RADIO FREQUENCY AUTO-IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20090009290A1
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Inventors: West, David, Cummings, David, Kneip, Daniel, Murphy, Randy, Lee, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,330,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/152 Details related to the interface between cassette and machine
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/155 with treatment-fluid pumping means or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1561 at least one cassette surface or portion thereof being flexible, e.g. the cassette having a rigid base portion with preformed channels and being covered with a foil
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/159 specially adapted for peritoneal dialysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/28 Peritoneal dialysis ; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22

Abstract

A medical fluid delivery system includes a dialysis instrument; a disposable pumping cassette operable with a pumping actuator of the dialysis instrument, the disposable cassette including or connected fluidly to a plurality of first connectors; a plurality of second connectors configured to interface with the first connectors, each second connector associated with a radio frequency (“RFID”) tag; and electronics configured to read the RFID tags via a plurality of antennae and to identify that each of the second connectors is positioned properly with respect to a proper one of the first connectors.

Claims

1. A medical fluid delivery system comprising:

a dialysis instrument;

a disposable pumping cassette operable with a pumping actuator of the dialysis instrument, the disposable cassette including or connected fluidly to a plurality of first connectors;

a plurality of second connectors configured to interface with the first connectors, each second connector associated with a radio frequency (“

RFID”

) tag; and

electronics configured to read the RFID tags via a plurality of antennae and to identify that each of the second connectors is positioned properly with respect to a proper one of the first connectors.

2. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the RFID tags is encoded with information pertaining to at least one of:

(i) type of solution in a supply container connected to the corresponding second connector;

(ii) volume of the supply container;

(iii) that one of the second connectors is a patient line connector;

(iv) that one of the second connectors is a drain line connector; and

(v) that one of the second connectors is a warmer bag connector.

3. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 1, wherein the electronics are preset to know which second connector should be connected to which first connector.

4. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 1, wherein the antennas are positioned within the instrument or in a unit communicating with the instrument.

5. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 1, wherein the disposable cassette includes an RFID tag encoded with information regarding the disposable cassette and readable via one of the antennas.

6. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 5, wherein the information regarding the disposable cassette is encrypted.

7. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 5, wherein the electronics are configured to use the cassette RFID tag to determine a type of cassette loaded into the instrument and to use the second connector RFID tags to determine that the second connectors have been connected to the type of cassette properly.

8. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 1, wherein the antennae are positioned at least a maximum read distance apart, each antenna positioned less than the maximum read distance from one of the first connectors.

9. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

(i) the first connectors are ports extending from the disposable cassette;

(ii) the second connectors communicate fluidly with a solution container;

(iii) one of the second connectors is a patient or drain line connector;

(iv) the RFID tags are separate from the second connectors; and

(v) the RFID tags are integrated with the second connectors.

10. A medical fluid delivery system comprising:

a dialysis instrument;

a disposable pumping cassette operable with a pumping actuator of the dialysis instrument, the disposable cassette including or connected fluidly to a plurality of first connectors;

a plurality of second connectors, each second connector associated with a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag, the tags defining a maximum read distance, each second connector configured to interface with one of the first connectors; and

a plurality of antennae positioned at least a maximum read distance apart, each antenna associated with and positioned less than the maximum read distance from one of the RFID tags.

11. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the RFID tags is encoded with information pertaining to at least one of:

(i) a type of solution in a supply container connected to the corresponding second connector;

(ii) volume of the supply container;

(iii) one of the second connectors being a patient line connector;

(iv) one of the second connectors being a drain line connector; and

(v) one of the second connectors being a warmer bag connector.

12. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 10, which is preset to know which second connector should be connected to which first connector.

13. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 10, wherein the antennas are positioned within the instrument or in a unit communicating with the instrument.

14. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 10, wherein the disposable cassette includes an RFID tag encoded with information regarding the disposable cassette and readable via one of the antennas.

15. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 14, wherein the information regarding the disposable cassette is encrypted.

16. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 14, wherein the electronics are configured to use the cassette RFID tag to determine a type of cassette loaded into the instrument and to use the connector RFID tags to determine that the second connectors have been connected to the particular type of cassette properly.

17. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 10, wherein at least one of:

(i) the first connectors are ports extending from the disposable cassette;

(ii) the second connectors communicate fluidly with a solution container;

(iii) one of the second connectors is a patient or drain line connector;

(iv) the RFID tags are separate from the second connectors; and

(v) the RFID tags are integrated with the second connectors.

18. A medical fluid delivery system comprising:

a medical instrument;

a plurality of first connectors in communication with a pumping actuator of the medical instrument;

a plurality of second connectors configured to interface with the first connectors, each second connector associated with a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag;

a plurality of antennae, each antenna positioned adjacent to one of the first connectors, the antenna spaced apart so as to be able to detect only one of the RFID tags; and

electronics operable with the antennae to identify a position of each of the second connectors relative to the first connectors.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the electronics includes at least one of an RFID reader and a multiplexer.

20. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the RFID tags is encoded with information pertaining to at least one of:

(i) a type of solution in a supply container connected to one of the second connectors;

(ii) volume of the supply container;

(iii) one of the second connectors being a patient line connector;

(iv) one of the second connectors being a drain line connector; and

(v) one of the second connectors being a warmer bag connector.

21. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 18, wherein the electronics are configured to know which second connector should be connected to which first connector.

22. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 18, wherein the medical instrument is selected from the group consisting of an infusion pump instrument and a dialysis instrument.

23. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the printed circuit board and the electronics is positioned within the instrument or in communication with the instrument.

24. The medical fluid delivery system of claim 18, wherein at least one of:

(i) the first connectors are ports extending from the disposable cassette;

(ii) the second connectors communicate fluidly with a solution container;

(iii) one of the second connectors is a patient or drain line connector;

(iv) the RFID tags are separate from the second connectors; and

(v) the RFID tags are integrated with the second connectors.