MEDICAL TREATMENT APPARATUS, DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING MEDICAL FLUIDS, AND APPARATUS FOR FILLING A DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING MEDICAL FLUIDS

• US 20130248629A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Brandl, Matthias, Faulhaber, Thomas, Hoermann, Joern, Kugelmann, Franz, Oerter, Goekhan, Sterzer, Rafael
• Granted Patent: US 9,308,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 241/101.2
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1656 Apparatus for preparing dialysates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1668 Details of containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/367 Circuit parts not covered by the preceding subgroups of group A61M1/3621
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/273 preventing reuse, e.g. of disposables
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/60 with identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• 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: A61M 39/105 Multi-channel connectors or couplings, e.g. for connecting multi-lumen tubes multi-channel connectors in general F16L37/56

Abstract

A medical treatment apparatus, and in particular an extra-corporeal blood treatment apparatus, has a socket unit for the connection of a plug unit belonging to a device for supplying a medical fluid for the medical treatment apparatus. A filling apparatus for filling a device for supplying a medical fluid has a socket unit for the connection of a plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid. The device has a plug unit having means for indicating two states of operation, while the socket unit of the treatment apparatus has means for destroying the means for indicating two states of operation. When the plug unit is connected to the socket unit, the means for indicating two states of operation are destroyed, to rule out the possibility of the device being re-used. Re-use of the device is ruled out by the fact that the device cannot be re-filled with fluid.

Claims

1. A medical treatment apparatus, comprising:

a socket unit for connection of a plug unit belonging to a device for supplying a medical fluid for the medical treatment apparatus;

wherein the socket unit includes a salient projection for damaging or destroying an information carrier for indicating two states of operation of the device for supplying a medical fluid, the salient projection being configured such that the information carrier for indicating two states of operation is damaged or destroyed when the plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid is connected to the socket unit, a first state of operation being a state before the plug unit is connected to the socket unit, when the information carrier is intact, and a second state of operation being a state after the plug unit has been connected to the socket unit, when the information carrier is damaged or destroyed.

2. The medical treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the salient projection is provided on a portion of the socket unit and when the plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid is connected to the socket unit, is configured to engage in a depression in a portion of the plug unit to which the information carrier is applied, the information carrier being planar.

3. The medical treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the socket unit includes two connecting pieces for connection of two connectors of the plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid, thus enabling a flow-permitting connection to be made to feed fresh fluid in or to feed used fluid out.

4. A filling apparatus for filling a device for supplying a medical fluid for a medical treatment apparatus, comprising:

a socket unit for connection of a plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid;

wherein the filling apparatus includes a reading unit and an analysing unit for detecting re-use of the device for supplying a medical fluid which are configured to detect whether an information carrier which the plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid includes for indicating two states of operation is intact or is damaged or destroyed, a first state of operation being a state before the plug unit is connected to the socket unit, when the information carrier is intact, and a second state of operation being a state after the plug unit has been connected to the socket unit, when the information carrier is damaged or destroyed.

5. The filling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the reading unit for reading information on the information carrier and the analysing unit are configured such that a signal indicating re-use is generated when read-out of information is faulty after the damaging or destruction of the information carrier.

6. The filling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the filling apparatus includes a control unit for controlling a filling process which is configured such that initiation of the filling process is prevented if the analysing unit generates the signal indicating re-use.

7. The filling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the reading unit for reading information is a reader for reading a matrix code.

8. A device for supplying a medical fluid for a medical treatment apparatus, comprising:

a plug unit for connection to a socket unit of the medical treatment apparatus;

wherein the plug unit includes an information carrier for indicating two states of operation which is configured such that the information carrier for indicating two states of operation can be damaged or destroyed when the plug unit is connected to the socket unit of the treatment apparatus, a first state of operation being a state before the plug unit is connected to the socket unit, when the information carrier is intact, and a second state of operation being a state after the plug unit has been connected to the socket unit, when the information carrier is damaged or destroyed.

9. The device for supplying a medical fluid according to claim 8, wherein the information carrier carries machine-readable information on characteristic properties of the medical fluid, the information carrier being planar.

10. The device for supplying a medical fluid according to claim 9, wherein the information carrier is applied to a portion of the plug unit which is provided with a depression, the information carrier thus being damaged or destroyed, when the plug unit is connected to the socket unit, by a salient projection on the socket unit of the treatment apparatus which engages in the depression.

11. The device for supplying a medical fluid according to claim 10, wherein the depression is a groove in the portion of the plug unit, which groove is open at least one end and extends parallel to an axis of the plug unit, the axis defining a direction in which the plug unit is plugged into the socket unit of the treatment apparatus, the salient projection thus being thrust into the groove when the plug unit is plugged into the socket unit.

