Patents by Inventor James D. Dale
James D. Dale 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).
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Patent number: 11754064Abstract: Described are fluid pumping and fluid handling systems, which may be suitable for use in medical devices, such as artificial or extracorporeal blood pumping systems. The systems can include a dual housing configuration for pneumatic actuation comprising a main housing containing a pump cassette comprising a pneumatically actuated pump and pneumatically actuated valves. The pump can include a pump actuation chamber and pump pneumatic port, and the valves can each include a valve actuation chamber and valve pneumatic port. Connecting tubes can be used to fluidly connect the pump actuation ports and valve actuation ports to a tube-support housing having a first side receiving one end of each connecting tube and a second side providing a pneumatic interface arranged to connect to an array of pneumatic receptacles on a base unit of the system to facilitate easy, compact and accurate pneumatic interconnection between the pump cassette and the base unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2020Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Brian D. Tracey, Larry B. Gray, Jason A. Demers, James D. Dale, N. Christopher Perry, Michael J. Wilt, Scott A. Leonard
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Patent number: 11744935Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for regulating fluid flow are disclosed. An apparatus for infusing fluid into a patient includes a housing, a tube-contact member, a rotating arm, and a tube-retention cover. The housing has an opening on a front side of the housing. The opening is sized to receive a drip chamber having an inlet tube and an outlet tube. The tube-contact member contacts one of the inlet tube and the output tube of the drip chamber when inserted into the opening. The rotating arm is coupled to the tube-contact member and is configured to rotate along an axis. The tube-retention cover is configured to close when the drip chamber is initially loaded into the opening.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2017Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: James D. Dale, Stephen L. Fichera, Larry B. Gray, Dean Kamen, Matthew J. Lanigan, Frederick Morgan, Dirk A. van der Merwe, Brian H. Yoo
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Patent number: 11738130Abstract: A medical infusion fluid handling system, such as an automated peritoneal dialysis system, may be arranged to de-cap and connect one or more lines (such as solution lines) with one or more spikes or other connection ports on a fluid handling cassette. This feature may reduce a likelihood of contamination since no human interaction is required to de-cap and connect the one or more lines and the one or more spikes. For example, the automated peritoneal dialysis system may include a carriage arranged to receive the one or more lines each having a connector end and a cap. The carriage may move along a first direction so as to move the connector ends of the one or more lines along the first direction, and a cap stripper may be arranged to engage with the caps on the one or more lines on the carriage. The cap stripper may move in a second direction transverse to the first direction, as well as to move with the carriage along the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2022Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Simon C. Helmore, David W. McGill, David J. Hibbard, James D. Dale, Matthew J. Finch, Jesse T. Bodwell, Jason A. Demers
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Publication number: 20230256148Abstract: A cassette integrated system. The cassette integrated system includes a mixing cassette, a balancing cassette, a middle cassette fluidly connected to the mixing cassette and the balancing cassette and at least one pod. The mixing cassette is fluidly connected to the middle cassette by at least one fluid line and the middle cassette is fluidly connected to the balancing cassette by at least one fluid line. The at least one pod is connected to at least two of the cassettes wherein the pod is located in an area between the cassettes.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2023Publication date: August 17, 2023Applicant: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Michael J. Wilt, Kevin L. Grant, James D. Dale, Jason A. Demers, Brian D. Tracey
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Patent number: 11725645Abstract: Automated control mechanisms and methods for controlling fluid flow in a hemodialysis apparatus are described. The methods can involve a controller receiving information from a pressure sensor in a control chamber of a reciprocating diaphragm-based blood pump and causing the application of a time-varying pressure waveform on a diaphragm of the blood pump during a fill-stroke of the blood pump. The controller can be configured and programmed to monitor a pressure variation in the control chamber measured by the pressure sensor and to compare the measured pressure variation to a pre-determined value. Based on such comparison, the controller can initiate a procedure to pause or stop a dialysate pump of the hemodialysis apparatus if the magnitude of the measured pressure variation deviates from the pre-determined value.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2019Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Michael J. Wilt, Dirk A. van der Merwe, James D. Dale, Brian D. Tracey, Kevin L. Grant, Jason A. Demers, Catharine N. Flynn
