ELECTRICAL DEVICE POWER MANAGEMENT

• US 20130066153A1
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,066,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/188
• 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. An electrical device comprising an electrical device body and a battery pack comprising one or more batteries and a memory storing a value indicative of the remaining available rated capacity of the one or more batteries, the electrical device comprising a usage recording device operable to determine when the electrical device is operated and to 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 said operation.

2. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the value of remaining available rated capacity initially stored in the memory is selected so that in at least 99% of cases the battery pack will have remaining stored power which could be used to power normal operating of the electrical device when the stored value reaches a value indicative that the rated capacity has been exhausted.

3. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the usage recording device determines when use is occurring and transmits signals to the battery pack indicative that the value stored in the memory should be updated.

4. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack comprises an RFID tag, including the memory, and the body of the electrical device includes as solenoid aerial in the body of the electrical device to read from and write to the RFID tag memory.

5. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack is integral to the body.

6. An electrical device according to claim 5, wherein the integral battery pack cannot be removed from the electrical device.

7. An electrical device according to claim 5, wherein the integral battery pack cannot be recharged.

8. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more batteries of the battery pack are disposable batteries.

9. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the stored value may be numerical value representative of remaining available rated capacity.

10. An electrical device according to claim 9, wherein the stored value is indicative of a number of units of time of operating of the electrical device, or operating of the electrical device in one or more modes, for which the battery pack has remaining available rated capacity for a given power consumption.

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

12. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical device 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. An electrical device according to claim 12, wherein the override comprises a microphone and the device 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. An electrical device according to claim 1, which is an electrical medical device.

15. An electrical medical device according to claim 14 which is a video laryngoscope.

16. A video laryngoscope according to claim 15, wherein the video laryngoscope comprises an arm, a body and a printed circuit board;

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

17. A laryngoscope comprising a handle comprising one or more integral batteries and a laryngoscope arm extending from the handle, the handle having a first end adjacent to the arm and an opposed second end;

wherein the one or more batteries are closer to the first end than the second end.