Autonomous vehicle comprising extracorporeal blood treatment machine

• US 9,128,484 B1
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Inventors: Doyle, Matthew, Tanenbaum, Lee, Tong, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goldman, Richard
• Application Number:
  US14/723,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20150261220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 103 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1601 Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/367 Circuit parts not covered by the preceding subgroups of group A61M1/3621
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3334 Measuring or controlling the flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3379 Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3393 by weighing the reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3576 with non implanted data transmission devices, e.g. using external transmitter or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3666 using heat loss of a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/825 using mechanical generation of electricity, e.g. hand cranked generators
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8262 connectable to external power source, e.g. connecting to automobile battery through the cigarette lighter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/08 Supports for equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1886 : Controlling power supply to auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 : related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 : Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00 : Drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 : specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 : Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 : Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 : relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 : Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle is provided that includes an autonomous vehicle control system, a dialysis machine, and an interface providing an electrical communication between the dialysis machine and the autonomous vehicle control system. The dialysis machine is configured to perform a dialysis treatment on a patient while the autonomous vehicle is under the control of the autonomous vehicle control system. A vehicle is also provided that includes a navigation system, a dialysis machine, and an interface between the navigation system and the dialysis machine. The vehicle can be a car, a train, a plane, or another vehicle.

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle comprising an autonomous vehicle control system, a dialysis machine, and an interface providing an electrical communication between the dialysis machine and the autonomous vehicle control system, wherein

the dialysis machine is configured to perform a dialysis treatment on a patient while the autonomous vehicle is under the control of the autonomous vehicle control system,

the autonomous vehicle further comprises an engine, an energy source for the engine, an energy source sensor configured to sense the amount of energy, available from the energy source, for the engine, and a dialysis controller for the dialysis machine,

the dialysis controller comprises a user interface configured to enable a user to input a prescription therapy to the dialysis machine,

the interface between the dialysis machine and the autonomous vehicle control system comprises an electrical communication between the energy source sensor and the dialysis controller,

the energy source sensor is configured to send a signal to the dialysis controller indicating the amount of energy available to power the engine, and

the dialysis controller is configured to notify the user if there is insufficient energy available from the energy source to power the engine for the amount of time that would be required to carry out the prescription therapy.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the dialysis controller is configured to calculate the amount of energy that would be required to operate the autonomous vehicle and the dialysis machine together for a period of time required to carry out the prescription therapy, and then notify the user if there is insufficient energy to power the engine and the dialysis machine together for the amount of time that would be required to carry out the prescription therapy.

3. The autonomous vehicle of claim 2, wherein the dialysis controller is configured to calculate the amount of energy based on a measured current rate of consumption of the energy and based on a predicted rate of consumption of the energy that would be required to operate the autonomous vehicle and the dialysis machine together for the amount of time that would be required to carry out the prescription therapy.

4. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the dialysis controller is configured to prevent the dialysis machine from carrying out the prescription therapy if there is insufficient energy to power the engine for the amount of time that would be required to carry out the prescription therapy.

5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the energy source comprises a fuel source for the engine, the energy source sensor comprises a fuel sensor configured to sense the amount of fuel available for the engine, the fuel sensor is configured to send a signal to the dialysis controller indicating the amount of fuel available to power the engine, and the dialysis controller is configured to notify the user if there is insufficient fuel to power the engine for the amount of time that would be required to carry out the prescription therapy.

6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 5, wherein the dialysis controller is configured to calculate the amount of fuel that would be required to operate the autonomous vehicle and the dialysis machine together for a period of time required to carry out the prescription therapy, and then notify the user if there is insufficient fuel to power the engine and the dialysis machine together for the amount of time that would be required to carry out the prescription therapy.

7. The autonomous vehicle of claim 6, wherein the dialysis controller is configured to calculate the amount of fuel that would be required based on a measured current rate of consumption and based on a predicted rate of consumption that would be required to operate the autonomous vehicle and the dialysis machine together for the amount of time that would be required to carry out the prescription therapy.

8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 5, wherein the dialysis controller is configured to prevent the dialysis machine from carrying out the prescription therapy if there is insufficient fuel to power the engine for the amount of time that would be required to carry out the prescription therapy.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 5, further comprising a vehicle electrical system, a car battery, an alternator for charging the car battery during operation of the vehicle, and a backup battery dedicated to the dialysis machine, wherein the backup battery is in electrical communication with the alternator and the vehicle electrical system is configured to charge the backup battery during operation of the vehicle.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 9, wherein the vehicle electrical system comprises an ignition switch and an ignition switch bypass circuit configured to provide battery power from the backup battery to the dialysis machine in the event that the ignition switch is turned off during a prescription therapy.

11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the engine comprises a battery-operated motive engine, the energy source comprises a battery configured to supply battery power to the battery-operated motive engine, the energy source sensor comprises a battery sensor configured to sense the amount of battery power available for the battery-operated motive engine, the battery sensor is configured to send a signal to the dialysis controller indicating the amount of battery power available to power the battery-operated motive engine, and the dialysis controller is configured to notify the user if there is insufficient battery power to power the engine for the amount of time that would be required to carry out the prescription therapy.

12. The autonomous vehicle of claim 11, wherein the dialysis controller is configured to calculate the amount of battery power that would be required to operate the autonomous vehicle and the dialysis machine together for a period of time required to carry out the prescription therapy, and then notify the user if there is insufficient battery power to power the engine and the dialysis machine together for the amount of time that would be required to carry out the prescription therapy.

13. The autonomous vehicle of claim 12, wherein the dialysis controller is configured to calculate the amount of battery power that would be required based on a measured current rate of consumption and based on a predicted rate of consumption that would be required to operate the autonomous vehicle and the dialysis machine together for the amount of time that would be required to carry out the prescription therapy.

14. The autonomous vehicle of claim 11, wherein the dialysis controller is configured to prevent the dialysis machine from carrying out the prescription therapy if there is insufficient battery power to power the engine for the amount of time that would be required to carry out the prescription therapy.

15. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the an autonomous vehicle control system comprises a first input device configured to accept a destination input;

the autonomous vehicle control system is configured to calculate a travel duration for the autonomous vehicle to reach the destination;

the dialysis machine comprises a control unit and a second input device configured to accept a prescription therapy input; and

the control unit is configured to accept the travel duration from the autonomous vehicle control system and to calculate a rate of treatment to complete the inputted prescription therapy within the travel duration.

16. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the dialysis machine further comprises a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter is configured to transmit wireless signals pertaining to the dialysis machine, and the receiver is configured to receive wireless signals pertaining to the dialysis machine.

17. The autonomous vehicle of claim 16, further comprising a dialysis machine alarm system configured to determine the nearest hospital, dialysis clinic, urgent care center, or other emergency care center, using the wireless signals, wherein the autonomous vehicle control system is configured to navigate the autonomous vehicle to the nearest hospital, dialysis clinic, urgent care center, or other emergency care center, for corrective measures.