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Patent number: 11633526Abstract: A cassette integrated system. The cassette integrated system includes a mixing cassette, a balancing cassette, a middle cassette fluidly connected to the mixing cassette and the balancing cassette and at least one pod. The mixing cassette is fluidly connected to the middle cassette by at least one fluid line and the middle cassette is fluidly connected to the balancing cassette by at least one fluid line. The at least one pod is connected to at least two of the cassettes wherein the pod is located in an area between the cassettes.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2021Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Michael J. Wilt, Kevin L. Grant, James D. Dale, Jason A. Demers, Brian D. Tracey
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Publication number: 20230119157Abstract: A fluid handling cassette, such as that useable with an automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) cycler device or other infusion apparatus, may include a generally planar body having at least one pump chamber formed as a depression in a first side of the body and a plurality of flowpaths for a fluid that includes a channel. A patient line port may be arranged for connection to a patient line and be in fluid communication with the at least one pump chamber via at least a first one of said flowpaths, and an optional membrane may be attached to the first side of the body over the at least one pump chamber. In one embodiment, the membrane may have a pump chamber portion with an unstressed shape that generally conforms to the depression of the at least one pump chamber in the body and is arranged to be movable for movement of the fluid in a useable space of the at least one pump chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2022Publication date: April 20, 2023Applicant: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: David W. McGill, James D. Dale, Simon C. Helmore, Richard J. Lanigan, Jason A. Demers, Dean Kamen
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Patent number: 11511024Abstract: A fluid handling cassette, such as that useable with an automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) cycler device or other infusion apparatus, may include a generally planar body having at least one pump chamber formed as a depression in a first side of the body and a plurality of flowpaths for a fluid that includes a channel. A patient line port may be arranged for connection to a patient line and be in fluid communication with the at least one pump chamber via at least a first one of said flowpaths, and an optional membrane may be attached to the first side of the body over the at least one pump chamber. In one embodiment, the membrane may have a pump chamber portion with an unstressed shape that generally conforms to the depression of the at least one pump chamber in the body and is arranged to be movable for movement of the fluid in a useable space of the at least one pump chamber.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2019Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: David W. McGill, James D. Dale, Simon C. Helmore, Richard J. Lanigan, Jason A. Demers, Dean Kamen
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Publication number: 20220355006Abstract: A pump cassette is disclosed. The pump cassette includes a housing having at least one fluid inlet line and at least one fluid outlet line. The cassette also includes at least one reciprocating pressure displacement membrane pump within the housing. The pressure pump pumps a fluid from the fluid inlet line to the fluid outlet line. A hollow spike is also included on the housing as well as at least one metering pump. The metering pump is fluidly connected to the hollow spike on the housing and to a metering pump fluid line. The metering pump fluid line is fluidly connected to the fluid outlet line.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2022Publication date: November 10, 2022Applicant: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Jason A. Demers, Michael J. Wilt, Kevin L. Grant, James D. Dale, Brian D. Tracey
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Patent number: 11478577Abstract: A fluid handling cassette, such as that useable with an automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) cycler device or other infusion apparatus, may include a generally planar body having at least one pump chamber formed as a depression in a first side of the body and a plurality of flowpaths for a fluid that includes a channel. A patient line port may be arranged for connection to a patient line and be in fluid communication with the at least one pump chamber via at least a first one of said flowpaths, and an optional membrane may be attached to the first side of the body over the at least one pump chamber. In one embodiment, the membrane may have a pump chamber portion with an unstressed shape that generally conforms to the depression of the at least one pump chamber in the body and is arranged to be movable for movement of the fluid in a useable space of the at least one pump chamber.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2019Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: David W. McGill, James D. Dale, Simon C. Helmore, Richard J. Lanigan, Jason A. Demers, Dean Kamen
