Patents Examined by Dirk Bass
  • Patent number: 9725348
    Abstract: A method for providing an optimized organic load to a downstream wastewater treatment process includes the steps of: providing a primary wastewater treatment plant including an organic harvester (OH) with an OH effluent output stream with temporal variation in organic content, a sludge filtrate outflow from the primary wastewater treatment plant, a valve controlled by a controller, and a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller, the sensor disposed downstream of a combined outflow line to measure an organic content of a combined outflow to the downstream wastewater treatment process; sensing the organic content of the combined outflow to the downstream wastewater treatment process; adjusting the valve controlled by the controller to maintain about a setpoint organic content concentration of the combined outflow to the downstream wastewater treatment process by supplementing the OH effluent output stream with organically rich matter from the sludge filtrate outflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: ClearCove Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Terry Wright
  • Patent number: 9717834
    Abstract: Dialysis systems are disclosed comprising new fluid flow circuits. Systems may include blood and dialysate flow paths, where the dialysate flow path includes balancing, mixing, and/or directing circuits. Dialysate preparation may be decoupled from patient dialysis. Circuits may be defined within one or more cassettes. The fluid circuit fluid flow paths may be isolated from electrical components. A gas supply in fluid communication with the dialysate flow path and/or the dialyzer able to urge dialysate through the dialyzer and urge blood back to the patient may be included for certain emergency situations Fluid handling devices, such as pumps, valves, and mixers that can be actuated using a control fluid, may be included. Control fluid may be delivered by an external pump or other device, which may be detachable and/or generally rigid, optionally with a diaphragm dividing the device into first and second compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Michael J. Wilt, Dirk A. van der Merwe, Todd A. Ballantyne, Kevin L. Grant, Jonathan P. Rosse, Catharine N. Flynn, Brian K. Yee
  • Patent number: 9718708
    Abstract: A system for enhancing the separation of particles or fluids from water is disclosed. A settling tank or skim tank is provided with an open submersible acoustophoretic separator. In a skim tank, the separator captures and holds oil droplets or particles, permitting them to coalesce until they are large enough and have sufficient buoyant force to float to the top of the tank. In a settling or sediment tank, separator captures and holds particles until they are large enough that the force of gravity causes them to settle out of the water. The acoustophoretic device thus speeds up separation of the particles or droplets from the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: FLODESIGN SONICS INC.
    Inventors: Nicholas M. LoRicco, Bart Lipkens
  • Patent number: 9713664
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to medical fluid sensors and related systems and methods. In some aspects, a circuit includes a radio frequency coil tuned to at least one frequency and at least one switching circuit directly connected to the radio frequency coil. The radio frequency coil is characterized by a high impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark David Tuckwell
  • Patent number: 9709549
    Abstract: Method and systems, for processing biological material, that contain a biological material in a vessel; add an aggregating agent to the material in the vessel and allow the material to separate into two or more distinct submaterials; extract one or more of the submaterials from the vessel; automatically transport one or more of the submaterials remaining in the vessel to a filtration device; and collect a resulting target retentate into a target retentate receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nichole Lea Wood, Reginald Donovan Smith, Hongyi Zhou, Liming Yu, Brian David Polizzotti, Peter D. Miller
  • Patent number: 9700661
    Abstract: Methods include monitoring blood pH or electrolyte levels and setting initial fluid parameters, such as dialysate fluid parameters or replacement fluid parameters, for a blood fluid removal session based the monitored data. Blood fluid removal systems may employ sensors that monitor blood pH or electrolyte levels to adjust the fluid parameters during a blood fluid removal session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Gerber, Suping Lyu, Bryant Pudil
  • Patent number: 9695578
    Abstract: A water supply system includes a first pipe, a water reservoir, and a Venturi pipe having a first Venturi nozzle terminal, a second Venturi nozzle terminal and a Venturi nozzle branch arranged between the first and second Venturi nozzle terminal. The first Venturi nozzle terminal is connected via the first pipe to the water reservoir. The first Venturi nozzle terminal is connectable to a second pipe to fill the water reservoir. The branch of the Venturi pipe is connectable to a third pipe to supply taps. Water flows through the Venturi pipe from the first Venturi nozzle terminal to the second Venturi nozzle terminal when the water reservoir is filled, and water flows through the Venturi pipe from the second Venturi nozzle terminal to the Venturi nozzle branch during the supply procedure, to provide a water supply system which requires less maintenance and is less temperamental.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Axel Schreiner, Paolo Cavarero, Hannes Müller, Ralf Menshausen, Markus Wirth, Michael Rempe, Carlos Rosero
  • Patent number: 9675912
    Abstract: A heat-pressed activated carbon polypropylene composite filter device has a central filtering core, a composite filtering core, and two covers. The composite filtering core is mounted around the central filtering core and has a carbon-polypropylene filter layer and a polypropylene layer. The carbon-polypropylene filter layer is made of nonwoven polypropylene on which multiple activated carbon granules are heat-pressed. The polypropylene layer is made of polypropylene and is covered on the carbon-polypropylene filter layer by a meltblown process. The covers are mounted on the ends of the composite filtering core respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Inventor: I-Chung Liao
  • Patent number: 9669151
    Abstract: A method comprising obtaining a bodily fluid from a subject; contacting the bodily fluid with an adsorbent material comprising a synthetic carbon particle (SCP) to produce a first filtrate having a level of disease mediators (y); contacting the first filtrate with an adsorbent material comprising the SCP and an anion exchange resin where the ratio of SCP to anion exchange resin is from about 0.1:100 to 100:0.1 to produce a second filtrate; contacting the second filtrate with an adsorbent material comprising the SCP and a cation exchange resin where the ratio of SCP to cation exchange resin is from about 1:100 to produce a third filtrate; and administering the third filtrate to the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: IMMUTRIX THERAPEUTICS, INC.
