications contact and the internal data contact of the sterilized housing; and

after said step of connecting the sterilizable housing to the surgical tool, writing data from the surgical tool through the sterilized housing external and internal data contacts and the battery pack communications contact to the battery pack memory.

12. The method of charging an aseptic battery of claim 8, wherein the sterilized housing is sterilized to a sterilization assurance level of at least 10⁻

4.