Patent ID: 8400108

Claim:
A method of charging and using an aseptic battery, said method including the steps of: providing a charger with a socket, the socket shaped to receive a sterilizable battery that has at least one rechargeable cell, the socket having terminals across which a charging current is applied to the at least one rechargeable cell of the sterilizable battery; fitting to the charger socket shaped to receive a sterilzable battery a non-sterilizable battery pack that has at least one rechargeable cell; with the charger, charging the at least one rechargeable cell of the non-sterilizable battery pack; after said charging of the at least one rechargeable cell of the battery pack, placing the battery pack in a sterilizable housing that has been sterilized, the housing have a head with external contacts and internal contacts located in the housing, the internal contacts being electrically connected to the external contacts wherein, as a result of the said placement of the battery pack in the housing, the battery pack at least one rechargeable cell is placed in contact with the housing internal contacts, and enclosing the battery pack in the housing; after said enclosing the battery pack in the sterilizable housing, connecting the housing head to a surgical tool; and providing power to the surgical tool from the battery pack at least one rechargeable cell through the housing internal and external contacts.