    Inventors: Carol A. Rae, Jan Simoni, Grace Simoni, John F. Moeller
  • Patent number: 9656195
    Abstract: A coalescence media for separation of water-hydrocarbon emulsions, the coalescence media comprising an emulsion-contacting sheet formed as a single dry layer from a wet-laid process using a homogenously distributed, wet-laid furnish of (a) a mixture of fibrous components of (a1) at least one type of a first group of cellulose and/or cellulose-based fibers, and (a2) at least one type of a second group of fibers selected from the group consisting of fibrillated fibers and glass microfibers, and (b) at least one non-fibrous component selected from the group consisting of (b1) a dry strength additive, and (b2) a wet strength additive. The fibrous components of the coalescence media constitute at least about 70% of the coalescence media, and includes a pore structure sufficient to coalesce water droplets having a droplet size of <3.5 ?m in biodiesel blends or in surfactant stabilized water-hydrocarbon emulsions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: AHLSTROM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christine Stanfel, Frank Cousart
  • Patent number: 9636610
    Abstract: The brine filtering device includes a pre-filtering unit having first and second pre-filtration drums arranged to rotate coaxially about a horizontal axis and a safety filtering unit having a safety filter sleeve submerged in a tank and connected to an outlet. The first and second pre-filtration drums have their lower regions submerged in brine contained in a tub. An inlet hopper receives brine to be filtered and forces it into the first pre-filtration drum through an upper region of its filtering wall. Brine exits a lower region of the first pre-filtration drum and is collected in the tub. Brine enters into the second pre-filtration drum through a lower region of its filtering wall. Brine is poured into tank through an open side wall of the second pre-filtration drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: METALQUIMA, S.A.
    Inventor: Narcis Lagares Corominas
  • Patent number: 9636445
    Abstract: An ambulatory ultrafiltration device includes a blood filter that has a blood side or fluid communication with the vascular system of the subject, an ultrafiltrate side, and a semipermeable membrane disposed between the blood side and the ultrafiltrate side. The ambulatory ultrafiltration also includes a buffer vessel in fluid communication with the blood side of the blood filter, and a blood pump. The blood pump is controlled to alternate between a withdrawal phase and a return phase. In the withdrawal phase, blood is withdrawn on a blood path from the subject via the blood filter to the buffer vessel. In the return phase, blood is returned from the buffer vessel to the subject on the blood path. The blood filter is arranged to remove ultrafiltrate from the blood during at least one of the withdrawal and return phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Gambro Lundia AB
    Inventors: Lennart Jonsson, Jan Sternby, Anders Wieslander
  • Patent number: 9636446
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system, apparatus, and method for separating components of a fluid, e.g. blood, which eliminates the need for expensive hardware and produces a stabilized waste product. The system comprises an apparatus or device (V) for separating components of a fluid (15?) comprising a container (5?) having at least one separation or filtration member (10?) capable of selectively separating or filtering at least one component from the fluid, and a superabsorbent material (20?) capable of absorbing the at least one component separated from the fluid, and thereby providing a processed fluid free or substantially free of said at least one component; and agitation means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: University of Strathclyde
    Inventor: Terence Gourlay
  • Patent number: 9629951
    Abstract: An apparatus for performing blood therapy having a plurality of pumps for engaging blood and fluid tubing is characterized by a plurality of manually mounted and disengagable panels installed on the sides of the apparatus housing, the panels having pump engaging tubing mounted on the inside of the respective panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: B. BRAUN AVITUM AG
    Inventors: J. Michael Delmage, Harold W. Peters, Tommy Cooper
  • Patent number: 9616366
    Abstract: A pumped or gravity flow rotating drum screen removes unwanted solids from a flowing fluid. The drum screen may comprise: a housing having a fluid inlet end, a solid discharge end and an area between the two ends, the fluid inlet permitting a flow of influent containing unwanted solids into a hollow portion of a drum screen positioned lengthwise in the area between the two ends of the housing, the screen comprising a filter medium that retains at least a portion of the unwanted solids within the hollow portion of the drum screen and which produces a liquid effluent that is discharged from an outer surface of the drum screen, the retained solids being removable via the solid discharge end; a drive assembly configured to rotate the drum screen about an axis running the length of the drum screen; and one or more stabilization pad assemblies in contact with one or more rings circumscribing the outer surface of the drum screen at one or more locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: PARKSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Serdar Umur, Walter Stanek, David Mitchell
