Surgical instrument with enhanced battery performance

• US 7,900,805 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Shelton, Frederick E. IV, Swayze, Jeffrey S., Siebenaler, Douglas J., Giordano, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada; Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lopez; Michelle
• Application Number:
  US11/651,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 227/175.1, 227/175.3, 227/176.1, 227/182.1, 206/438, 206363-365, 206/701, 235/492, 534/92
• US Class Current: 227/175.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0003 of parts of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00362 Packages or dispensers for MIS instruments A61B2017/0479 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00473 Distal part, e.g. tip or head A61B2017/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0688 Packages or dispensers for surgical staplers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07271 characterised by its cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

An assembly including a component of a surgical instrument, such as an endoscopic or laparoscopic instrument. The assembly may comprise a package; a surgical instrument component within the package; and a power source within the package. The power source may be configured to be placed in electrical communication with the surgical instrument component. The assembly may also comprise an auxiliary power source within the package and a circuit element, where the circuit element is in electrical communication with the power source and the auxiliary power source.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

a package;

a surgical instrument component within the package;

a power source within the package, wherein the power source is configured to be placed in electrical communication with the surgical instrument component;

an auxiliary power source within the package; and

a switch in electrical communication with the power source and the auxiliary power source, wherein the switch comprises a tab coupled to a portion of the package in a manner causing the switch to be configured to an open position when the package is closed and wherein the tab is also coupled to the package in a manner causing the switch to be transitioned to a closed position automatically when the package is opened.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the package is sterile.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the power source is a battery.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises at least one battery cell selected from the group consisting of a lithium ion cell and a nickel metal hydride cell.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the power source is a capacitor.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument component comprises an endocutter.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument component comprises an end effector cartridge for a surgical instrument.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the power source is not in electrical communication with the instrument component.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary power source comprises at least one cell selected from the group consisting of a Zinc/Carbon cell, a Zn/alkaline/MnO2 cell, a Li/MnO2 cell, a Zn/Ag2O, and a Li/FeS2 cell.

10. An assembly comprising:

a package;

an end effector cartridge within the package, wherein the end effector cartridge comprises an electrical component;

a power source within the package;

an auxiliary power source within the package;

a switch in electrical communication with the power source and the electrical component, wherein the switch comprises a tab coupled to a portion of the package in a manner causing the switch to be configured to an open position when the package is closed and wherein the tab is also coupled to the package in a manner causing the switch to be transitioned to a closed position automatically when the package is opened; and

a circuit element within the package, wherein the circuit element is in electrical communication with the power source and the electrical component and is configured to electrically connect the power source and the electrical component when the end effector cartridge is installed in a surgical instrument.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the circuit element comprises a direct electrical connection between the power source and the auxiliary power source.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the direct electrical connection comprises an inductive connection.

13. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the circuit element comprises a control circuit configured to regulate electrical communication between the power source and the auxiliary power source.

14. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the control circuit comprises a microprocessor.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the microprocessor is also configured to control at least one component of the surgical instrument when the surgical instrument is in use.

16. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the package is sterile.

17. The end effector cartridge of claim 10, wherein the circuit element comprises a switch configured to close an electrical connection between the electrical component and the power source when the end effector cartridge is installed in the surgical instrument.