Method and apparatus for automated fluid transfer operations
First Claim
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1. An automated pharmaceutical processing system comprising:
- a compounding chamber;
a syringe manipulator station disposed in the compounding chamber, the syringe manipulator station being configured to hold a syringe with a needle directed in a generally downward orientation for drawing fluid through the needle from an IV bag into the held syringe; and
a controller comprising a processor to receive instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprisingidentifying a type or characteristic associated with the IV bag, wherein the type or characteristic is associated with an IV bag volume capacity or a bag size,identifying a plunger motion profile to create a partial vacuum in the syringe to extract substantially all air from the IV bag without extracting a substantial quantity of fluid from the IV bag, wherein the plunger motion profile is based in part upon the identified type or characteristic of the IV bag and comprises one or more of a plunger acceleration phase, a plunger constant velocity phase, and a plunger deceleration phase,identifying a disengagement motion profile comprising at least one of a disengagement acceleration phase, a disengagement constant velocity phase, and a disengagement deceleration phase,actuating the syringe manipulator station to engage a fill port of the IV bag with the needle of the syringe,actuating the syringe manipulator station to pull the plunger of the syringe according to the plunger motion profile, andactuating the syringe manipulator station to move the fill port and the needle of the syringe out of engagement according to the disengagement motion profile.
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Abstract
Automated system and techniques for controlling fluid transfers among medical containers such as syringes, vials and IV bag are disclosed. In one aspect, an automated method for substantially balancing a pressure within a medical container such as a vial with ambient pressure using a fluid transfer device such as a needled syringe is disclosed. In another aspect, an automated method for substantially removing a volume of air from a medical container such as an IV bag using a fast pull technique is disclosed.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An automated pharmaceutical processing system comprising:
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a compounding chamber; a syringe manipulator station disposed in the compounding chamber, the syringe manipulator station being configured to hold a syringe with a needle directed in a generally downward orientation for drawing fluid through the needle from an IV bag into the held syringe; and a controller comprising a processor to receive instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising identifying a type or characteristic associated with the IV bag, wherein the type or characteristic is associated with an IV bag volume capacity or a bag size, identifying a plunger motion profile to create a partial vacuum in the syringe to extract substantially all air from the IV bag without extracting a substantial quantity of fluid from the IV bag, wherein the plunger motion profile is based in part upon the identified type or characteristic of the IV bag and comprises one or more of a plunger acceleration phase, a plunger constant velocity phase, and a plunger deceleration phase, identifying a disengagement motion profile comprising at least one of a disengagement acceleration phase, a disengagement constant velocity phase, and a disengagement deceleration phase, actuating the syringe manipulator station to engage a fill port of the IV bag with the needle of the syringe, actuating the syringe manipulator station to pull the plunger of the syringe according to the plunger motion profile, and actuating the syringe manipulator station to move the fill port and the needle of the syringe out of engagement according to the disengagement motion profile. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An automated method for performing a fluid transfer operation, the method comprising:
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providing an IV bag at a fluid transfer station; providing a first syringe at the fluid transfer station; identifying a first characteristic of the IV bag, wherein the first characteristic is based on one or more of a volume capacity and a bag size; identifying a predetermined volume of liquid for fluid transfer; determining a plunger motion profile to create a vacuum in the syringe to extract substantially all air from the IV bag without extracting a substantial quantity of fluid from the IV bag, wherein the plunger motion profile is based in part upon the first characteristic of the IV bag and comprises one or more of a plunger acceleration phase, a plunger constant velocity phase, and a plunger deceleration phase; determining a disengagement motion profile comprising at least one of a disengagement acceleration phase, a disengagement constant velocity phase, and a disengagement deceleration phase; inserting a distal tip of a first needle of the first syringe into a fluid transfer port of the IV bag while the first needle of the first syringe is in a generally needle-down orientation and the fluid transfer port is in a generally upward orientation; actuating a plunger of the first syringe according to the plunger motion profile, extracting the distal tip of the first needle from the fluid transfer port of the IV bag according to the disengagement motion profile; inserting the distal tip of a second needle of a second syringe into the fluid transfer port of the IV bag; and extracting the predetermined volume of liquid from the IV bag. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification