TUBE VERIFIER

• US 20110315757A1
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oridion Medical (1987) Ltd. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Oridion Medical (1987) Ltd. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Colman, Joshua Lewis, Botesazan, Zion, Itzhak, Gal
• Granted Patent: US 8,763,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1044 Verifying the connection, e.g. audible feedback, tactile feedback, visual feedback, using external light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1094 at least partly incompatible with standard connectors, e.g. to prevent fatal mistakes in connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/276 preventing unwanted use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0014 Connecting a tube to a hub
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/10 Tube connectors; Tube couplings A61M39/02 takes precedence; connecting needles to syringes or hubs A61M5/34; connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/143 Quality control, feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0627 Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/168 Specific optical properties, e.g. reflective coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/565 Seals in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 2201/10 Indicators for correct coupling
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/24 in which the connection is made by inserting one member axially into the other and rotating it to a limited extent, e.g. with bayonet action
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/26 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0614 : the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 : arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

There is provided a tube connector for connecting between a fluid sampling tube and a fluid analyzer, the tube connector includes an end face adapted to identify the tube connector, said end face comprising a reflecting surface having one or more reflective regions adapted to reflect light at a predetermined range of wavelengths.

Claims

1-61. -61. (canceled)

62. A tube connector for connecting between a fluid sampling tube and a fluid analyzer, the tube connector comprising:

an end face adapted to identify the tube connector, said end face comprising at least two distinct regions having different characteristics, wherein the at least two distinct regions are configured to be used as an identifying means to the fluid analyzer to which the connector is to be connected and consequently to affect the operation mode of the fluid analyzer.

63. The tube connector of claim 62, wherein the different characteristics comprise different compositions, different chemical properties, different optical properties, different electrical properties, different magnetic properties, different surface, different texture concaveness or any combination thereof.

64. The tube connector of claim 63, wherein the different optical properties comprise different types of reflectance and/or emission.

65. The tube connector of claim 64, wherein the different types of reflectance and/or emission comprise reflectance and/or emission light at different ranges of wavelengths.

66. The tube connector of claim 63, wherein the different electrical properties comprise different conductance.

67. The tube connector of claim 63, wherein the different magnetic properties comprise different magnetic fields.

68. The tube connector of claim 62, wherein information is encoded on the end face and wherein the information comprises the type, class and/or model of the tube connector.

69. The tube connector of claim 68, wherein if the information encoded on the end face of the tube connector is indicative of a certain type of a tube connector, the fluid analyzer will operate in an operation mode that is suitable for the detected type of connector.

70. The tube connector of claim 62, wherein the fluid analyzer comprises a capnograph.

71. The tube connector of claim 62, wherein the fluid analyzer comprises a verification system adapted to identify the connector.

72. The tube connector of claim 71, wherein said verification system comprises one or more light sources and one or more optical detectors.

73. The tube connector of claim 72, wherein said one or more optical detector comprises an RGB detector.

74. The tube connector of claim 62, wherein said end face comprises a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) tag adapted to provide further identification of the connector type.

75. The tube connector of claim 62, wherein said end face further comprises a barcode tag adapted to provide further identification of the connector type.

76. The tube connector of claim 71, wherein the verification system comprises a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) reader, a barcode scanner or both.

77. The tube connector of claim 62, wherein the identification of the tube connector being connected to the fluid analyzer is performed while the tube connector is being connected to the fluid analyzer (“

on the “

fly”

), after the tube connector has been connected to the fluid analyzer (“

final position”

) or both.

78. A device for analyzing fluid, said device comprising:

a device connector adapted to receive a tube connector; and

a verification system for identifying the tube connector, wherein said verification system comprises one or more detectors adapted to receive signals from at least two distinct regions on an end face of the tube connector, wherein the at least two distinct regions have different characteristics; and

a processor adapted to identify the type of the tube connector based on signals received from the verification system and affect the operation mode of the fluid analyzer according to the connector type identified.

79. The device for analyzing fluid of claim 78, wherein the different characteristics comprise different compositions, different chemical properties, different optical properties, different electrical properties, different magnetic properties, different surface, different texture concaveness or any combination thereof.

80. The device for analyzing fluid of claim 79, wherein the different optical properties comprise different types of reflectance and/or emission.

81. The device for analyzing fluid of claim 80, wherein the different types of reflectance and/or emission comprise reflectance and/or emission light at different ranges of wavelengths.

82. The device for analyzing fluid of claim 79, wherein the different electrical properties comprise different conductance.

83. The device for analyzing fluid of claim 79, wherein the different magnetic properties comprise different magnetic fields.

84. The device for analyzing fluid of claim 78, wherein information is encoded on the end face and wherein the information comprises the type, class and/or model of the tube connector.

85. The device for analyzing fluid of claim 78, wherein the device is a capnograph.

86. The device for analyzing fluid of claim 78, wherein the verification system comprises one or more light sources and one or more optical detectors.

87. The device for analyzing fluid of claim 86, wherein said one or more optical detector comprises an RGB detector.

88. The device for analyzing fluid of claim 78, wherein said end face comprises a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) tag and/or a barcode tag adapted to provide further identification of the connector type and the verification system comprises a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) reader, a barcode scanner or both.

89. The device for analyzing fluid of claim 78, wherein the verification system is adapted to identify the tube connector while the tube connector is being connected to the device (“

on the “

fly”

), after the tube connector has been connected to the device (“

final position”

) or both.

90. A device for analyzing fluid, said device comprising:

a device connector adapted to receive a tube connector; and

an RGB detector adapted to receive light reflected from at least two colors on an end face of the tube connector and produce a signal indicative of the light received; and

a processor adapted to identify the type of the tube connector based on the signal received from the RGB detector and affect the operation mode of the fluid analyzer according to the connector type identified.

91. A method for identifying a tube connector type attached to a fluid analyzer, the method comprising:

detecting signals from at least two distinct regions on an end face of the tube connector, wherein the at least two distinct regions have different characteristics;

identifying the type of the tube connector based on the detected signals; and

affecting the operation mode of the fluid analyzer according to the connector type identified.

92. The method of claim 91, wherein the identification of the type of the tube connector being connected to the fluid analyzer is performed while the tube connector is being connected to the fluid analyzer (“

on the “

fly”

), after the tube connector has been connected to the fluid analyzer (“

final position”

) or both.