Pump chamber configured to contain a residual fluid volume for inhibiting the pumping of a gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9494150-B2
Application number	US-201313973630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2013
Priority date	Jul 20, 1999
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

The present invention involves, in some embodiments, medical systems for pumping fluid using a medical-grade cartridge configured for use in a reusable fluid medical apparatus to move liquids through the cartridge. The cartridge includes a membrane defining a chamber. The system includes a pressure source able to be placed in pneumatic communication with the chamber to adjust gas pressure therein. The system further includes a processor configured to perform a dry integrity test based on adjustment and measurement of fluid pressures in the chamber in which neither side of the member is exposed to liquid during test to determine whether a fluid leak exists through the membrane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medical system for pumping fluid using a medical-grade cartridge configured for use in a reusable fluid medical apparatus to move liquids through the cartridge, comprising:
the medical-grade cartridge having a membrane defining a first chamber when mated to the reusable fluid medical apparatus;
a pressure source configured to be capable of being in pneumatic communication with the first chamber, wherein the pressure source is configured to adjust pressure of a gas capable of being in pneumatic communication with the membrane;
a pressure transducer configured to measure a pressure in operative communication with the pressure source;
a valve configured to isolate the first chamber from the pressure source and operatively connect the pressure source to the first chamber; and
a processor of the medical system configured to perform a dry integrity test in which neither side of the membrane is exposed to liquid during the dry integrity test and in which the first chamber is in fluid communication with the surroundings of the cartridge, the processor configured to:
actuate the valve between a first position and a second position;
adjust the pressure of the fluid of the pressure source;
measure a first pressure of the pressure transducer to generate a first pressure value when the valve is in the first position;
measure a second pressure of the pressure transducer to generate a second pressure value after the valve is in the second position; and
determine whether a fluid leak exists through the membrane based on a pressure difference indicated by the first and second pressure values.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve is configured such that the first position blocks the fluid path.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to measure the first pressure to generate the first pressure value after the pressure from the pressure source is adjusted.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the pressure source includes a tank.

5. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the processor measures the second pressure to generate the second pressure value after the valve unblocks the first chamber from the pressure source.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second position of the valve unblocks the first chamber from the pressure source.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second position of the valve fluidly connects the pressure source to the cartridge.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second position of the valve fluidly connects the pressure source to the first chamber of the cartridge.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the membrane defines a second chamber.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the fluid leak is determined as a leakage rate of fluid through the membrane between the first chamber and the second chamber.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the leakage rate is a leakage rate through a portion of the membrane that only separates the first chamber from the second chamber.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the first chamber and the second chamber define a pump.

13. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the first chamber and the second chamber define a valve.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first pressure value is a pressure measurement.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second pressure value is another pressure measurement.

16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a first set of multiple timed intervals is used to generate the first pressure value.

17. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a second set of multiple timed intervals is used to generate the second pressure value.

18. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure transducer continuously monitors the pressure to generate the first and second pressure values.

19. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure transducer continuously monitors the pressure over a predetermined period of time to generate the first pressure value.

20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the pressure transducer continuously monitors the pressure over another predetermined period of time to generate the second value.

21. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure transducer continuously monitors the pressure over a predetermined period of time to generate the second value.

22. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the source supplies a positive pressure.

23. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the source supplies a negative pressure.

24. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system is configured such that the valve is capable of connecting the cartridge to the cartridge's surroundings.

25. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to cause a fault if a change in pressure as indicated by the first and second values exceeds a predetermined limit.

26. The system according to claim 25 , wherein the predetermined limit is a maximum allowable predetermined limit.

27. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to terminate operation when a change in pressure as indicated by the first and second values exceeds a predetermined limit.

28. The system according to claim 27 , wherein the change in pressure is used to determine whether the fluid leak exists.

29. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor calculates a leakage rate to determine whether a fluid leak exists through the membrane.

30. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor uses the pressure difference to calculate a leakage rate.

31. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor performs a dry cartridge integrity test to determine whether a fluid leak exists through the membrane.

32. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure transducer is resident on a circuit board having a processor.

33. The system according to claim 1 , wherein fluid communication between the pressure source and the first chamber includes a tube.

34. The system according to claim 1 , wherein fluid communication between the pressure source and the first chamber includes a channel.

35. The system according to claim 1 , wherein fluid communication between the pressure source and the first chamber includes a line and a port.

36. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge includes an inlet or an outlet apparatus for blocking fluid flow to and from a second chamber defined by the membrane, wherein the second chamber is on an opposing side of the membrane relative to the first chamber.

37. The system according to claim 36 , wherein at least one of the inlet or output apparatus is configured to isolate at least one of the first chamber and the second, chamber from a flow path of the cartridge.

38. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to perform a dry pumping integrity test after coupling the cartridge to a reusable component and before priming the cartridge with a liquid.

39. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge is a pumping cartridge.

Assignees

• Deka Products Lp

Inventors

• Gray Larry B
• Bryant Jr Robert J
• Spencer Geoffrey P

Classifications

• F04B53/16

  Casings; Cylinders; Cylinder liners or heads; Fluid connections · CPC title

• F04B53/10

  Valves; Arrangement of valves · CPC title

• G05D16/20

  characterised by the use of electric means · CPC title

• F04B43/067

  the fluid being actuated directly by a piston · CPC title

• F04B49/12 Primary

  by varying the length of stroke of the working members · CPC title