Patents Assigned to Block Medical, Inc.
  • Patent number: 5573506
    Abstract: A remotely programmable infusion system. The remotely programmable infusion system comprises a memory for storing a programmable protocol and a remote communication port for sending a voice signal to a remote touch-tone transceiver and for receiving a remote programming signal from the remote touch-tone transceiver. The remotely programmable infusion system also comprises a voice storage unit for storing the voice signal. The remotely programmable infusion system further comprises a processor, coupled to the remote communication port, to the voice storage unit, and to the memory, for accessing the voice signal from the voice storage unit and the programmable protocol from the memory, and for processing the programmable protocol in response to receiving the remote programming signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert S. Vasko
  • Patent number: 5352201
    Abstract: A liquid infusion apparatus includes an elongated elastic sleeve stretch mounted on a spiral support member within a housing to enable it to expand naturally to maintain a substantially constant pressure over the infusion period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventor: Gilbert F. Jemmott
  • Patent number: 5308334
    Abstract: A closed system for flushing an IV site comprises a unitary reservoir assembly of a first fluid reservoir for containing a first flush fluid, a second fluid reservoir for containing a second flush fluid, a tubing array for connecting the first and the second reservoirs to an IV site comprising a common tube having a connector on one end thereof for connection to the site, and mounted in a housing having depressible panels for selectively controlling the flow of a fluid from each of the first and the second reservoirs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory E. Sancoff
  • Patent number: 5284481
    Abstract: A liquid infuser apparatus includes an elastic sleeve mounted on an elongated member and within a collapsible spherical housing to enable it to expand naturally to maintain a constant pressure over the infusion period. A rigid open ended housing into which an infuser may be removeably placed provides a reusable protective housing. Multiple infusers are packaged with a rigid housing in a kit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1994
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Emil H. Soika, Steven R. Payne
  • Patent number: 5244463
    Abstract: An infusion pump system, comprises disposable tubing having an elastic segment and one-way check valves at each end of the segment for conveying intravenous fluid from a source to a patient, a compact, portable housing having an open receptacle for removably receiving a segment of the disposable tubing, a reciprocating ram mounted in the housing for periodically engaging and compressing the segment of the disposable tubing for pumping fluid therethrough, a motor mounted in the housing for driving the ram upon energization thereof, a control system mounted in the housing for receiving input signals and energizing the motor so that the fluid is pumped through the disposable tubing in accordance with pre-selected delivery rate parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1993
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward T. Cordner, Jr., George T. Walker, III, Howard S. Barr, Farid Khadem
  • Patent number: 5224934
    Abstract: An infusion system for the delivery of a first continuous flow of a intravenous fluid and second multiple selectable dosages of the fluid from a source to a site comprises a source of intravenous fluid under pressure, a housing having an inlet for connection to the source of fluid and an outlet for connection to a delivery site, a first passage in the housing for conveying a continuous constant low volume of the fluid to the outlet, and a second passage in the housing having an accumulator for accumulating a predetermined fixed charge of fluid and an actuator for selectively releasing the flow of the fluid from the accumulator to the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Payne, Frederic P. Field, James M. Verespej
  • Patent number: 5221268
    Abstract: A multiple dose infusion controller for controlling the delivery of multiple dosages of an intravenous fluid from a source to a site comprises a compact, portable housing having a slot for removably receiving a segment of a disposable tubing connected to an IV source for transporting an IV fluid to a site, a valve member mounted in the housing for periodically engaging and compressing the tubing for closing the tubing for preventing flow of fluid therethrough, a motor in the housing for driving the valve member upon energization to selected open and closed positions, and controls in the housing for periodically energizing the motor for selectively controlling the flow of the fluid through the tubing in accordance with predetermined delivery times and duration parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Russell C. Barton, Maresala Milo, Charles N. Bunn
  • Patent number: 5207667
    Abstract: A protected needle coupling for connecting to a conventional IV injection site comprises an elongated tubular housing having a proximal end and a distal end, a needle mounted at the proximal end and extending coaxially toward the distal end to a protected position within the housing, a connector at the proximal end for connecting to an IV tubing, and a telescoping tubular member reciprocally mounted in said housing and having axially extending slits defining a pair of opposed semi-cylindrical fingers extendable from the distal end of the housing, and having inwardly directed shoulders at the outer ends thereof for engaging a shoulder of an IV injection port for pulling the injection port into the housing for coupling engagement with the needle therein, and a tab extending outward from the telescoping member for manually forcing the telescoping member into the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: George T. Walker, James M. Verespej
  • Patent number: 5179983
