Medical fluid autoconnection and autoidentification method

• US 8,512,275 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• 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., Lee, Patrick, Reitz, Douglas, Roger, Rodolfo, Steck, John F., Kopychev, Audrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): GILBERT, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US13/493,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20120271273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 604/29, 604/533, 210/321.6, 417/477.2, 417/477.9, 417/479, 417/480, 417/493, 417/498, 417/502, 417/503, 417/521, 417/531
• US Class Current: 604/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/14 Dialysis systems; Artificial kidneys; Blood oxygenators semi-permeable membranes characterised by the material, manufacturing processes therefor B01D71/00; Reciprocating systems for treatment of body fluids, e.g. single needle systems for hemofiltration or pheresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/152 Details related to the interface between cassette and machine
• 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 1/154 with sensing means or components thereof
• 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 1/1601 Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1621 Constructional aspects thereof semi-permeable membranes for separation processes characterised by their properties B01D69/00; semi permeable membranes characterised by their material B01D71/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1027 Quick-acting type connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/128 with incorporated valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/165 Shrouds or protectors for aseptically enclosing the connector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/162 Needle sets, i.e. connections by puncture between reservoir and tube ; Connections between reservoir and tube in jet-action syringes A61M5/30; connectors for tubes having sealed ends and a needle for piercing them A61M39/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1626 Needle protectors therefor in combination with syringes A61M5/3202; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A medical fluid autoconnection method includes: enabling acceptance a pierceable connector that is capable of fluidly communicating with a source of medical fluid into a moveable holder; temporarily fixing a spike to a medical fluid pumping machine; automatically detecting whether the pierceable connector has been placed into the moveable holder; if the pierceable connector is sensed as being placed in the moveable holder, moving the holder so that the spike pierces the pierceable connector; and enabling medical fluid to be pumped from the source through the connected spiked and connector.

Claims

1. A medical fluid autoconnection method comprising:

enabling acceptance of a plurality of pierceable connectors that are each capable of fluidly communicating with a different respective source of medical fluid into a moveable holder;

temporarily fixing a plurality of spikes to a medical fluid pumping machine;

automatically detecting whether at least one of the pierceable connectors has been placed into the moveable holder;

if at least one of the pierceable connectors is sensed as being placed in the moveable holder, moving the holder so that a corresponding one of the spikes pierces the pierceable connector; and

enabling medical fluid to be pumped from the different respective source through the connected spike and connector.

2. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, wherein automatically detecting includes automatically detecting via radio frequency identification.

3. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, wherein the treatment fluid is blood, blood substitute, dialysis fluid, transfusion fluid, or hemofiltration fluid.

4. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, wherein the moveable holder includes a plurality of different locations for accepting the pierceable connector, and wherein automatically detecting includes detecting whether the pierceable connector has been placed in a proper one of the locations.

5. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, wherein automatically detecting includes detecting whether the pierceable connector has been properly placed in the moveable holder.

6. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, wherein automatically detecting includes detecting a type of the medical fluid that would be pumped through the connected spike and connector.

7. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, wherein automatically detecting includes detecting a lot number of the medical fluid that would be pumped through the connected spike and connector.

8. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, wherein automatically detecting includes detecting patient information.

9. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, wherein automatically detecting includes detecting an amount of the medical fluid that would be pumped through the connected spike and connector.

10. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, wherein automatically detecting includes detecting at least one of a data or a time associated with the medical fluid.

11. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, which includes automatically detecting via video detection.

12. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, which includes automatically detecting via radio frequency (“

RFID”

) detection.

13. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, which includes automatically detecting via barcode detection.

14. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, wherein temporarily fixing the spike includes loading a disposable cassette including the spike onto the medical fluid pumping machine.

15. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 1, which includes fluidly communicating the spike with a disposable component capable of being actuated to pump the medical fluid.

16. A medical fluid autoconnection method comprising:

enabling acceptance of first and second pierceable connectors that are each capable of communicating fluidly with first and second different sources of medical fluids, respectively, into first and second locations, respectively, of a moveable holder;

temporarily fixing first and second spikes to a medical fluid pumping machine;

automatically detecting whether the first and second pierceable connectors are loaded properly according to a predefined order in the first and second locations;

if the pierceable connectors are sensed as being loaded properly according to the predefined order in the first and second locations, moving the holder so that a corresponding one of the first and second spikes pierces the first and second pierceable connectors; and

enabling the first and second different sources of medical fluids to be pumped through the connected first and second spikes and connectors, respectively.

17. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 16, wherein automatically detecting includes detecting whether the first and second medical fluids are of the right types according to the predefined order.

18. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 16, wherein automatically detecting includes detecting whether the first and second medical fluids are of the right quantities according to the predefined order.

19. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 17, which includes fluidly communicating the first and second spikes with a disposable component positioned and arranged to be actuated by first and second medical fluid pumps.

20. A medical fluid autoconnection method comprising:

accepting first and second pierceable connectors that are each capable of communicating fluidly with first and second different sources of medical fluids, respectively, into first and second locations, respectively of a moveable holder;

temporarily fixing first and second spikes to a medical fluid pumping machine;

detecting a characteristic associated with each of the first and second pierceable connectors; and

providing instructions for loading the first and second pierceable connectors into the first and second locations of the moveable holder based upon the detected characteristics.

21. The medical fluid autoconnection method of claim 20, which includes moving the holder so that first spike pierces one of the first or second connectors and the second spike pierces the other of the first and second connectors.