Integrated cross contamination sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11833283-B2
Application number	US-202218073891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2022
Priority date	Jul 26, 2019
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

In some embodiments, a medical system includes a dialysis machine having at least one outer surface to be disinfected at a given location, at least one disinfection sensor connected to the dialysis machine at the given location, the disinfection sensor including two or more electrode in fluid contact with the outside surface of the dialysis machine, and a conductivity sensor component in electrical contact with the two or more electrodes, the conductivity sensor component configured to send an electrical signal indicating a conductivity of a liquid on an outside surface of the dialysis machine and in contact with the two or more electrodes, a processor configured to receive the electrical signal and thereby determine a disinfection status of the given location, and a user interface configured to indicate the disinfection status of the given location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medical system, comprising:
a dialysis machine having at least one outer surface to be disinfected at a given location;
at least one disinfection sensor connected to the dialysis machine at the given location, the disinfection sensor comprising:
at least one electrode in fluid contact with the outside surface of the dialysis machine, and
at least one of a conductivity sensor component in electrical contact with the at least one electrode or a wetness sensor component in electrical contact with the at least one electrode, wherein the at least one of the conductivity sensor component or the wetness sensor component is configured to send an electrical signal indicating a presence of a liquid on an outside surface of the dialysis machine and in contact with the at least one electrode; and

a processor configured to receive the electrical signal and, based on the electrical signal, determine a disinfection status of the given location.

2. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein determining the disinfection status of the given location comprises determining a time interval the liquid is present on the outside surface of the dialysis machine.

3. The medical system of claim 2 , wherein determining the disinfection status of the given location comprises comparing the time interval to a threshold time interval.

4. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein:
the electrical signal is generated by the conductivity sensor component and indicates a conductivity of the liquid; and
determining the disinfection status of the given location comprises determining if the electrical signal indicates the liquid on the outside surface of the dialysis machine is a disinfection fluid.

5. The medical system of claim 4 , wherein determining if the signal indicates the liquid on the outside surface of the dialysis machine is a disinfection fluid comprises comparing the signal to conductivity signals stored in a memory connected to the processor.

6. The medical system of claim 4 , wherein determining the disinfection status of the given location comprises identifying the type of disinfection fluid present on the outside surface of the dialysis machine.

7. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein a user interface of the dialysis machine is configured to alert a user of the disinfection status of the given location.

8. The medical system of claim 1 , further comprising a memory that stores a log of disinfections.

9. The medical system of claim 1 , further comprising a cleanable channel on the outside surface of the dialysis machine that collects a known amount of the liquid.

10. The medical system of claim 9 , wherein the cleanable channel is in fluid communication with a respective end of the at least one disinfection sensor.

11. A method comprising:
receiving, at a processor, a signal from at least one of a conductivity sensor or a wetness sensor, the signal indicating a presence of a liquid on an outside surface of a dialysis machine at a given location and in fluid contact with an electrode of the at least one of the conductivity sensor or the wetness sensor; and
based on the signal, determining a disinfection status of the outside surface of the dialysis machine at the given location.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising displaying, on a user interface, the disinfection status of the outside surface of the dialysis at the given location.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the signal is received from the conductivity sensor and indicates a conductivity of the liquid; and
determining the disinfection status of the given location comprises determining if the signal indicates the liquid on the outside surface of the dialysis machine is a disinfection fluid.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining if the signal indicates the liquid on the outside surface of the dialysis machine is a disinfection fluid comprises comparing the signal to conductivity signals stored in a memory connected to the processor.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the disinfection status of the given location comprises identifying the type of disinfection fluid present on the outside surface of the dialysis machine.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the disinfection status of the given location comprises determining a time interval the liquid is present on the outside surface of the dialysis machine.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining the disinfection status of the given location comprises comparing the time interval to a threshold time interval.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising alerting a user that the machine needs cleaning.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising storing a log of disinfections in a memory.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
controlling the dialysis machine to prevent use of the dialysis machine in response to determining based on the disinfection status, that the dialysis machine is not clean.

Assignees

• Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland Gmbh
• Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Crnkovich Martin Joseph
• Weaver Colin
• Schlaeper Christian

Classifications

• A61M1/1684 Primary

  Checking the module characteristics before reuse · CPC title

• G01N27/06

  of a liquid (involving electrolysis G01N27/26) · CPC title

• A61M2205/3317

  Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means · CPC title

• A61M2205/50

  with microprocessors or computers · CPC title

• A61M2205/502

  User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards · CPC title