Battery enclosure for sterilizeable surgical tools having thermal insulation
AssigneeDePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
InventorChristopher Pedicini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A battery pack assembly or enclosure comprises one or more batteries having an electrochemical cell and an enclosure having at least an outer wall configured to create a sealed volume of space substantially around the batteries. An atmosphere of the volume of space comprises gas having a thermal conductivity less than 0.018 watts per meter per degree Celsius. This atmosphere of gas provides an insulative layer between the outer wall of the enclosure and the batteries. With this insulative layer, the battery pack assembly can be subjected to autoclaving without damaging the batteries. The battery pack assembly can be used to power surgical tools or other devices that are subjected to autoclaving.
Claims19
A battery pack assembly comprising:
- at least one battery comprising an electrochemical cell;
- a communication interface;
- an enclosure having at least an outer wall configured to create a sealed volume of space;
- and
- a sensor for detecting thermal information indicative of a breach of the battery pack assembly, the thermal information provided to the communication interface based on a detected condition within the sealed volume of space;
- wherein an atmosphere of the volume of space comprises gas, a thermal conductivity of the gas in the volume of space is less than 0.018 watts per meter per degree Celsius, the sealed volume of space encompasses an inner surface of the outer wall to a region substantially around the at least one battery, and the sensor is a thermal conductivity sensor.
A surgical tool comprising:
- a battery pack assembly to provide power to the surgical tool, having at least one battery comprising an electrochemical cell,
- a communication terminal,
- a sensor for detecting thermal information indicative of a breach of the battery pack assembly, and
- an enclosure comprising at least an outer wall configured to create a sealed volume of space that extends from an inner surface of the outer wall to a region substantially around the at least one battery, the communication terminal, and the sensor;
- wherein the sensor is a thermal conductivity sensor and provides the thermal information indicative of the breach of the battery pack assembly via the communication terminal based on a detected condition within the sealed volume of space;
- and wherein an atmosphere of the volume of space comprises gas, wherein the a thermal conductivity of the gas in the volume of space is less than 0.018 watts per meter per degree Celsius.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.