Patents by Inventor Stephen A. Merchant

Stephen A. Merchant has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230410999
    Abstract: Augmented reality-based training and troubleshooting is described for medical devices. An electronic mobile device can be equipped with an AR application that, when executed, causes the electronic mobile device to provide augmented reality-based training on how to set up, or perform maintenance on, one or more components of a medical device. The AR application, when executed, can also cause the electronic mobile device to provide augmented reality-based troubleshooting for one or more components of a medical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Harvey Cohen, Matthew Buraczenski, John E. Tremblay, Kulwinder S. Plahey, Stephen A. Merchant, James Peterson
  • Patent number: 11839709
    Abstract: A dialysis system is provided that includes a dialysis machine and a potassium sensing device that is configured to measure the concentration of potassium in the patient's blood, in spent dialysate resulting from treating the patient, or in both. The potassium sensing device can be configured to generate a sensed value of the concentration of potassium. A control and computing unit, including a processor and a memory, is configured to receive the sensed value, compare the value with one or more values stored in the memory, and generate a control signal based on the comparison. A potassium infusion circuit uses the control signal to infuse supplemental potassium solution into the treatment dialysate, a replacement fluid, or both. The memory can include stored patient-historical and population data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Stephen Merchant, Roland Levin, Chris Chau, Shakil Aslam
  • Patent number: 11783940
    Abstract: Augmented reality-based training and troubleshooting is described for medical devices. An electronic mobile device can be equipped with an AR application that, when executed, causes the electronic mobile device to provide augmented reality-based training on how to set up, or perform maintenance on, one or more components of a medical device. The AR application, when executed, can also cause the electronic mobile device to provide augmented reality-based troubleshooting for one or more components of a medical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Harvey Cohen, Matthew Buraczenski, John E. Tremblay, Kulwinder S. Plahey, Stephen A. Merchant, James Peterson
  • Patent number: 11577012
    Abstract: A blood treatment machine includes a patient comfort feedback mechanism configured to be adjusted by a patient to indicate comfort levels of the patient. The machine is configured to adjust one or more treatment parameters based on the patient feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: David Yuds, Eric Bergman, Ken Chhi, Stephen Merchant, Christopher Yim Chau, Roland Levin
  • Publication number: 20230019233
    Abstract: In one aspect, a system includes a blood treatment machine; a dialyzer configured to be coupled to the blood treatment machine, the dialyzer including a dialyzer housing defining a blood inlet and a blood outlet; a bundle of hollow fibers within an interior of the dialyzer housing; a pumping device drivable to force blood received from the blood inlet through lumens of the bundle of hollow fibers and out the blood outlet; a dialysate inlet port in fluid communication with a dialysate flow path that includes space in the interior of the dialyzer housing between the bundle of hollow fibers; and a dialysate outlet port in fluid communication with the dialysate flow path. The system further includes a fluid conditioning system configured to (i) prepare and supply fresh dialysate to the dialyzer via the dialysate inlet port, and (ii) receive spent dialysate from the dialyzer via the dialysate outlet port, recycle the spent dialysate, and supply the recycled dialysate to the dialyzer via the dialysate inlet port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Lynn E. Jensen, Stephen A. Merchant, Arne Peters, Alexander Heide, Dejan Nikolic
  • Patent number: 11524102
    Abstract: A dialysis system is provided that includes a dialysis machine and a potassium sensing device that is configured to measure the concentration of potassium in the patient's blood, in spent dialysate resulting from treating the patient, or in both. The potassium sensing device can be configured to generate a sensed value of the concentration of potassium. A control and computing unit, including a processor and a memory, is configured to receive the sensed value, compare the value with one or more values stored in the memory, and generate a control signal based on the comparison. A potassium infusion circuit uses the control signal to infuse supplemental potassium solution into the treatment dialysate, a replacement fluid, or both. The memory can include stored patient-historical and population data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Stephen Merchant, Roland Levin, Chris Chau, Shakil Aslam
  • Patent number: 11491267