12. The device for supplying a medical fluid according to claim 11, wherein the plug unit includes two connectors for connection of two connecting pieces of the socket unit of the treatment apparatus, thus enabling a flow-permitting connection to be made for feeding in fresh fluid and feeding out used fluid.

13. A medical treatment system, comprising:

a medical treatment apparatus, which includes a socket unit for connection of a plug unit belonging to a device for supplying a medical fluid for the medical treatment apparatus; and

the device for supplying a medical fluid for the medical treatment apparatus, which includes the plug unit for connection to the socket unit of the medical treatment apparatus;

wherein the plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid includes an information carrier for indicating two states of operation and the socket unit of the medical treatment apparatus includes a salient projection for damaging or destroying the information carrier for indicating two states of operation, and the information carrier for indicating two states of operation and the salient projection for damaging or destroying the information carrier for indicating two states of operation are configured such that the information carrier for indicating two states of operation is damaged or destroyed when the plug unit is connected to the socket unit (B), a first state of operation being a state before the plug unit is connected to the socket unit, when the information carrier is intact, and a second state of operation being a state after the plug unit has been connected to the socket unit, when the information carrier is damaged or destroyed.

14. The medical treatment system according to claim 13, wherein the salient projection is provided on a portion of the socket unit, and the information carrier carries information on characteristic properties of the medical fluid, the information carrier being planar.

15. The medical treatment system according to claim 14, wherein the information carrier is applied to a portion of the plug unit which is provided with a depression, the information carrier thus being destroyed by the projection on the socket unit, which engages in the depression, when the plug unit is connected to the socket unit.

16. The medical treatment system according to claim 15, wherein the depression is a groove in the portion of the plug unit, which groove is open at at least one end and extends parallel to an axis of the plug unit, the axis defining a direction in which the plug unit is plugged into the socket unit, the salient projection thus being thrust into the groove when the plug unit is plugged into the socket unit.

17. A medical treatment system, comprising:

a device for supplying a medical fluid for a medical treatment apparatus, which device includes a plug unit for connection to a socket unit of a filling apparatus for filling the device for supplying a medical fluid; and

the filling apparatus for filling a device for supplying a medical fluid for the medical treatment apparatus, which filling apparatus includes the socket unit for connection of the plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid;

wherein the plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid includes an information carrier for indicating two states of operation, a first state of operation being indicated by the information carrier being intact and a second state of operation being indicated by the information carrier being damaged or destroyed, and the filling apparatus includes a reading unit and an analysing unit for detecting re-use of the device for supplying a medical fluid which are configured to detect whether the information carrier which the plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid includes for indicating two states of operation is intact or is damaged or destroyed.

18. The medical treatment system according to claim 17, wherein the information carrier carries information on characteristic properties of the medical fluid, the information carrier being planar, and the reading unit for reading information on the information carrier and the analysing unit are configured such that a signal indicating re-use is generated when read-out of information is faulty after the damaging or destruction of the information carrier.

19. The medical treatment system according to claim 18, wherein the filling apparatus includes a control unit for controlling a filling process which is configured such that initiation of the filling process is prevented if the analysing unit generates the signal indicating re-use.

20. The medical treatment system according to claim 18, wherein the reading unit for reading information is a reader for reading a matrix code.

21. A medical treatment system, comprising:

at least one device for supplying a medical fluid for a medical treatment apparatus comprising a plug unit for connection to a socket unit of the medical treatment apparatus, wherein the plug unit includes an information carrier for indicating two states of operation which is configured such that the information carrier for indicating two states of operation can be damaged or destroyed when the plug unit is connected to the socket unit of the treatment apparatus, a first state of operation being a state before the plug unit is connected to the socket unit, when the information carrier is intact, and a second state of operation being a state after the plug unit has been connected to the socket unit, when the information carrier is damaged or destroyed;

a medical treatment apparatus comprising a socket unit for connection of the plug unit belonging to the device for supplying a medical fluid for the medical treatment apparatus, wherein the socket unit includes a salient projection for damaging or destroying the information carrier for indicating two states of operation of the device for supplying a medical fluid, the salient projection being configured such that the information carrier for indicating two states of operation is damaged or destroyed when the plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid is connected to the socket unit;

at least one filling apparatus for filling the device for supplying a medical fluid for the medical treatment apparatus comprising a socket unit for connection of the plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid, wherein the filling apparatus includes a reading unit and an analysing unit for detecting re-use of the device for supplying a medical fluid which are configured to detect whether the information carrier which the plug unit of the device for supplying a medical fluid includes for indicating two states of operation is intact or is damaged or destroyed.