Control circuitry comprising an adjustable capacitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11911973-B2
Application number	US-202117539788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2021
Priority date	Dec 3, 2020
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

A control circuitry ( 11 ) comprises an adjustable capacitor (C 1 ), and a bias source ( 111 ) configured to apply a bias voltage (V 2 ) to said adjustable capacitor (C 1 ) to adjust a capacitance value of the adjustable capacitor (C 1 ). Such a control circuitry may for example be part of a sealing device ( 1 ) to seal a medical tubing ( 2 ), the sealing device ( 1 ) comprising a receptacle ( 100 ) to receive said medical tubing ( 2 ), the receptacle ( 100 ) comprising an electrode arrangement for causing a heat action on the tubing ( 2 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method to operate a sealing device ( 1 ) to seal a medical tubing ( 2 ), comprising:
receiving said medical tubing ( 2 ) in a receptacle ( 100 ), the receptacle ( 100 ) comprising an electrode arrangement for causing a welding action on the tubing ( 2 ), and
supplying an alternating electrical current to the electrode arrangement using a control circuitry ( 11 ) operatively connected to the electrode arrangement of the receptacle ( 100 ), the control circuitry ( 11 ) comprising an adjustable capacitor (C 1 ) and a generator device ( 110 ),
characterized by applying, using a bias source ( 111 ) of the control circuitry ( 11 ), a DC bias voltage (V 2 ) to said capacitor (C 1 ), and using the generator device, the alternating electrical current to said capacitor, to adjust a capacitance value of the capacitor (C 1 ) by a DC-bias effect.

2. Sealing device ( 1 ) to seal a medical tubing ( 2 ), comprising a receptacle ( 100 ) to receive said medical tubing ( 2 ), the receptacle ( 100 ) comprising an electrode arrangement for causing a welding action on the tubing ( 2 ), and
a control circuitry ( 11 ) comprising an adjustable capacitor (C 1 ) and a bias source ( 111 ) configured to apply a DC bias voltage (V 2 ) to said adjustable capacitor (C 1 ) to adjust a capacitance value of the adjustable capacitor (C 1 ), the control circuitry ( 11 ) being operatively connected to the electrode arrangement of the receptacle ( 100 ), the control circuitry ( 11 ) comprising a generator device ( 110 ) to supply an alternating electrical current to the electrode arrangement,
wherein the alternating electrical current and DC bias voltage are simultaneously applied to the adjustable capacitor to adjust the capacitance value of the adjustable capacitor.

3. Sealing device ( 1 ) according to claim 2 wherein the bias source ( 111 ) is operatively connected to said adjustable capacitor (C 1 ) to apply the bias voltage (V 2 ) across the adjustable capacitor (C 1 ).

4. Sealing device ( 1 ) according to claim 2 wherein the bias source ( 111 ) is controllable to adjust the bias voltage (V 2 ).

5. Sealing device ( 1 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the electrode arrangement comprises a pair of electrodes ( 101 , 102 ) arranged to receive said medical tubing ( 2 ) therebetween.

6. Sealing device ( 1 ) according to claim 2 wherein the control circuitry ( 11 ) comprises a control device ( 112 ) to control the bias source ( 111 ).

7. Sealing device ( 1 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the control device ( 112 ) is configured to automatically control the bias source ( 111 ) based on a measured capacitance value of the electrode arrangement.

8. Sealing device ( 1 ) according to claim 2 wherein the adjustable capacitor (C 1 ) is arranged in a circuit path electrically in parallel to the electrode arrangement.

9. Sealing device ( 1 ) according to claim 2 wherein the control circuitry ( 11 ) comprises an inductor (L 1 ) electrically connected to the adjustable capacitor (C 1 ).

10. Sealing device ( 1 ) according to claim 2 wherein the tubing ( 2 ) is a PVC tubing.

Assignees

• Fresenius Kabi Deutschland Gmbh

Inventors

• Winter Philipp
• Michel Lars
• Schaefer Michael

Classifications

• B29C65/30 Primary

  Electrical means {(B29C65/38 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29C66/95

  by measuring or controlling specific variables not covered by groups B29C66/91 - B29C66/94 · CPC title

• B29L2023/007

  Medical tubes other than catheters (catheters B29L2031/7542) · CPC title

• H05B1/025

  For medical applications · CPC title

• B29C65/04 Primary

  Dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding {, i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having dielectric properties, e.g. PVC} · CPC title