  • Patent number: 9616164
    Abstract: A device and method for detecting recirculation for an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus and an apparatus with a device for detecting recirculation are based on targeted haemodilution by administration of a substituate bolus, causing a pressure change in venous and arterial branches of the extracorporeal circuit due to a viscosity change of flowing fluid. Recirculation is detected based on detection of the pressure change. The device includes a control unit cooperating with a device for conveying blood and a device for supplying substituate. The control unit provides an operating mode for detecting recirculation, in which blood flow rate is reduced during administration of a substituate bolus. With simultaneous substituate bolus administration and reduction of blood flow rate, the composition of fluid flow is optimized for detection of recirculation, so that fairly large pressure changes result in venous and arterial branches, thereby improving sensitivity and reliability of the measurement method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Nuernberger
  • Patent number: 9616160
    Abstract: A blood treatment unit has a blood treatment device which is part of an extracorporeal blood circulatory system. The unit has a control unit and a display and input unit having a touch screen. In order to simplify the operation of the blood treatment unit using the touch screen, the control unit and the display and input unit are suitable for representing various mode means on the touch screen which correspond to the various time modes of the blood treatment. The control unit automatically instigates the beginning of the following time mode at the end of at least one time mode, this being indicated by a change in the representation of the selected mode means on the touch screen. It is especially advantageous to use sensors through whose measured values the control unit identifies the end of one time mode and the beginning of the subsequent time mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Pia Daniel
  • Patent number: 9616162
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing for the automatic instrument-based rapid reprocessing of an intact extracorporeal circuit for use in hemodialysis. The system includes a manifold with connectors for engaging a dialyzer as well as venous and arterial blood lines. The manifold is adapted to be moved from a dialysis machine to a reuse instrument without removing the dialyzer and associated blood lines. The system allows for reprocessing of the extracorporeal circuit wherein prior to the next treatment, there is no residual chemical disinfectant requiring testing, the extracorporeal circuit is pre-primed, the levels in the bubble traps are set, and all of the required quality assurance tests are performed and recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignees: Baxter International Inc., Baxter Healthcare SA
    Inventor: Rodney S. Kenley
  • Patent number: 9603986
    Abstract: A system and method are provided, including an integrated single-use kit, for processing whole blood to produce platelet rich plasma. A two stage spinning membrane separator, has a first stage for receiving whole blood and separating substantially all red blood cells from plasma and platelets, and a second stage for further separating platelet rich plasma from plasma. A first waste container is in fluid communication with the first stage of the separator for receiving separated red blood cells, while a second waste container is in fluid communication with the second stage of the separator for receiving separated plasma. An outlet line is in fluid communication with the second stage of the separator for receiving platelet rich plasma, and a reinfusion container is removably connected to the outlet line for receiving platelet rich plasma from the second stage of the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Fenwal, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Kusters, Christopher J. Wegener, Kyungyoon Min
  • Patent number: 9597439
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to medical fluid sensors and related systems and methods. In certain aspects, a method includes using a medical fluid pump of a medical fluid pumping machine, such as a hemodialysis machine, to deliver medical fluid to a first portion of a cartridge that is positioned within a magnetic field, exciting atoms in the medical fluid in the first portion of the cartridge by applying radio frequency energy to the medical fluid in the first portion of the cartridge, receiving radio frequency energy generated by the excited atoms in the medical fluid in the first portion of the cartridge, and determining a concentration of a substance in the medical fluid based on the received radio frequency energy generated by the excited atoms in the medical fluid in the first portion of the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Ross Peter Jones, Martin Joseph Crnkovich, Fei Wang, Thomas Irvin Folden, Lynn Jensen, Shashikant Dattatraya Kalaskar