    Abstract: A system for simultaneously filling multiple reservoirs of an IV delivery system comprises a support frame, port positioners on the support frame for positioning a plurality of fill ports of a multiple chamber reservoir, a plurality of injection pumps for injecting a predetermined amount of a fluid, coupling devices for coupling the injection pumps to a fill port of a reservoir, and an actuator for simultaneously coupling the couplers to the fill ports and filling said reservoirs with a predetermined amount of a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1993
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward T. Cordner, Jr., Steven R. Payne, Glenn J. Istratoff
  • Patent number: 5165874
    Abstract: A disposable infusion apparatus includes proximal, distal and intermediate segments of IV tubing connected via couplings. The intermediate segment has a length sufficient for operative engagement with a pumping member of a peristaltic pump throughout a pumping stroke thereof. The intermediate segment further has a maximum Durometer of seventy-five on the Shore A scale. The pumping member includes a plurality of fingers mounted in side-by-side substantially parallel relationship for individual reciprocation. Motor driven cams individually reciprocate respective ones of the fingers in a predetermined timed sequence so that when the linearly disposed intermediate segment is squeezed by the fingers, intravenous fluid in the tubing will be pumped therethrough. The disposable apparatus further includes a door connected to opposite ends of the intermediate segment and which is releaseably loadable in a case to place the intermediate segment into operative engagement with the pumping member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1992
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory E. Sancoff, Mark McWilliams, Edward T. Cordner, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5139745
    Abstract: A luminometer for analyzing genetic or non-genetic maaterial comprises an optical chamber for receiving and holding a vial of the sample material in a dark environment. A pumping system mounted in the luminometer pumps reagents into the vial to cause the sample material to luminesce, and a sensor is positioned in the dark environment relative to the vial to detect the luminescence. Instantaneous intensities of the luminescence are sequentially sampled at set intervals of time during a preselected time period and summed by a microprocessor to generate a signal that is descriptive of the constituents of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1992
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard S. Barr, Gregory E. Sancoff, Mark McWilliams
  • Patent number: 5120324
    Abstract: A protected needle coupling for connecting to a conventional IV injection site comprises an elongated tubular housing having a proximal end and a distal end, needle mounting means at the proximal end for mounting a conventional needle in a protected position within the housing, connecting means at the proximal end for connecting to an IV tubing, and clamping means at the distal end for extending over and gripping a standard IV injection site when the needle is inserted into the site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1992
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory E. Sancoff
  • Patent number: 5105983
    Abstract: A liquid infusor apparatus includes an elastic sleeve mounted on an elongated member and within a spherical housing to enable it to expand naturally to maintain a constant pressure over the infusion period. An alternate embodiment includes a holding reservoir that may be pre-filled, and a pressure reservoir that is loaded from the holding reservoir preparatory to infusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory E. Sancoff, Frederic P. Field
  • Patent number: 5083741
    Abstract: A unitarily constructed clamp for selectively occluding a resilient tube includes a curved platen formed with a pair of holes through which the tube is threaded to position and hold the tube against the concave surface of the platen. The platen has a first end and a second end. Additionally, an articulated pressure member having a hinged juncture is pivotally connected to both the first end and the second end of the platen to locate the juncture between the ends of the platen. With this configuration, the articulated pressure member is positioned for movement between an open configuration and a closed configuration. In the open configuration, the pressure member is distanced from the platen to leave the tube patent. In the closed configuration, the tube is squeezed between the platen and the pressure member to occlude the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1992
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory E. Sancoff
  • Patent number: 5080652
    Abstract: A liquid infuser apparatus includes an elastic sleeve mounted on an elongated member and within a spherical housing to enable it to expand naturally to maintain a constant pressure over the infusion period. An alternate embodiment includes a holding reservoir that may be pre-filled, and a pressure reservoir that is loaded from the holding reservoir preparatory to infusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory E. Sancoff, Frederic P. Field
  • Patent number: 5078683
    Abstract: A programmable infusion system includes a disposable IV tubing apparatus for conveying intravenous fluid from a source to a patient. A compact, portable case has a receptacle for removably receiving a segment of the disposable apparatus. A peristaltic pump is mounted in the case for engaging the segment of the disposable apparatus and pumping intravenous fluid therethrough. A motor is mounted in the case and is connected for driving the pump upon energization thereof. A bar code reader is mounted in an edge portion of the case for sensing a bar code label attached to the source of intravenous fluid, such as a bag. The bar code label represents the prescribed fluid delivery parameters. These are read and displayed in alphanumeric form by the system when the edge portion of the case containing the bar code reader is passed over the label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory E. Sancoff, Mark McWilliams, Howard S. Barr, Edward T. Cordner, Jr., Russell C. Barton
  • Patent number: D324911
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Block Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory E. Sancoff, Frederic P. Field