Fluid delivery system with pump cassette

• US 20070244435A1
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Medrad Incorporated (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Hicks, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,618,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/22 eliminating pulsatile flows, e.g. by the provision of a dampening chamber
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/007 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14236 Screw, impeller or centrifugal type pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16804 Flow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/44 having means for cooling or heating the devices or media

Abstract

The fluid delivery system includes a control console adapted to control delivery of fluid to a patient and a pump cassette disposed in a pump cassette socket in the control console and operatively controlled by the control console. The pump cassette includes a pump housing formed by opposing housing members that cooperatively define a pump chamber. A pair of meshed gears is disposed in the pump chamber and separate the pump chamber into a fluid inlet area and a fluid outlet area accessible through respective inlet and outlet ports in the pump housing. The gears are adapted to pressurize fluid for delivery to the patient. Other features of the system include a fluid heater upstream of the pump cassette, air detectors associated with the inlet and outlet ports of the pump cassette, and a sensor to read an encoding device associated with the pump cassette.

Claims

1. A pump cassette for delivering fluid to patient, comprising:

a pump housing comprising a first housing member and a second housing member cooperatively defining an enclosed pump chamber with an interior wall; and

at least a pair of meshed gears disposed in the pump chamber and separating the pump chamber into a fluid inlet area and a fluid outlet area accessible through respective inlet and outlet ports in the pump housing, and wherein the gears are adapted to pressurize fluid for delivery to the patient.

2. A pump cassette as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the gears is in contact with the interior wall over at least a portion of its periphery.

3. A pump cassette as claimed in claim 1 wherein the meshed gears comprise spur gears.

4. A pump cassette as claimed in claim 1 wherein the meshed gears are composite structures each comprising a substantially rigid gear core and a resiliently deformable radial casing disposed about the gear core.

5. A pump cassette as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inlet port and outlet port are luer connectors.

6. A pump cassette as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second housing members are formed substantially identically such that opposing sides of the pump housing are substantially identical.

7. A pump cassette as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an encoding device associated with the pump housing and operable to provide pump cassette information to a sensor.

8. A pump cassette as claimed in claim 7 wherein the encoding device comprises an optically readable device.

9. A pump cassette as claimed in claim 7 wherein the pump cassette information is selected from the group consisting of pump cassette sizing information, pump cassette flow rate information, and pump cassette manufacturing information.

10. A pump cassette as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least an outer periphery of each gear is resiliently deformable.

11. A pump cassette as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spacing between gear teeth on each gear is sized to conduct a predetermined amount of fluid about the periphery of the gear along the interior wall.

12. A fluid delivery system, comprising:

a control console; and

a pump cassette connected to and operated by the control console for delivering fluid to a patient, the pump cassette comprising;

a pump housing comprising a first housing member and a second housing member cooperatively defining an enclosed pump chamber with an interior wall; and

at least a pair of meshed gears disposed in the pump chamber and separating the pump chamber into a fluid inlet area and a fluid outlet area accessible through respective inlet and outlet ports in the pump housing, and adapted to pressurize fluid for delivery to the patient.

13. A fluid delivery system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the pump cassette is disposed in a pump cassette socket in the control console.

14. A fluid delivery system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the control console further comprises a fluid heater upstream of the pump cassette to provide heated fluid to the pump chamber.

15. A fluid delivery system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the control console further comprises an air detector associated with the inlet port and/or outlet port of the pump housing.

16. A fluid delivery system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the control console comprises a sensor adapted to detect an encoding device associated with the pump housing and operable to provide pump cassette information to the sensor.

17. A fluid delivery system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the encoding device comprises an optically readable device.

18. A fluid delivery system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the pump cassette information is selected from the group consisting of pump cassette sizing information, pump cassette flow rate information, and pump cassette manufacturing information.

19. A fluid delivery system as claimed in claim 12 wherein each of the gears is in contact with the interior wall over at least a portion of its periphery.

20. A fluid delivery system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the inlet port and outlet port are luer connectors.

21. A fluid delivery system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the meshed gears are composite structures each comprising a substantially rigid gear core and a resiliently deformable radial casing disposed about the gear core.

22. A fluid delivery system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the first and second housing members are formed substantially identically such that opposing sides of the pump housing are substantially identical.

23. A fluid delivery system as claimed in claim 12 wherein at least an outer periphery of each gear is resiliently deformable.

24. A fluid delivery system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the spacing between gear teeth on each gear is sized to conduct a predetermined amount of fluid about the periphery of the gear along the interior wall of the pump chamber.

25. A method of preparing a fluid delivery system to provide fluid to a patient, comprising:

providing a control console adapted to control delivery of fluid to the patient;

operatively associating a pump cassette with the control console, the pump cassette comprising;

a pump housing defining an enclosed pump chamber; and

at least a pair of meshed gears disposed in the pump chamber and separating the pump chamber into a fluid inlet area and a fluid outlet area accessible through respective inlet and outlet ports in the pump housing, wherein the control console is adapted to control operation of the pump cassette for delivering fluid to the patient; and

placing the pump chamber in fluid communication with a source of fluid to be delivered to the patient.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25 further comprising heating the fluid upstream of the pump cassette.

27. A method as claimed in claim 25 further comprising monitoring the inlet port and/or outlet port for the presence of air bubbles.

28. A method as claimed in claim 25 further comprising sensing an encoding device on the pump housing with a sensor on the control console, the encoding device adapted to provide pump cassette information to the sensor.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28 wherein the encoding device is optically sensed.

30. A method as claimed in claim 28 wherein the control console controls operation of the pump cassette based on the pump cassette information sensed from the encoding device.

31. A method as claimed in claim 25 further comprising connecting the control console to a user interface device adapted to input one or more fluid delivery parameters to the control console.

32. A method as claimed in claim 31 wherein the user interface device is further adapted to control operation of the pump cassette upon actuation.