Insulation of rechargeable battery pack

Abstract

A battery autoclaving system is provided including a battery pack having a housing, a battery cell disposed within the housing, and an isolation region disposed between the housing and the battery cell. The isolation region may be formed at least partially from at least one of a thermal insulating material, a phase change material or any combination thereof. The system may include a temperature sensor adapted to sense at least one of a temperature of the battery cell temperature of the isolation region. The system may include and an autoclave configured to receive a temperature indication from the temperature sensor and to inhibit autoclaving when the temperature indication exceeds a predetermined value.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An autoclavable battery pack for use with a surgical instrument, comprising:
 providing the battery pack, wherein the battery pack comprises:
 a housing; 
 a battery cell disposed within the housing; and 
 an isolation region disposed between the housing and the battery cell, wherein the isolation region is formed at least in part from at least one of a thermal insulating material, a phase change material, or a combination thereof; 
   providing an autoclave configured to accept the battery pack;   inserting the battery pack into the autoclave;   sterilizing the battery pack in the autoclave; and   removing the battery pack from the autoclave after sterilizing.   
     
     
         2 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the battery pack further comprises a first and a second outer terminal connected to a first and second battery terminal of the battery cell through at least one of the housing or the isolation region. 
     
     
         3 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the temperature of at least one of the housing, the battery cell, or the isolation region. 
     
     
         4 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the battery pack further comprises at least one temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of at least one of the housing, the isolation region, or the battery cell. 
     
     
         5 . The method in accordance with  claim 4 , further comprising providing an autoclave configured to accept the battery pack and to sterilize the battery pack, wherein the autoclave is configured to operably communicate with the at least one temperature sensor and to provide an indication of temperature. 
     
     
         6 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the isolation region further comprises at least two layers, wherein each layer is formed from at least one of a phase change material or an insulation material. 
     
     
         7 . An autoclavable battery pack for use with a surgical instrument, comprising:
 a housing;   a battery cell disposed within the housing; and   an isolation region disposed between the housing and the battery cell, wherein the isolation region is formed at least in part from at least one of a thermal insulating material, a phase change material, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         8 . The autoclavable battery pack in accordance with  claim 7 , further comprising at least one temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of at least one of the housing, the isolation region, or the battery cell. 
     
     
         9 . The autoclavable battery pack in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the isolation region further comprises at least two layers, wherein each layer is formed from at least one of a phase change material or an insulation material. 
     
     
         10 . The autoclavable battery pack in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the isolation region is formed from two or more materials selected from the group consisting of one or more of a phase change material and an insulation material. 
     
     
         11 . The autoclavable battery pack in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the battery cell includes first and second outer terminals and the autoclavable battery pack includes a sterile terminal cap configured to selectively cover the first and second outer terminals. 
     
     
         12 . The battery pack in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the sterile terminal cap is puncturable such that at least one of the first and second outer terminals may be accessed by puncturing a portion of the sterile terminal cap. 
     
     
         13 . A battery autoclaving system, comprising:
 an autoclavable battery pack, comprising:
 a housing; 
 a battery cell disposed within the housing; and 
 an isolation region disposed between the housing and the battery cell, the isolation region being formed at least partially from at least one of a thermal insulating material, a phase change material, or a combination thereof; 
   a temperature sensor adapted to sense at least one of a temperature of the battery cell or the temperature of the isolation region; and   an autoclave configured to receive a temperature indication from the temperature sensor and to inhibit autoclaving when the temperature indication exceeds a predetermined value.   
     
     
         14 . The system in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the isolation region further comprises at least two layers, wherein each layer is formed from at least one of a phase change material or an insulation material. 
     
     
         15 . The system in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the isolation region is formed from two or more materials selected from the group consisting of one or more of a phase change material and an insulation material. 
     
     
         16 . The system in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the battery pack further comprises a sterile terminal cap configured to selectively cover at least one of the first or second outer terminals. 
     
     
         17 . The system in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the battery cell is a Li-ion battery cell.