    Abstract: A method of dialysis is provided that includes sensing the concentration of potassium in a patient's blood serum, in used dialysate resulting from treating the patient, or in both. The method involves generating a sensed value of the concentration of potassium, comparing the sensed value with one or more values stored in a memory, and generating a control signal based on the comparison. Supplemental potassium solution is infused into the treatment dialysate, based on the control signal. The comparison can be made to patient-historical data, population data, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Stephen Merchant, Roland Levin, Chris Chau, Shakil Aslam
  • Publication number: 20220323660
    Abstract: In one aspect, a medical device includes: a housing; a plurality of attachment points disposed on a face of the housing and configured to hold a medical fluid tubing system; a lighting system disposed at or below the face of the housing; and a processor configured to control the lighting system to (a) visually indicate the locations of the attachment points and (b) in response to a feedback signal indicating whether or not the medical fluid tubing system is attached to at least one of the attachment points, alter the visual indication of the lighting system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: James Peterson, Stephen A. Merchant, David Yuds, Jon F. Moss
  • Publication number: 20220265910
    Abstract: A dialysis system has a module with a dialyzer configured to remove one or more substances from a dialysis solution as it passes through a dialyzer. The module has a fluid line, a sorbent cartridge, and a sodium control system adapted to actively alter a sodium concentration of dialysis solution passing through the fluid line as the dialysis solution exits the sorbent cartridge. The sodium control system has a conductivity sensor that sends a signal indicating the conductivity of the dialysis solution as the dialysis solution exits the sorbent cartridge, the conductivity meter being in communication with the sodium control system, a processor configured to receive the signal from the conductivity sensor, compare the conductivity signal to a threshold value lower than a prescription value, and cause the sodium control system to stop actively altering the sodium concentration if the signal is greater than the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Natalie Rebacz, Kerissa Adams, Stephen A. Merchant, Mary Hoover
  • Publication number: 20220130508
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for performing dialysis. In one aspect, a dialysis hub receives a request to use a dialysis machine. The dialysis hub transmits a list of available dialysis machines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Stephen A. Merchant, Olaf Schermeier, Kirill Koulechov, Zdenek Cerman, Christopher Hauke
  • Publication number: 20220130527
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for executing a sharing enabler of a registered medical treatment machine. The registered medical treatment machine is used in a shared medical treatment system. The method comprises the method steps: Providing a registration procedure for registering the medical treatment machine in the shared medical treatment system; Receiving an initiation request for initiating a medical treatment for a patient, being registered in the shared medical treatment system; Checking whether the received initiation request is valid by receiving a confirmation signal and if yes: Unlocking the medical treatment machine in reply to the received confirmation signal for use for the patient; Operating the medical treatment machine according to a treatment procedure in a sharing mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Christina I. Allegrini, Harvey Cohen, John Viero, Kirill Koulechov, Maria Millan-Galante, Matthew Buraczenski, Michael Thorwarth, Paul von Buenau, Shashikant Dattatraya Kalaskar, Stephen A. Merchant, Thomas Stahl, Thorsten Timm, Nina Muellers, Klaus Wolf, Erik Schumacher, Olaf Schermeier, Zdenek Cerman, Christopher Hauke
  • Publication number: 20210299340
    Abstract: A sorbent cartridge device and a dialysis system comprising a dialysate generation machine dialysate generation machine, a pump adapted to move fluid through the dialysate generation machine, and a sorbent cartridge are described. The sorbent cartridge device fluidically connected to the dialysate generation machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Kerissa Adams, Jon Moss, Lynn Jensen, Stephen Merchant
  • Publication number: 20210249129
    Abstract: Augmented reality-based training and troubleshooting is described for medical devices. An electronic mobile device can be equipped with an AR application that, when executed, causes the electronic mobile device to provide augmented reality-based training on how to set up, or perform maintenance on, one or more components of a medical device. The AR application, when executed, can also cause the electronic mobile device to provide augmented reality-based troubleshooting for one or more components of a medical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Kulwinder S. Plahey, Stephen A. Merchant, James Peterson, Harvey Cohen, Matthew Buraczenski, John E. Tremblay
  • Patent number: 11071810
