Medical device comprising a socket unit for connecting a plug unit of a device for providing medical fluids

• US 9,415,201 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Marterstock, Stefan Konrad
• Primary Examiner(s): Bosques, Edelmira
• Application Number:
  US14/166,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20140213962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 604/152, 604/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/28 Peritoneal dialysis ; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1005 Detection of disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/00 Ancillary equipment
• 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: A61M 39/105 Multi-channel connectors or couplings, e.g. for connecting multi-lumen tubes multi-channel connectors in general F16L37/56
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/12 for joining a flexible tube to a rigid attachment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/14 for connecting tubes having sealed ends needle sets A61M5/162; having valves closing automatically on disconnection of line A61M39/26

Abstract

A medical device comprising a socket unit for connecting a plug unit and an automated connection of the plug unit to the socket unit via a connecting mechanism. The connecting mechanism has a drive unit that has at least one movable drive body that carries out a translational and/or rotational movement and a position detection mechanism for detecting the linear position and/or the angular position of the drive body. The position detection mechanism includes at least two magnet elements, and at least one sensor element. The linear position and/or angular position of the drive body is determined with an evaluation unit on the basis of the magnetic field generated by the at least two magnet elements and detected by the at least one sensor element.

Claims

1. A medical device, comprising:

a socket unit for connecting a plug unit of a device for providing medical fluids, wherein the socket unit includes at least one connecting piece for connecting at least one connector of the plug unit; and

a connecting mechanism of the socket unit for establishing a connection between the at least one connecting piece and the at least one connector,

wherein the at least one connecting piece is configured to connect to the at least one connector so that a flow connection for feeding fresh fluids or discharging used fluids can be established when connecting the at least one connector to the at least one connecting piece,

wherein the connecting mechanism includes;

a drive unit having at least one movable drive body for carrying out at least one of a translational or rotational movement; and

at least one position detection mechanism for detecting at least one of the linear position or the angular position of the at least one movable drive body, wherein the position detection mechanism includes;

at least two magnet elements arranged spaced apart from each other and which generate a magnetic field;

at least one sensor element that detects the magnetic field of the at least two magnet elements; and

an evaluation unit that is configured to determine at least one of the linear position or the angular position of the at least one movable drive body based on the magnetic field generated by the at least two magnet elements and detected by the at least one sensor element,

wherein either (i) the at least two magnet elements are arranged on the at least one movable drive body and the at least one sensor element is arranged stationarily, or (ii) the at least two magnet elements are arranged stationarily and the at least one sensor elements is arranged on the at least one movable drive body.

2. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two magnet elements include a first magnet element and a second magnet element that are arranged spaced apart from each other with opposite polarity, and wherein the at least one sensor element includes a first sensor element and a second sensor element that are spaced apart from each other, and wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine:

based on the magnetic field detected by the first sensor element, at least one of two possible linear positions or two possible angular positions of the at least one movable drive body, and

based on the magnetic field detected by the second sensor element, at least one of whether the at least one of the two possible linear positions is the first linear position or the second linear position or whether the at least one of the two angular positions is the first angular position or the second angular position.

3. The medical device according to claim 2, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine, based on the sign of the magnetic field detected by the second sensor element, at least one of whether the at least one of the two possible linear positions is the first linear position or the second linear position or whether the at least one of the two angular positions is the first angular position or the second angular position.

4. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the translational movement of the at least one movable drive body is limited by one or a plurality of stop elements.

5. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the rotational movement of the at least one movable drive body is limited by one or a plurality of stop elements.

6. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two magnet elements include a first magnet element and a second magnet element that are arranged spaced apart from each other with opposite polarity, and wherein the at least one sensor element includes a first sensor element, and wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine:

based on the magnetic field detected by the first sensor element, at least one of two possible linear positions or two possible angular positions of the at least one moveable drive body;

if there is a change in at least one of the linear position or the angular position of the at least one moveable drive body, a gradient of a change of the magnetic field; and

based on a sign of the gradient of the change, at least one of whether the at least one of the two possible linear positions is the first linear position or the second linear position or whether the at least one of the two angular positions is the first angular position or the second angular position.

7. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one moveable drive body includes means for detachably connecting the plug unit to the socket unit.

8. The medical device according to claim 7, wherein the means for detachably connecting the plug unit to the socket unit includes a receptacle for plugging in an attachment piece of the plug unit.

9. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit generates:

a first control signal when the position detection mechanism detects a first advanced position of the at least one moveable drive body in which the at least one connector and the at least one connecting piece are disconnected; and

a second control signal when the position detection mechanism detects a second retracted position of the at least one moveable drive body in which the at least one connector is connected to the at least one connecting piece.

10. The medical device according claim 1, wherein the at least one moveable drive body is pivotable about a pivot axis.

11. The medical device according to claim 10, wherein:

the at least one connecting piece is concentrically enclosed by a connecting part to form a rinsing chamber;

the socket unit has a closure body with at least one closure piece for closing the at least one rinsing chamber;

the closure body is provided on the pivotable drive body, and the at least one closure piece is arranged on the closure body and is spaced apart from the pivot axis;

in a first pivot position, the at least one closure piece and the at least one connecting part lie on a common axis so that through a relative movement of the plug unit and the socket unit, a connection between the closure piece and the connecting piece can be established for closing the rinsing chamber; and

in a second pivot position, the at least one closure piece and the at least one connecting piece are arranged offset to each other so that when plugging the plug unit into the socket, a connection between the at least one connector of the plug unit and the at least one connecting piece of the socket unit can be established.

12. The medical device according to claim 11, wherein the evaluation unit generates:

a first control signal when the position detection mechanism detects the first pivot position; and

a second control signal when the position detection mechanism detects the second pivot position.

13. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two magnet elements are permanent magnets.

14. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor element is a Hall sensor.

15. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the medical device is a blood treatment device.

16. The medical device according to claim 15, wherein the blood treatment device is an extra-corporal dialysis device or a device for peritoneal dialysis.