IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,039,529
Granted Patent B2
US 10,039,529 · App. 14/153,758 · Granted Aug 7, 2018

Power control arrangements for surgical instruments and batteries

Inventors: Wendy A. Kerr (Cincinnati, OH); Richard F. Schwemberger (Cincinnati, OH); Richard L. Leimbach (Cincinnati, OH); Brett E. Swensgard (West Chester, OH); Frederick E. Shelton, IV (Hillsboro, OH); Bret W. Smith (Kings Mills, OH); David C. Yates (West Chester, OH); Daniel J. Abbott (Loveland, OH)
Assignee: Ethicon LLC
A61B17/00A61B17/07207A61B18/10A61B18/1445H01M2/1022H02J7/0042A61B17/2833A61B17/320092A61B18/085A61B18/20A61B2017/00398A61B2017/00734A61B2017/07285A61B2017/2923A61B2017/2927A61B2017/320052A61B2018/00196A61B2018/00297A61B2018/00589A61B2018/00601A61B2018/00702A61B2018/00755A61B2018/1412
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,039,529
App. No.
14/153,758
Granted
Aug 7, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A surgical system is disclosed. The surgical system comprises a surgical device comprising a battery dock. The surgical system further comprises a battery unit comprising at least one battery cell and a battery drain. In a first state, the battery drain is not electrically coupled to the at least one battery cell. In a second state, the battery drain is electrically coupled to the at least one battery cell to discharge the at least one battery cell. The battery drain transitions from the first state to the second state upon attachment of the battery unit to the battery dock.

Claims (30)

1. A surgical system comprising:

a surgical device comprising a battery dock; and

a battery unit comprising at least one battery cell and a battery drain;

wherein, in a first state, the battery drain is not electrically coupled to the at least one battery cell, wherein, in a second state, the battery drain is electrically coupled to the at least one battery cell to discharge the at least one battery cell, and wherein the battery drain transitions from the first state to the second state upon attachment of the battery unit to the battery dock.

2. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the battery unit further comprises at least one switch, wherein the at least one switch has a first switch position in which the battery drain is not electrically coupled to the at least one battery cell and a second switch position in which the at least one switch electrically couples the battery drain to the at least one battery cell to discharge the at least one battery cell.

3. The surgical system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one switch is transitioned from the first switch position to the second switch position upon attachment of the battery unit to the battery dock, and wherein the at least one switch is configured to remain in the second switch position after detachment of the battery unit from the battery dock.

4. The surgical system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one battery cell comprises a first battery cell and a second battery cell, and wherein the at least one switch comprises a first switch and a second switch.

5. The surgical system of claim 4 , wherein when the at least one switch is in the first switch position, the first switch and the second switch are open, and wherein when the at least one switch is in the second switch position, the first switch is closed to electrically couple a first portion of the battery drain to the first battery cell to discharge the first battery cell and the second switch is closed to electrically couple a second portion of the battery drain to the second battery cell to discharge the second battery cell.

6. The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the battery drain is at a first position within the battery unit when in the first state and at a second position within the battery unit when in the second state.

7. The surgical system of claim 6 , wherein the battery unit defines a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the battery drain comprises a first contact and a second contact, and wherein, when the battery drain is in the second position within the battery unit the first and second contacts are in electrical communication with the first and second electrodes to electrically couple the battery drain to the at least one battery cell to discharge the at least one battery cell.

8. The surgical system of claim 7 , wherein, when the battery drain is in the first position within the battery unit, the first and second contacts are in contact with a non-conductive portion of the battery unit.

9. The surgical system of claim 7 , wherein the battery dock defines a protruding member extending along a protrusion axis and positioned such that, upon attachment of the battery unit to the battery dock, the protruding member contacts the battery drain and transitions the battery drain from the first position to the second position.

10. The surgical system of claim 9 , wherein the first and second electrodes are positioned on a surface of the battery unit that is substantially parallel to the protrusion axis.

11. The surgical system of claim 10 , wherein the first and second contacts extend substantially parallel to the protrusion axis.

12. The surgical system of claim 9 , wherein the first and second electrodes are positioned on a surface of the battery unit that is substantially perpendicular to the protrusion axis.

13. The surgical system of claim 12 , wherein the first and second contacts extend substantially parallel to the protrusion axis.

