Patent ID: 8414577

Claim:
A surgical instrument comprising: a first portion comprising at least one first electrical contact; a membrane encapsulating the first portion; and a second portion, comprising: a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; a surgical instrument body extending from the proximal end; an end-effector extending from the distal end; a wall defining a cavity in the surgical instrument body, wherein the cavity is configured to at least partially receive the first portion while the first portion remains encapsulated by the membrane; a first region comprising at least one second electrical contact; a second region comprising an opening in communication with the cavity; and a closure member movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the closure member is in sealable engagement with the second region when it is in the first position, wherein the closure member is at least partially free from sealable engagement with the second region when it is in the second position, and wherein one of the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact is configured to penetrate the membrane to make an electrical connection between the first portion and the second portion when the closure member moves from the second position into the first position.