Tube verifier

• US 8,763,892 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oridion Medical (1987) Ltd. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Oridion Medical 1987 Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Colman, Joshua Lewis, Itzhak, Gal, Botesazan, Zion
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US12/811,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20110315757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,374 Days
• Field of Search: 604/533, 604/538, 235/375, 235/454, 235/487, 235/491, 128/121.1, 128/202.27, 128/912
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1044 Verifying the connection, e.g. audible feedback, tactile feedback, visual feedback, using external light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1094 at least partly incompatible with standard connectors, e.g. to prevent fatal mistakes in connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/276 preventing unwanted use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0014 Connecting a tube to a hub
• 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: B01L 2200/143 Quality control, feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0627 Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/168 Specific optical properties, e.g. reflective coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/565 Seals in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 2201/10 Indicators for correct coupling
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/24 in which the connection is made by inserting one member axially into the other and rotating it to a limited extent, e.g. with bayonet action
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/26 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0614 : the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 : arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

There is provided a tube connector for connecting between a fluid sampling tube and a fluid analyzer, the tube connector includes an end face adapted to identify the tube connector, said end face comprising a reflecting surface having one or more reflective regions adapted to reflect light at a predetermined range of wavelengths.

Claims

1. A tube connector for connecting between a fluid sampling tube and a device connector of a fluid analyzer, the tube connector comprising:

a circular annular end face adapted to facilitate identification of the tube connector, wherein said circular annular end face comprises at least two spectrally distinct reflective regions adapted to reflect light at different wavelengths when said circular annular end face is revolved relative to said device connector, said at least two spectrally distinct reflective regions arranged such that a verification system of said fluid analyzer determines an operation mode of the fluid analyzer by identifying recurring changes of reflectivity of the reflective regions during the revolving of said tube connector relative to said device connector.

2. The tube connector of claim 1, wherein said circular annular end face is configured to facilitate encoding data selected from the type of said tube connector, class and/or model of said tube connector, manufacturer of said tube connector and preferred mode of operation of said tube connector.

3. The tube connector of claim 2, wherein if the information encoded on the end face of the tube connector is indicative of a certain type of a tube connector, the fluid analyzer will operate in an operation mode that is suitable for the detected type of connector.

4. The tube connector of claim 1, wherein the fluid analyzer comprises a capnograph.

5. The tube connector of claim 1, wherein said verification system comprises one or more light sources and one or more optical detectors.

6. The tube connector of claim 5, wherein said one or more optical detectors comprises an RGB detector.

7. The tube connector of claim 1, wherein said end face further comprises a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) tag adapted to provide further identification of the connector type.

8. The tube connector of claim 1, wherein said end face further comprises a barcode tag adapted to provide further identification of the connector type.

9. The tube connector of claim 1, wherein the verification system further comprises a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) reader, a barcode scanner or both.

10. The tube connector of claim 1, wherein the identification of the tube connector being connected to the fluid analyzer is performed while the tube connector is being connected to the fluid analyzer (“

on the “

fly”

), after the tube connector has been connected to the fluid analyzer (“

final position”

) or both.

11. A device for analyzing fluid, said device comprising:

a device connector adapted to receive a tube connector according to claim 1; and

a verification system for identifying the tube connector, wherein said verification system comprises;

one or more light sources adapted to transmit light toward a circular annular end face of the tube connector,

one or more optical detectors adapted to detect light reflected from the circular annular end face, and to produce a signal indicative of the reflected light; and

a processor adapted to identify a type of the tube connector based on the signal received from the one or more optical detectors;

wherein said verification system is configured to identify said tube connector by identification of recurring changes of reflectivity during the revolving of said tube connector relative to said device connector and consequently affect an operation mode of the fluid analyzer according to the connector type identified.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said circular annular end face is configured to encode data selected from:

type of said tube connector, class and/or model of the tube connector, manufacturer of said tube connector and preferred mode of operation of said tube connector.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the device is a capnograph.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein said one or more optical detectors comprises an RGB detector.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein said verification system further comprises a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) reader, a barcode scanner or both.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the verification system is adapted to identify the tube connector while the tube connector is being connected to the device (“

on the “

fly”

), after the tube connector has been connected to the device (“

final position”

) or both.

17. The tube connector of claim 1, wherein said at least two spectrally distinct reflective regions have geometrical shapes, non-geometrical shapes, horizontal lines, vertical lines or any combination thereof.

18. The tube connector of claim 1, wherein the at least two spectrally distinct reflective regions exhibit at least one concave region and at least one convex region.

19. A fluid analyzing device, said device comprising:

a device connector adapted to receive a tube connector; and

an RGB detector adapted to receive light of at least two colors reflected from at least two corresponding spectrally distinct regions of a circular annular end face of said tube connector during revolving of the end face relative to the device connector and to produce a signal indicative of the light received; and

a processor adapted to identify a type of the tube connector based on said signal received from said RGB detector; and

wherein the processor determines an operation mode of said fluid analyzer according to the tube connector type identified;

wherein the identification of the tube connector type by said processor comprises identification of recurring changes during the revolving of said tube connector relative to said device connector.

20. A method for identifying a tube connector type attached to a fluid analyzer, the method comprising:

transmitting light toward a circular annular end face of the tube connector;

detecting light reflected from at least two spectrally distinct reflective regions on the circular annular end face of the tube connector during revolving of the end face relative to the device connector of the fluid analyzer;

producing a signal indicative of the reflected light;

identifying the type of the tube connector based on the signal produced; and

determining an operation mode of the fluid analyzer according to the connector type identified;

wherein identifying the type of the tube connector comprises identifying recurring changes during revolving of the tube connector relative to the device connector of the fluid analyzer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the identification of the type of the tube connector being connected to the fluid analyzer is performed while the tube connector is being connected to the fluid analyzer (“

on the “

fly”

), after the tube connector has been connected to the fluid analyzer (“

final position”

) or both.