Electrical device power management

• US 9,880,227 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Aircraft Medical Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: McGrath, Matthew John Ross, Inglis, Peter Douglas Colin, Laffoley, Brian Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Boles, Sameh
• Application Number:
  US15/097,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20160226272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00025 characterised by power management
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00029 externally powered, e.g. wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00034 rechargeable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/267 for the respiratory tract, e.g. laryngoscopes, bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/50 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance, e.g. for maintaining operating temperature constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5044 Cells or batteries structurally combined with cell condition indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electrical device includes a memory storing a value indicative the remaining available rated capacity of one or more batteries. The stored value is changed in use to reflect reducing capacity. The initial stored value is chosen so that there is a very high (e.g. >99.9%) confidence that the one or more batteries will provide at least the capacity indicated by the initial stored value. This reduces the chance of failure during emergency procedures. The one or more batteries may be integral to the electrical device. An override facility is provided.

Claims

1. A video laryngoscope comprising:

a video laryngoscope body;

a battery pack comprising one or more batteries;

a memory storing a value indicative of a remaining available rated capacity of the one or more batteries; and

a usage recording device configured to determine when the video laryngoscope is operating and to update the value stored in the memory responsive to such usage to reflect consumption of power from the one or more batteries resulting from the operating.

2. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the value of the remaining available rated capacity initially stored in the memory is selected so that in at least 99% of cases the one or more batteries will have remaining stored power that could be used to power normal operating of the video laryngoscope when the value is indicative that the rated capacity has been exhausted.

3. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the video laryngoscope body comprises a video display configured to display the value.

4. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the value represents a number of remaining minutes of use remaining for the one or more batteries based on the available rated capacity of the one or more batteries.

5. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the usage recording device comprises a processor configured to:

determine the usage by determining an amount of time that one or more batteries are used; and

update the value by causing the memory to decrement the value based on the amount of time.

6. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the one or more batteries cannot be accessed by the user and there is no recharging interface.

7. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the value is a numerical value representative of remaining available rated capacity.

8. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack is disposable.

9. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the memory is in the battery pack.

10. A video laryngoscope according to claim 8, wherein the value is indicative of a number of units of time of operating of the video laryngoscope, or operating of the video laryngoscope in one or more modes, for which the one or more batteries has remaining available rated capacity for a given power consumption.

11. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the video laryngoscope will stop, or not start, carrying out one or more operating functions once the remaining available rated capacity indicated by the value is below a threshold.

12. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the video laryngoscope comprises an override to enable a user to continue to carry out, or to start, some or all of the operating functions even though this has occurred.

13. A video laryngoscope according to claim 12, wherein the override comprises a microphone and the video laryngoscope allows a user to continue to carry out, or to start, some or all of the operating functions responsive to a sufficiently loud sound detected by the microphone.

14. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the video laryngoscope comprises an arm, a body and a printed circuit board;

wherein the printed circuit board functions as a strengthening element to strengthen the arm.

15. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the usage recording device is configured to take into account variations in power consumption by the video laryngoscope to update the value.

16. A video laryngoscope according to claim 15, wherein the usage recording device is configured to take into account environmental factors measured by one or more sensors to update the value.

17. A video laryngoscope according to claim 16, wherein video laryngoscope comprises a temperature sensor and wherein the usage recording device is configured to take into account the temperature measured by the temperature sensor to update the value.

18. A video laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the value is indicative of the number of intubation procedures that the device can carry out using the remaining available capacity of the one or more batteries.

19. A video laryngoscope comprising

a video laryngoscope body comprising a recess;

a battery pack comprising one or more batteries, wherein the battery pack is configured to be received in the recess to permit the one or more batteries to provide power during operating of the video laryngoscope body;

a memory storing a value indicative of the remaining available rated capacity of the one or more batteries; and

a processor configured to;

determine when the video laryngoscope is operating; and

update the value stored in the memory responsive to such usage to reflect the consumption of power from the one or more batteries resulting from the operating.

20. A video laryngoscope according to claim 19, comprising a display screen, wherein the processor is configured to read the value stored in the memory and cause the display screen to display the value.

21. A video laryngoscope according to claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to cause the display screen to display the value before and after the update.

22. A video laryngoscope according to claim 19, wherein the processor is disposed on or in the video laryngoscope body.

23. A video laryngoscope according to claim 19, wherein the one or more batteries provide power to the video laryngoscope body to power a video camera, a light source, and a display.

24. A video laryngoscope according to claim 19, wherein the battery pack comprises an activation switch that controls the consumption of power from the one or more batteries.

25. A video laryngoscope according to claim 19, wherein the battery pack comprises a seal extending about a perimeter.

26. A video laryngoscope according to claim 19, wherein the memory is in the battery pack.

27. A video laryngoscope according to claim 19, wherein the memory is in the video laryngoscope body.

28. A video laryngoscope comprising

a video laryngoscope body;

a battery pack comprising one or more batteries configured to provide power during operating of the video laryngoscope body;

a memory storing a value indicative of the remaining charge of the one or more batteries; and

a processor configured to;

monitor the remaining charge of the battery; and

update the value stored in the memory based on the remaining charge.

29. A video laryngoscope according to claim 28, wherein the value represents a remaining minutes of operating of the video laryngoscope body based on the remaining charge.

30. A video laryngoscope according to claim 28, wherein the memory is in the battery pack.