Adjustable battery stack and method of use in device enclosure
AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.
InventorsJohn D. Norton, Craig L. Schmidt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inert material is included in the electrode assembling of a battery having a thickness which compensates for a difference in dimension of the electrode assembly when thinner electrodes are used to construct a battery having reduced capacity, to thereby be accommodated in a battery case of uniform dimension regardless of the electrical characteristics of the battery.
Claims20
A method of standardizing a battery encasement of at least two batteries having differing battery characteristic combinations comprised of current delivery capability, voltage delivery capability, and energy capacity, the batteries each having an electrode assembly comprising at least one anode and one cathode and a separator interposed therebetween, the method comprising:
- providing first electrode assemblies having a first dimension corresponding to a first battery characteristic combination of energy capacity, current delivery capability, and voltage delivery capability;
- providing battery cases having a common configuration defining an electrode cavity for securely accommodating said first electrode assembly, the battery cases each being configured to be implanted within a body of a human patient;
- providing second electrode assemblies having a second dimension, less by a given amount from said first dimension, corresponding to a second battery characteristic combination of energy capacity, current delivery capability, and voltage delivery capability, said second battery characteristic combination differing from said first battery characteristic combination;
- disposing individual ones of said first electrode assemblies respectively into said electrode cavities of individual ones of said battery cases to produce a first battery type;
- disposing individual ones of said second electrode assemblies respectively into said electrode cavities of other individual ones of said battery cases and disposing an inert insert into said electrode cavities of said other individual ones of said battery cases to produce a primary cell battery defining a second battery type, said inert spacer being dimensioned to compensate for said given amount to securely accommodate said second electrode assemblies in said electrode cavities of said other individual ones of said battery cases;
- and
- coupling an electronics module to each of said battery types, said electronics modules having different power supply requirements.
A method of producing a product line, comprising:
- producing electronics modules, respectively having power requirements differing from one another;
- producing a plurality of a common encasement having a battery compartment and an electronics compartment, the electronics compartment being configured to accept any of the electronics modules, said plurality of said common encasement being configured to be implanted within a body of a human patient;
- providing electrode assemblies each comprising at least one pair of an anode and a cathode with a separator disposed therebetween, said electrode assemblies being respectively configured to match said differing power requirements of said electronics modules such that some of said electrode assemblies have dimensions differing from other ones of said electrode assemblies;
- inserting said electronics modules respectively into the electronics compartment of a corresponding number of said plurality of said common encasement;
- and
- for each of said corresponding number of said plurality of said common encasement, selecting one of said electrode assemblies to match a power requirement of said electronics module inserted in the common encasement, inserting the selected one of said electrode assemblies into said battery compartment to form a primary cell battery, and inserting an inert insert into said battery compartment so as to fill said battery compartment to an extent necessary to prevent displacement of said stack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.