Wireless Battery Charging Through a Sterile Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical device batteries face challenges such as formation of impedance layers due to sterilization processes, exposure to adverse environmental conditions, and loss of charge over time, which affect charging efficiency and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A wireless charging system with a charging device and container that maintains a sterile environment, using antennas for communication and power transfer, ensuring batteries can be charged while maintaining sterility and monitoring their state of charge and health.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If batteries are sterilized through autoclaving to eliminate infection risk, then sterility is improved, but the batteries sustain damage and form impedance layers that reduce charging efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is divided into two separate components: a sterilizable housing that can withstand autoclaving and a non-sterile battery pack that remains protected from sterilization processes. This segmentation allows the housing to be sterilized for infection control while the battery pack avoids exposure to damaging autoclave conditions, preventing impedance layer formation on the contacts.
Solution Approach 2:
A sterile barrier or sterile drape is introduced as an intermediary between the battery and the sterilization environment. The battery can be placed within this barrier that allows the battery to remain protected from direct exposure to autoclave conditions while still enabling the surrounding housing and field to be sterilized, thus preventing contact damage while maintaining surgical sterility requirements.
2Ease of operation
If batteries are made cordless to eliminate power cords and improve ease of operation, then ease of operation is improved, but charging efficiency decreases due to contact impedance
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical contact-based charging system is replaced with a wireless charging system using electromagnetic induction. Instead of relying on physical contacts that form impedance layers during sterilization, the wireless charging system uses electromagnetic fields to transfer energy, completely eliminating the charging efficiency problem caused by contact oxidation while maintaining the benefits of cordless operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If batteries are stored for extended periods before use, then availability is improved, but charge loss increases reducing readiness
Solution Approach 1:
A monitoring system with feedback control tracks the state of charge and environmental conditions of stored batteries. The system provides real-time information about battery status and can trigger alerts or automated charging when thresholds are reached, ensuring batteries are recharged before complete discharge occurs and maintaining optimal charge levels for immediate surgical use.
Solution Approach 2:
Batteries are pre-charged to optimal levels before storage and placed in controlled environment storage with regulated temperature and humidity. This preliminary preparation and ongoing environmental control minimizes self-discharge and chemical degradation during storage, ensuring batteries maintain sufficient charge and are ready for immediate use when needed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures reliable and efficient charging of medical device batteries while maintaining sterility, reducing damage from autoclaving, and preventing charge loss during storage.
Implementation Method 1
a first antenna configured to establish communication with a battery controller of a battery disposed within a receptacle of the container
Implementation Method 2
a second antenna configured to provide charging power to the battery disposed in the receptacle
Data Source
AI summary
A system for charging a battery is provided. The system including a battery, a sterile barrier for encasing the battery, a charging device including a charging bay, and a charging controller. The battery includes a battery controller. The charging bay includes a first antenna for establishing communication with a battery controller of the battery encased in the sterile barrier in response to the battery being within a proximity of the charging bay and a second antenna for providing charging power to the battery encased in the sterile barrier. The charging controller detects whether the first antenna has established communication with the battery in response to the battery being within the proximity of the charging bay and provides charging power to the battery via the second antenna in response to detecting that the first antenna has established communication with the battery.