Saft has developed specialized lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery packs to power the new generation Gmax™ operating table created by STERIS, a major global supplier of innovative healthcare and life-science products and services. This latest project with STERIS now takes Saft batteries into the heart of the operating theatre.
STERIS has created the GmaxTM concept to meet the growing demand from hospitals for operating tables that offer advance ergonomics to maximise theatre safety and efficiency and to promote patient health and fast recovery. The GmaxTM design provides a fully powered system that reduces the physical strain on the clinical team since the patient is placed on the operating table top on arrival in the operating theatre and stays on it until they are transferred to the recovery room. Using a handheld bluetooth control, the theatre team can adjust every table movement to position the patient ideally for every surgical specialty.
“We viewed the selection of the battery packs as a critical factor in the success of the GmaxTM design since they have to ensure totally reliable autonomous power over a typical eight-hour shift between recharging operations”, said Lionel Deltenre, GmaxTM Product Manager in Steris Marketing Department. “Saft’s MP integration batteries have proved to be the ideal choice thanks to their compact high quality and safety certified construction that delivers the essential combination of performance, reliability and long life.”
The Saft and STERIS engineering teams worked in close cooperation to develop two MP integration battery packs to power the operating table. These prismatic cells were selected for their compact form factor that enabled a battery pack to be designed to fit within the table column while providing exceptional power and energy performance. In fact, head to head tests during prototype development showed that Saft’s cells significantly outperformed competing cells in terms of their energy storage capability. Saft’s battery packs are fitted with a smart battery management system offering redundant safety protections against abusive conditions, cell balancing, state-of-charge and state-of-health monitoring, and SMBus compliant communication.
A key factor in the favour of the Saft MP Integration batteries was their range of existing safety certifications including UN, UL and IEC 62133 standards. Saft has now taken the approval of its quality procedures to the next level by achieving the ISO 13485 certification that covers the development, production and quality control processes for medical devices and their components.
“Saft is delighted to have worked with STERIS on this exciting new concept in operating theatre technology. The key to this successful process is not only our advanced Li-ion battery technology, but also our detailed knowledge of the relevant standards and regulations. This enables Saft to operate as an effective partner to support the development of leading-edge medical devices," said Thomas Alcide, General Manager of Saft Specialty Battery Group.