14. The surgical system of claim 6 , wherein the battery dock defines a protruding member positioned to be received into the battery unit when the battery unit is attached to the battery dock, wherein the protruding member transitions the battery drain from the first position to the second position.

15. The surgical system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one battery cell comprises a first battery cell and a second battery cell, wherein the battery unit defines a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode and a fourth electrode, wherein the battery drain comprises a first contact, a second contact, a third contact and a fourth contact and wherein, when the battery drain is in the second position within the battery unit:

the first and second contacts are in electrical communication with the first and second electrodes to electrically couple the battery drain to the first battery cell to discharge the first battery cell; and

the third and fourth contacts are in electrical communication with the third and fourth electrodes to electrically coupled the battery drain to the second battery cell to discharge the second battery cell.

16. A surgical system comprising:

a surgical device comprising a battery dock; and

a battery unit comprising at least one battery cell, a first electrode, a second electrode and a battery drain comprising a first and second contact wherein, in a first position, the battery drain is not in electrical communication with the at least one battery cell, wherein, when the battery drain is in a second position within the battery unit the first and second contacts are in electrical communication with the first and second electrodes to electrically couple the battery drain to the at least one battery cell to discharge the at least one battery cell and wherein the battery drain transitions from the first position to the second position upon attachment of the battery unit to the battery dock.

17. The surgical system of claim 16 , wherein, when the battery drain is in the first position within the battery unit, the first and second contacts are in contact with a non-conductive portion of the battery unit.

18. A surgical system comprising:

a surgical device;

a battery unit; and

a battery dock;

wherein the battery unit comprises at least one battery cell and a battery drain, wherein the surgical system defines a first state where the battery drain is not electrically coupled to the at least one battery cell and a second state where the battery drain is electrically coupled to the at least one battery cell to discharge the at least one battery cell, and wherein the battery drain transitions from the first state to the second state upon attachment of the battery unit to the battery dock.

19. The surgical system of claim 18 , wherein the surgical system comprises at least one switch, wherein the at least one switch has a first switch position in which the battery drain is not electrically coupled to the at least one battery cell and a second switch position in which the at least one switch electrically couples the battery drain to the at least one battery cell to discharge the at least one battery cell.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2021
From: ETHICON LLC
To: CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL
Reel/Frame 056601/0339 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 22, 2017
From: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, LLC
To: ETHICON LLC
Reel/Frame 042941/0565 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 5, 2015
From: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY INC.
To: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, LLC
Reel/Frame 037219/0749 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2014
From: KERR, WENDY A.; SCHWEMBERGER, RICHARD F.; LEIMBACH, RICHARD L.; SWENSGARD, BRETT E.; SHELTON, FREDERICK E., IV; SMITH, BRET W.; YATES, DAVID C.; ABBOTT, DANIEL J.
To: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC.
Reel/Frame 032999/0530 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 12884995 · Sep 17, 2010
Related Publication 20140128850A1 · May 8, 2014
Cited By (69)
US 12,185,946 US 12,207,820 US 12,207,835 US 12,213,666 US 12,213,671 US 12,220,117 US 12,220,126 US 12,226,099 US 12,226,100 US 12,232,723 US 12,232,724 US 12,239,316 US 12,239,317 US 12,245,764 US 12,245,901 US 12,251,105 US 12,256,930 US 12,256,931 US 12,261,471 US 12,262,888 US 12,274,438 US 12,274,442 US 12,274,445 US 12,279,845 US 12,285,166 US 12,285,171 US 12,290,259 US 12,290,261 US 12,324,579 US 12,324,580 US 12,324,581 US 12,324,585 US 12,336,705 US 12,336,709 US 12,343,013 US 12,357,309 US 12,369,909 US 12,369,911 US 12,369,912 US 12,383,259 US 12,383,267 US 12,414,768 US 12,419,637 US 12,432,790 US 12,433,584 US 12,433,590 US 12,433,627 US 12,440,208 US 12,440,209 US 12,440,213 US 12,446,877 US 12,453,557 US 12,458,455 US 12,465,363 US 12,471,982 US 12,490,980 US 12,502,171 US 12,508,025 US 12,521,116 US 12,521,168 US 12,527,571 US 12,527,575 US 12,533,126 US 12,533,127 US 12,605,150 US 12,622,745 US 12,636,006 US 12,661,096 US 12,714,425