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Publication number: 20220280706Abstract: A medical treatment system, such as a peritoneal dialysis system, may include a control and other features to enhance patient comfort and ease of use. For example, a cycler device may include a heater bag receiving section and a lid mounted to cover and uncover the heater bag receiving section, potentially enabling faster heating of a dialysate. A user interface may be moveable to be received into the receiving section and covered by the lid, if desired. The system may detect anomalous conditions, such as tilting of a housing of the system, and automatically recover without terminating a treatment. The system may include noise reduction features, such as porting pneumatic outputs to a common chamber, and others. The system may also automatically detect any one of several different solution lines connected to the system, and control operation accordingly, e.g., to mix solutions provided by two or more lines and form a needed dialysate solution.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2022Publication date: September 8, 2022Applicant: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Jason A. Demers, David W. McGill, Jacob W. Scarpaci, James D. Dale, Jesse T. Bodwell, Tien-shoe Wang
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Patent number: 11419965Abstract: A pump cassette is disclosed. The pump cassette includes a housing having at least one fluid inlet line and at least one fluid outlet line. The cassette also includes at least one reciprocating pressure displacement membrane pump within the housing. The pressure pump pumps a fluid from the fluid inlet line to the fluid outlet line. A hollow spike is also included on the housing as well as at least one metering pump. The metering pump is fluidly connected to the hollow spike on the housing and to a metering pump fluid line. The metering pump fluid line is fluidly connected to the fluid outlet line.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2019Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Jason A. Demers, Michael J. Wilt, Kevin L. Grant, James D. Dale, Brian D. Tracey
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Publication number: 20220249755Abstract: A medical infusion fluid handling system, such as an automated peritoneal dialysis system, may be arranged to de-cap and connect one or more lines (such as solution lines) with one or more spikes or other connection ports on a fluid handling cassette. This feature may reduce a likelihood of contamination since no human interaction is required to de-cap and connect the one or more lines and the one or more spikes. For example, the automated peritoneal dialysis system may include a carriage arranged to receive the one or more lines each having a connector end and a cap. The carriage may move along a first direction so as to move the connector ends of the one or more lines along the first direction, and a cap stripper may be arranged to engage with the caps on the solution lines on the carriage. The cap stripper may move in a second direction transverse to the first direction, as well as to move with the carriage along the first direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2022Publication date: August 11, 2022Applicant: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Simon C. Helmore, David W. McGill, David J. Hibbard, James D. Dale, Matthew J. Finch, Jesse T. Bodwell, Jason A. Demers
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Patent number: 11400272Abstract: Improvements in fluid volume measurement systems are disclosed for a pneumatically actuated diaphragm pump in general, and a peritoneal dialysis cycler using a pump cassette in particular. Pump fluid volume measurements are based on pressure measurements in a pump control chamber and a reference chamber in a two-chamber model, with different sections of an apparatus being modeled using a combination of adiabatic, isothermal and polytropic processes. Real time or instantaneous fluid flow measurements in a pump chamber of the diaphragm pump are also disclosed, in this case using a one-chamber ideal gas model and using a high speed processor to obtain and process pump control chamber pressures during fluid flow into or out of the pump chamber.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2018Date of Patent: August 2, 2022Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Michael G. Norris, Jacob W. Scarpaci, Robert J. Bryant, Jr., Geoffrey P. Spencer, David J. Hibbard, James D. Dale, John M. Kerwin, Andrew S. Coll, David A. Beavers, David W. McGill, Simon C. Helmore, David B. Doherty, Edgar J. Bolton, Jinsun Yoo, Paul G. Girouard, Daniel S. Karol, Daniel B. Singer, Joseph P. Rushlow
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Publication number: 20220233754Abstract: Components for a medical infusion fluid handling system, such as an APD system, in which one or more lines (such as solution lines), spikes or other connection ports may be automatically capped and/or de-capped. This feature may provide advantages, such as a reduced likelihood of contamination since no human interaction is required to de-cap and connect the lines, spikes or other connections. For example, a fluid handling cassette may include one or more caps that cover a corresponding spike and include a raised and/or recessed feature to assist in removal of the cap from the cassette. A solution line cap may include a hole and recess, groove or other feature to engage with a spike cap and enable removal of the cap.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2022Publication date: July 28, 2022Applicant: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: David W. McGill, Jacob W. Scarpaci, James D. Dale, Simon C. Helmore, Jason A. Demers
