INFUSION PUMP LATCH MECHANISM AND ASSOCIATED FREE-FLOW PROTECTION DEVICE

• US 20180369476A1
• Filed: 06/27/2017
• Published: 12/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Curlin Medical (Moog Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Curlin Medical (Moog Incorporated)
• Inventors: AZAPAGIC, Azur, BARKLEY, Mohan Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 10,549,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 39/28 Clamping means for squeezing flexible tubes, e.g. roller clamps tube strippers A61M1/83
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/281 Automatic tube cut-off devices, e.g. squeezing tube on detection of air
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14216 Reciprocating piston type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14228 with linear peristaltic action, i.e. comprising at least three pressurising members or a helical member
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16804 Flow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/0081 systems, control, safety measures
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/1223 the actuating elements, e.g. rollers, moving in a straight line during squeezing
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/123 using an excenter as the squeezing element
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/16 Casings; Cylinders; Cylinder liners or heads; Fluid connections
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/22 Arrangements for enabling ready assembly or disassembly

Abstract

An infusion pump apparatus includes a length of resilient tubing removably loadable in an infusion pump having a housing, a pumping mechanism, and a pump door. A latch member is pivotally mounted to the pump door and cooperates with a latch pin fixed on pump housing. A free-flow protection device is biased to pinch the tubing closed to stop fluid flow. The latch member has a first range of pivotal motion in a latching direction for causing the latch member to engage with the latch pin to secure the door in a closed position and a second range of pivotal motion in the latching direction for causing the latch member to actuate the free-flow protection device to unpinch the tubing and allow flow. The latch member pivots through at least a portion of the first range of pivotal motion before beginning to pivot through the second range of pivotal motion.

Claims

1. A free-flow protection device comprising:

a body defining a tubing guideway and a plunger channel intersecting the tubing guideway;

a plunger slidably received by the plunger channel, the plunger defining a tubing passageway through the plunger, the plunger being movable relative to the body to vary a degree of alignment between the tubing passageway and the tubing guideway;

a spring biasing the plunger in a direction reducing the degree of alignment between the tubing passageway and the tubing guideway;

wherein the plunger includes a curved actuating surface protruding from the plunger channel.

2. The free-flow protection device according to claim 1, wherein the tubing passageway of the plunger extends along a first axis, and the curved actuating surface includes an arc segment profile about a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.

3. An administration set comprising:

a free-flow protection device including (i) a body defining a tubing guideway and a plunger channel intersecting the tubing guideway, (ii) a plunger defining a tubing passageway through the plunger, wherein the plunger is slidably received by the plunger channel and is movable relative to the body to vary a degree of alignment between the tubing passageway and the tubing guideway, and (iii) a spring biasing the plunger in a direction reducing the degree of alignment between the tubing passageway and the tubing guideway; and

a length of resilient tubing extending through the tubing guideway and the tubing passageway;

wherein the plunger includes a curved actuating surface protruding from the plunger channel.

4. The administration set according to claim 3, wherein the tubing passageway of the plunger extends along a first axis, and the curved actuating surface includes an arc segment profile about a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.

5. The administration set according to claim 3, wherein the body of the free-flow protection device is attached to the length of resilient tubing.

6. An infusion pump apparatus comprising:

A) a length of resilient tubing;

B) an infusion pump including;

a pump housing;

a pumping mechanism supported by the pump housing;

a pump door movable relative to the pump housing, wherein the pump door moves to an open position to allow the length of tubing to be loaded in the infusion pump adjacent to the pumping mechanism and the pump door moves to a closed position covering the length of resilient tubing;

a latch member pivotally mounted to the pump door, wherein the latch member is pivotable relative to the pump door about a latch pivot axis; and

a latch pin at a fixed location relative to the pump housing; and

C) a free-flow protection device biased to pinch the resilient tubing closed to stop fluid flow therethrough;

wherein the latch member has a first range of pivotal motion about the latch pivot axis in a latching direction for causing the latch member to engage with the latch pin to secure the pump door in the closed position and a second range of pivotal motion about the latch pivot axis in the latching direction for causing the latch member to actuate the free-flow protection device against the bias to unpinch the resilient tubing and allow fluid flow therethrough, wherein the latch member pivots through at least a portion of the first range of pivotal motion before beginning to pivot through the second range of pivotal motion.

7. The infusion pump apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the second range of pivotal motion overlaps with a portion of the first range of pivotal motion.

8. The infusion pump apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the latch member has an unlatched limit position defining a beginning of the first range of pivotal motion, and the second range of pivotal motion begins after the latch member has pivoted from the unlatched limit position through a predetermined angle about the latch pivot axis in the latching direction.

9. The infusion pump apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined angle is at least forty-five degrees.

10. The infusion pump apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the latch member has a latched limit position at an end of the first range of pivotal motion, wherein the latched limit position further defines an end of the second range of pivotal motion.

11. The infusion pump apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the pump door does not contact the free-flow protection device when the pump door is in the closed position.

12. The infusion pump apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the pump door includes a platen surface and the pumping mechanism includes a plurality of peristaltic pumping fingers opposed by the platen surface when the pump door is in the closed position and a motor-driven cam operable to displace the plurality of peristaltic pumping fingers to resiliently deform the tubing against the platen surface, wherein at least one of the plurality of peristaltic pumping fingers is arranged to pinch the tubing against the platen surface to prevent flow through the tubing when the pump door is in the closed position and the pumping mechanism is not operating.

13. The infusion pump apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the latch member includes a curved cam surface and the free-flow protection device includes a curved actuating surface for cooperating with the curved cam surface, and wherein the curved cam surface engages the curved actuating surface while the latch member is pivoted through the second range of pivotal motion to actuate the free-flow protection device.

14. The infusion pump apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the latch member includes a slot having a keyhole portion and an entryway surface leading to a keyhole portion, and wherein the entryway surface and then the keyhole portion sequentially engage with the latch pin as the latch member is pivoted through the first range of pivotal motion.

15. The infusion pump apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the free-flow protection device is attached to the length of resilient tubing.