Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090012448 | FLUID DELIVERY SYSTEM WITH SPIKED CASSETTE - A fluid dispensing machine, such as a peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis machine, includes a dispenser or cassette that pumps a medical fluid for dialysis or other treatments for patients. The machine includes and uses an autoconnect device for connecting containers of liquid, such as bags of dialysis fluid or medication fluids, to the machine, while maintaining the sterility of the connection. The autoconnect device removes the cap from the fluid bag and pierces a sealing membrane on tubing from the bag. This makes it easier for patients to receive treatment, especially home treatment. The cassettes preferably have tubing ports with integral spikes for piercing the membrane on tubing from bags of liquids. The ports may be staggered for sequential engagement with the spikes. Other embodiments are useful for dispensing other liquids from other types of dispensing or pumping machines. | 01-08-2009 |
20090012449 | FLUID DELIVERY SYSTEM WITH AUTOCONNECT FEATURES - A fluid dispensing machine, such as a peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis machine, includes a dispenser or cassette that pumps a medical fluid for dialysis or other treatments for patients. The machine includes and uses an autoconnect device for connecting containers of liquid, such as bags of dialysis fluid or medication fluids, to the machine, while maintaining the sterility of the connection. The autoconnect device removes the cap from the fluid bag and pierces the scaling membrane on tubing from the bag. This makes it easier for patients to receive treatment, especially home treatment. Other embodiments are useful for dispensing other liquids from other types of dispensing or pumping machines. | 01-08-2009 |
20100271296 | USER INTERFACE POWERED VIA AN INDUCTIVE COUPLING - An operating machine, such as a medical machine or a dialysis machine, includes a housing for operating components of the machine and a moveable user interface or display for viewing and entering information concerning operation of the machine. Signals concerning operating information are wirelessly transmitted between the machine and the display using one of several techniques. Power is also transmitted wirelessly from the operating machine to the screen, or from a separate power source to the display. The wireless signals may be transmitted via induction, radio, infrared or optical means. | 10-28-2010 |
20110230822 | MEDICAL FLUID MACHINE WITH SUPPLY AUTOCONNECTION - A medical fluid machine with supply autoconnection, the machine comprising: a cassette-receiving wall; a disposable cassette held firmly by the wall, the disposable cassette including a port spike, the port spike fitted with a spike cap; a translating shuttle including a channel sized to hold a portion of a supply tube and including a fixture for releasably holding a supply tube end; a supply tube including an end configured to be releasably held by the fixture of the channel of the translating shuttle, the supply tube fitted with a supply tube cap; a cap removal device selectively positionable between the disposable cassette and the translating shuttle; and a controller programmed to (i) translate the shuttle holding the supply tube at the supply tube end towards the disposable cassette, so that the cap removal device is likewise moved towards the disposable cassette and the spike cap of the disposable cassette is engaged, (ii) translate the shuttle holding the supply tube at the supply tube end away from the disposable cassette and the cap removal device, so that the cap removal device can pull the spike cap off of the port spike and the tube cap off of the tube end, and (iii) translate the shuttle back towards the disposable cassette to allow the port spike of the cassette to spike the tube end. | 09-22-2011 |
20120241367 | DIALYSIS SYSTEM HAVING AUTOCONNECTION - A dialysis system includes a dialysis machine including at least one fluid pump, and an autoconnection mechanism including a moveable holder; a plurality of pierceable connectors each held by the moveable holder of the autoconnection mechanism, each of the pierceable connectors in fluid communication with a source of medical fluid; a plurality of spikes each held fixed by the dialysis machine, each of the spikes in fluid communication with a disposable component that is positioned and arranged to operate with the at least one fluid pump; and wherein the moveable holder is moved automatically by the autoconnection mechanism, so that (i) the spikes pierce the pierceable connectors and (ii) the sources of medical fluid can communicate with the disposable component positioned and arranged to operate with the at least one fluid pump. | 09-27-2012 |
20120271273 | MEDICAL FLUID AUTOCONNECTION AND AUTOIDENTIFICATION METHOD - A medical fluid autoconnection method includes: enabling acceptance a pierceable connector that is capable of fluidly communicating with a source of medical fluid into a moveable holder; temporarily fixing a spike to a medical fluid pumping machine; automatically detecting whether the pierceable connector has been placed into the moveable holder; if the pierceable connector is sensed as being placed in the moveable holder, moving the holder so that the spike pierces the pierceable connector; and enabling medical fluid to be pumped from the source through the connected spiked and connector. | 10-25-2012 |
20130138037 | MEDICAL FLUID MACHINE WITH SUPPLY AUTOCONNECTION - A medical fluid system including: fluid containers and a tube extending from same, each tube including a cap; a pumping cassette including port spikes; a medical fluid machine including: occluders; a shuttle configured to receive the tubes, wherein each tube is associated with one of the occluders; a driving mechanism translating the shuttle; a cap removal device between the cassette and the shuttle; and a control unit programmed to cause: (i) the occluders to pinch their tubes, (ii) cause the driving mechanism to translate the shuttle towards the fluid pumping cassette, the cap removal device engaging the tube caps, (iii) the driving mechanism to translate the shuttle away from the fluid pumping cassette and cap removal device, pulling the tube caps off of the tubes, and (iv) the driving mechanism to translate the shuttle back towards the fluid pumping cassette for the port spikes to spike the occluded tubes. | 05-30-2013 |
20140062996 | USER INTERFACE POWERED VIA AN INDUCTIVE COUPLING - A hinge is provided for mechanically and electrically coupling a machine and a display wirelessly. The hinge includes a machine portion having a first transceiver for wirelessly sending a signal concerning an operation or status of the machine and a display portion having a second transceiver for wirelessly receiving the operating signal. The hinge machine portion and the hinge display portion are mechanically connected so as to: (i) swivel with respect to each other; or (ii) tilt with respect to each other. | 03-06-2014 |
20140360594 | MEDICAL FLUID MACHINE WITH SUPPLY AUTOCONNECTION - A system for automatically connecting tubing to a medical fluid machine includes at least one fluid container including a tube having a cap on an end of the tube, a shuttle configured to receive the tube, a driving mechanism configured to translate the shuttle, a cap removal device configured to remove the cap from the end of the tube, and a control unit programmed to cause (i) the driving mechanism to translate the shuttle holding the tube in a first direction towards the cap removal device so that the cap removal device can engage the tube cap, (ii) the driving mechanism to translate in a second direction away from the cap removal device so that the cap removal device removes the cap from the end of the tube, and (iii) the driving mechanism to translate the shuttle in the first direction with the cap removed from the tube so that the tube can be mated with the medical fluid machine. | 12-11-2014 |