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Patent number: 11364329Abstract: A medical treatment system, such as a peritoneal dialysis system, may include a control and other features to enhance patient comfort and ease of use. For example, a cycler device may include a heater bag receiving section and a lid mounted to cover and uncover the heater bag receiving section, potentially enabling faster heating of a dialysate. A user interface may be moveable to be received into the receiving section and covered by the lid, if desired. The system may detect anomalous conditions, such as tilting of a housing of the system, and automatically recover without terminating a treatment. The system may include noise reduction features, such as porting pneumatic outputs to a common chamber, and others. The system may also automatically detect any one of several different solution lines connected to the system, and control operation accordingly, e.g., to mix solutions provided by two or more lines and form a needed dialysate solution.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2016Date of Patent: June 21, 2022Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Jason A. Demers, David W. McGill, Jacob W. Scarpaci, James D. Dale, Jesse T. Bodwell, Tien-Shoe Wang
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Publication number: 20220133968Abstract: The present invention generally relates to hemodialysis and similar dialysis systems, including a variety of systems and methods that would make hemodialysis more efficient, easier, and/or more affordable. One aspect of the invention is generally directed to new fluid circuits for fluid flow. In one set of embodiments, a hemodialysis system may include a blood flow path and a dialysate flow path, where the dialysate flow path includes one or more of a balancing circuit, a mixing circuit, and/or a directing circuit. Preparation of dialysate by the preparation circuit, in some instances, may be decoupled from patient dialysis. In some cases, the circuits are defined, at least partially, within one or more cassettes, optionally interconnected with conduits, pumps, or the like. In one embodiment, the fluid circuit and/or the various fluid flow paths may be at least partially isolated, spatially and/or thermally, from electrical components of the hemodialysis system.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2021Publication date: May 5, 2022Applicant: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Michael J. Wilt, Jason A. Demers, Kevin L. Grant, Brian D. Tracey, James D. Dale
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Publication number: 20220096718Abstract: A blood circuit assembly for a dialysis unit may include an organizing tray, a pair of pneumatic pumps mounted to the organizing tray for circulating blood received from a patient through a circuit including a dialyzer unit and returned to the patient, an air trap mounted to the organizing tray arranged to remove air from blood circulating in the circuit, a pair of dialyzer connections arranged to connect to the inlet and outlet of a dialyzer unit, and a pair of blood line connectors, one inlet blood line connector for receiving blood from the patient and providing blood to the pneumatic pumps and the other outlet blood line connector for returning blood to the patient.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2021Publication date: March 31, 2022Applicant: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Kevin L. Grant, James D. Dale, Michael J. Wilt, Jason A. Demers, David E. Collins, Brian D. Tracey
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Patent number: 11253636Abstract: Components for a medical infusion fluid handling system, such as an APD system, in which one or more lines (such as solution lines), spikes or other connection ports may be automatically capped and/or de-capped. This feature may provide advantages, such as a reduced likelihood of contamination since no human interaction is required to de-cap and connect the one or more lines, the spikes or the other connection ports. For example, a fluid handling cassette may include one or more caps that cover a corresponding spike and include a raised and/or recessed feature to assist in removal of the one or more caps from the cassette. A solution line cap may include a hole and a recess, a groove or other feature to engage with a spike cap and enable removal of the spike cap.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2018Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: David W. McGill, Jacob W. Scarpaci, James D. Dale, Simon C. Helmore, Jason A. Demers
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Patent number: 11247036Abstract: A medical infusion fluid handling system, such as an automated peritoneal dialysis system, may be arranged to de-cap and connect one or more lines (such as solution lines) with one or more spikes or other connection ports on a fluid handling cassette. This feature may reduce a likelihood of contamination since no human interaction is required to de-cap and connect the one or more lines and the one or more spikes. For example, the automated peritoneal dialysis system may include a carriage arranged to receive the one or more lines each having a connector end and a cap. The carriage may move along a first direction so as to move the connector ends of the one or more lines along the first direction, and a cap stripper may be arranged to engage with the caps on the the one or more lines on the carriage. The cap stripper may move in a second direction transverse to the first direction, as well as to move with the carriage along the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2018Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Simon C. Helmore, David W. McGill, David J. Hibbard, James D. Dale, Matthew J. Finch, Jesse T. Bodwell, Jason A. Demers