Re-certification system for a flow control apparatus

• US 7,862,535 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cardinal Health Ireland Unlimited Company (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Gaines, Robert B., Knauper, Christopher A., Price, Jeffrey E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendez; Manuel A
• Application Number:
  US12/496,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 604/890.1, 604 65- 67, 604/131, 128/DIG.12, 128/DIG.13
• US Class Current: 604/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/702 automatically during use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16804 Flow controllers

Abstract

A process for verifying that at least one component of a flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range comprises loading a re-certification feeding set to a flow control apparatus and sensing that the re-certification feeding set has been loaded. Software comprising a re-certification procedure verifies at least one component of the flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range.

Claims

1. A process for verifying that at least one component of a flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range comprising:

a) loading a re-certification feeding set to a flow control apparatus;

b) sensing said re-certification feeding set is loaded to said flow control apparatus; and

c) utilizing a software subsystem that comprises a re-certification procedure that is capable of verifying at least one component of said flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range, wherein the software subsystem places the flow control certification procedure only when a re-certification set is detected as being loaded in the flow control apparatus.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein said at least one component is selected from the group consisting of audio, visual, mechanical and electronic systems.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein sensing said re-certification feeding set comprises sensing a mounting member comprising at least one identification member having a configuration selected to identify that a feeding set is the re-certification feeding set.

4. The process according to claim 1 wherein the re-certification procedure verifies that at least one component of the flow control apparatus related to driving fluid through the re-certification feeding set is functioning within a predetermined operational range.

5. The process according to claim 1 in which the re-certification procedure includes driving a predetermined volume of fluid through the re-certification set for use in evaluating the performance of components of the flow control apparatus.

6. A process for verifying that at least one component of a flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range comprising:

a) loading a re-certification feeding set to a flow control apparatus;

b) sensing said re-certification feeding set is loaded to said flow control apparatus; and

c) utilizing a software subsystem that comprises a re-certification procedure that is capable of verifying at least one component of said flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range, wherein the re-certification procedure disables automatic testing if it determines that manual testing has not been performed and executes a reiterative process prompting the user to conduct manual testing if the subsystem determines that manual testing has been performed.