DIALYSIS METHODS AND SYSTEMS HAVING AUTOCONNECTION AND AUTOIDENTIFICATION

• US 20120089085A1
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Inventors: Childers, Robert W., Holmquist, Kurt, Hopping, Peter A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,257,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1522 the interface being evacuated interfaces to enhance contact
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1524 the interface providing means for actuating on functional elements of the cassette, e.g. plungers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/153 the cassette being adapted for heating or cooling the treating fluid, e.g. the dialysate or the treating gas
• 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 1/1565 Details of valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/159 specially adapted for peritoneal dialysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1656 Apparatus for preparing dialysates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/166 Heating for sterilisation A61M1/1686
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1668 Details of containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/167 Flexible packaging for solid concentrates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/28 Peritoneal dialysis ; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/282 Operational modes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/284 Continuous flow peritoneal dialysis [CFPD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/287 Dialysates therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/288 Priming priming in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3643
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/122 using evacuated interfaces to enhance contact
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/128 with incorporated valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/70 with testing or calibration facilities
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/084 : Supporting bases, stands for equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 604/905 : Aseptic connectors or couplings, e.g. frangible, piercable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

A dialysis system includes at least one pump actuator, a disposable cassette operable with the at least one pump actuator, a plurality of disposable cassette supply connections, and plurality of dialysis solution lines. Each of the plurality of solution lines is connected to a dialysis solution container. The system further includes an autoconnection mechanism configured to connect the plurality of supply connections to the plurality of dialysis solution lines. The system additionally includes an autoidentification system configured to automatically identify information associated with the plurality of dialysis solution lines to determine at least one of (i) dialysis solution type (ii) dialysis solution volume, or (iii) a number of the plurality of dialysis solution supply containers.

Claims

1. A dialysis system comprising:

a dialysis instrument including at least one pump actuator;

a disposable cassette operable with the at least one pump actuator;

a plurality of disposable cassette supply connections;

a plurality of dialysis solution lines, each of the plurality of solution lines connected to a dialysis solution container;

an autoconnection mechanism configured to connect the plurality of supply connections to the plurality of dialysis solution lines; and

an autoidentification system configured to automatically identify information associated with the plurality of dialysis solution lines to determine at least one of (i) dialysis solution type (ii) dialysis solution volume, or (iii) a number of the plurality of dialysis solution supply containers.

2. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein the autoconnection mechanism includes a tip protector remover and the autoconnection mechanism is configured such that:

(i) the tip protector remover is translated in a first direction towards the plurality of supply connections, (ii) the tip protector remover is locked to each of a plurality of supply connection tip protectors connected to the plurality of supply connections, (iii) the tip protector remover is translated in a second direction away from the plurality of supply connections to remove the plurality of supply connection tip protectors from the supply connections, and (iv) a plurality of solution line connectors of the plurality of dialysis solution lines are translated towards the supply connections to connect each of the plurality of dialysis solution line connectors to one of the supply connections.

3. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein an end of each of the plurality of dialysis solution lines includes a code, and wherein the autoidentification system is configured to read the codes to determine at least one of the (i) dialysis solution type (ii) dialysis solution volume, or (iii) the number of the plurality of dialysis solution supply containers.

4. The dialysis system of claim 3, wherein the autoidentification system includes at least one controller configured to store a character recognition routine, the character recognition routine configured to read the codes to determine the at least one of (i) dialysis solution type (ii) dialysis solution volume, or (iii) the number of the plurality of dialysis solution supply containers.

5. The dialysis system of claim 3, wherein the autoidentification system includes a camera configured to read the codes.

6. The dialysis system of claim 5, wherein the camera includes a charge-coupled device image sensor and an array of light-sensitive capacitors.

7. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein the auto-identification system is further configured to (i) identify a geometry of each of a plurality of solution line connectors, and (ii) compare the identified geometries to a range of stored geometries to determine at least one of whether the plurality of solution line connectors are (a) improperly positioned, or (b) deformed.

8. The dialysis system of claim 1, wherein the supply connections are connection fluidly to the disposable cassette via supply lines.

9. A dialysis system comprising:

a dialysis instrument including at least one pump actuator;

a disposable cassette operable with the at least one pump actuator;

a plurality of disposable cassette supply connections;

a plurality of dialysis solution lines, each of the plurality of solution lines connected to a dialysis solution container and including a solution line connector;

an autoconnection mechanism configured to connect the plurality of supply connections to the plurality of solution lines; and

an autoidentification system configured to automatically (i) identify a geometry of each of the solution line connectors, and (ii) compare the identified geometries to a range of stored geometries to determine at least one of whether any of the plurality of dialysis solution line connectors are (a) improperly positioned, or (b) deformed.

10. The dialysis system of claim 9, wherein the instrument includes a plurality of line occluding clamps, and wherein the auto-identification system is further configured such that if one of the plurality of dialysis solution lines is improperly positioned or deformed, at least one of (i) an alarm is activated, (ii) the clamps are prevented from opening, or (iii) the clamps are closed.

11. The dialysis system of claim 9, wherein the autoidentification system is further configured such that an alarm is activated if one of the plurality of dialysis solution lines is improperly positioned or deformed.

16. The dialysis system method of claim 11, which includes visually identifying information associated with the plurality of dialysis solution lines to identify the information.

17. The dialysis system method of claim 16, wherein visually identifying includes using a camera.

18. The dialysis system method of claim 11, wherein connecting the plurality of dialysis solution lines to the disposable dialysis solution pumping cassette automatically includes translating a solution line holder configured and arranged for holding the plurality of solution lines.

19. The dialysis system method of claim 11, wherein identifying information associated with the plurality of dialysis solution lines includes identifying a geometry for each of a plurality of solution line connectors connected to the solution lines, and comparing the identified geometries to a range of stored geometries to determine whether the solution line connectors are (i) improperly positioned, or (ii) deformed.

20. The dialysis system method of claim 19, which includes activating an alarm if it is determined that the solution line connectors are (i) improperly positioned, or (ii) deformed.

12. A dialysis system method comprising:

connecting a plurality of dialysis solution lines to a disposable dialysis solution pumping cassette automatically; and

identifying information associated with the plurality of dialysis solution lines automatically to determine at least one of (i) dialysis solution type (ii) dialysis solution volume, or (iii) a number of dialysis solution supply containers associated with the plurality of dialysis solution lines.

13. The dialysis system method of claim 12, which includes reading codes to identify information associated with the plurality of dialysis solution lines automatically.

14. The dialysis system method of claim 13, wherein reading codes includes reading codes located at the ends of the plurality of dialysis solution lines.

15. The dialysis system method of claim 12, which includes using a character recognition routine stored in a controller to read the codes.