    Abstract: A method for treating dialysate solutions used in dialysis wherein dialysate is treated in an early part of a dialysis treatment session by external infusion of bicarbonate solution into the dialysate circuit to eliminate the need for bicarbonate requirements in concentrates used for preparation of precursor dialysate (priming) solutions and/or for a solid bicarbonate layer in a sorbent cartridge. Dialysate is treated in a latter part of a dialysis treatment session by introduction of sterile dilution water to reduce sodium concentration in the dialysate. The method provides a more efficient and reduced use of dialysate fluids, electrolytes, sorbent cartridge materials, equipment scale, or any combinations of these, while maintaining purity standards and applicable physiological ranges for bicarbonate, sodium, and other dialysate solution components over the course of a dialysis treatment session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventor: Stephen Merchant
  • Patent number: 11031128
    Abstract: Augmented reality-based training and troubleshooting is described for medical devices. An electronic mobile device can be equipped with an AR application that, when executed, causes the electronic mobile device to provide augmented reality-based training on how to set up, or perform maintenance on, one or more components of a medical device. The AR application, when executed, can also cause the electronic mobile device to provide augmented reality-based troubleshooting for one or more components of a medical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Kulwinder S. Plahey, Stephen A. Merchant, James Peterson, Harvey Cohen, Matthew Buraczenski, John E. Tremblay
  • Patent number: 10973970
    Abstract: A container for forming a solution for use in a hemodialysis device comprises a first portion comprising a powder, a second portion disposed separate from and in fluid communication with the first portion, and a filter disposed between the first portion and the second portion. The container is configured to receive a fluid flow into the first portion to at least partially dissolve the powder thereby forming a solution, such that the solution and at least a portion of the dissolved powder is passable through the filter into the second portion, and further such that any undissolved portion of the powder is not passable through the filter into the second portion. The filter may be configured such that the solution of the fluid and the at least the portion of the dissolved powder is filtered into the second portion of the container is homogenous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Merchant
  • Publication number: 20210030939
    Abstract: The application refers to a medical treatment device a medical treatment system and a method for operating the medical treatment device and medical treatment system for treatment of a patient, comprising a sensor interface for receiving sensor data from a plurality of different external and internal peripheral sensors, a controller for processing the received sensor data in order to calculate control data and for providing the calculated control data for controlling medical treatment-related devices or for controlling a configuration of medical treatment-related apparatuses and an output interface for providing the control data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Alexander Heide, Karsten Fischer, Stephen A. Merchant
  • Publication number: 20200368418
    Abstract: A blood treatment machine includes a patient comfort feedback mechanism configured to be adjusted by a patient to indicate comfort levels of the patient. The machine is configured to adjust one or more treatment parameters based on the patient feedback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: David Yuds, Eric Bergman, Ken Chhi, Stephen Merchant, Christopher Yim Chau, Roland Levin
  • Patent number: 10842924
    Abstract: The application refers to a medical treatment device a medical treatment system and a method for operating the medical treatment device and medical treatment system for treatment of a patient, comprising a sensor interface for receiving sensor data from a plurality of different external and internal peripheral sensors, a controller for processing the received sensor data in order to calculate control data and for providing the calculated control data for controlling medical treatment-related devices or for controlling a configuration of medical treatment-related apparatuses and an output interface for providing the control data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignees: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH, Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Heide, Karsten Fischer, Stephen Merchant
  • Publication number: 20200243193
    Abstract: Augmented reality-based training and troubleshooting is described for medical devices. An electronic mobile device can be equipped with an AR application that, when executed, causes the electronic mobile device to provide augmented reality-based training on how to set up, or perform maintenance on, one or more components of a medical device. The AR application, when executed, can also cause the electronic mobile device to provide augmented reality-based troubleshooting for one or more components of a medical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Kulwinder S. Plahey, Stephen A. Merchant, James Peterson, Harvey Cohen, Matthew Buraczenski, John E. Tremblay