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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Publication number: 20160175505Abstract: 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: February 29, 2016Publication date: June 23, 2016Applicant: 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: 9364655Abstract: An occlusion assembly for compressing at least one tube, e.g. a pair of side-by-side flexible tubes, that comprises an occluding member for each tube placed within the assembly. Each occluding member is pressed into an occluding position by an element that is movable, e.g. in a space between the occluding members, to cause a tube-contacting portion of each occluding member to translate toward its associated tubing to compress it. In an embodiment, the element is a spreader that is positioned between two occluding members and acts to spread the distal ends of the occluding members away from each other as they press against their respective tubes. A main spring may be included that urges the spreader toward the distal ends of the occluding elements into an occluding position.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2012Date of Patent: June 14, 2016Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Kevin L. Grant, Brett A. Rudolf, James D. Dale, Jesse T. Bodwell
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Patent number: 9358332Abstract: 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: January 23, 2009Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: 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: 20160144093Abstract: 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: February 1, 2016Publication date: May 26, 2016Applicant: 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: 20160101278Abstract: 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 the apparatus being modeled using a combination of adiabatic, isothermal and polytropic processes. Real time or instantaneous fluid flow measurements in a pump chamber of a 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. Improved heater control circuitry is also disclosed, to provide added or redundant safety measures, or to reduce current leakage from a heater element during pulse width modulation control of the heater.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2015Publication date: April 14, 2016Applicant: DEKA Products Limited PartnerInventors: 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: 20160101227Abstract: 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 the apparatus being modeled using a combination of adiabatic, isothermal and polytropic processes. Real time or instantaneous fluid flow measurements in a pump chamber of a 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. Improved heater control circuitry is also disclosed, to provide added or redundant safety measures, or to reduce current leakage from a heater element during pulse width modulation control of the heater.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2015Publication date: April 14, 2016Applicant: 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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Patent number: 9302037Abstract: Disclosed are hemodialysis and similar dialysis systems including fluid flow circuits. Hemodialysis systems may include a blood flow path, and a dialysate flow path including balancing, mixing, and/or directing circuits. Preparation of dialysate may be decoupled from patient dialysis. Circuits may be defined within one or more cassettes. The fluid circuit and/or the various fluid flow paths may be isolated from electrical components. Fluid circuits and electrical components may be contained in a housing comprising a first section separated from a second section by a thermally insulating barrier. The first section may house a heater and heat-sterilizable components including liquid flowpaths, pumps or valves, while the second section houses electronic components for controlling the hemodialysis system. The insulating barrier may be configured to inhibit the second section from being exposed to sterilizing temperatures produced in the first section.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2013Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: 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: 20160060915Abstract: A rotatable door latch for a door hingedly attached the housing of a device, which in some embodiments may be a medical device for handling fluids, such as a peritoneal dialysis cycler with pump cassette. In an embodiment, the door is configured to close over an installed cassette against a front panel of the housing, the door latch configured to capture the head of a post mounted to the housing. After capturing the head of the post and rotating the door latch, a slot in the latch flanked by a ramp or cam feature slides against the post head, the ramp increasing in thickness to progressively increase the closing force between the door and the post head. Upon full closure of the door latch, a detent at the end of the slot provides a maintenance closing force between the door and the post head.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2015Publication date: March 3, 2016Inventors: Benjamin W. Jones, JR., Jacob W. Scarpaci, James D. Dale, James M. Sibona
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Patent number: 9272082Abstract: 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 21, 2012Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: 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: 9248225Abstract: 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: January 23, 2009Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: 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: 20150265760Abstract: 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: March 30, 2015Publication date: September 24, 2015Applicant: 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: 9121403Abstract: A door assembly that includes a receptacle for a pump cassette can be closed to position the cassette into contact with a control assembly for operating the pump cassette. A force assembly having a movable member is capable of applying force to the pump cassette to press the pump cassette against the control assembly. The movable member may be an expandable member, such as a bladder.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2013Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Richard J. Lanigan, James D. Dale
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Publication number: 20150231320Abstract: 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: May 4, 2015Publication date: August 20, 2015Applicant: 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: 20150224242Abstract: 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: April 22, 2015Publication date: August 13, 2015Applicant: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Kevin L. Grant, James D. Dale, Michael J. Wilt, Jason A. Demers, David E. Collins
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Publication number: 20150196699Abstract: 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. According to one aspect, a blood pump is configured to pump blood to a dialyzer of a hemodialysis apparatus, the blood pump comprising a pneumatically actuated or controlled reciprocating diaphragm pump. In an embodiment, the diaphragm of the pump comprises a flexible membrane formed or molded to generally conform to a curved inner wall of a pumping chamber or control chamber of the pump, wherein the diaphragm is pre-formed or molded to have a control side taking a convex shape, so that any elastic tension on the diaphragm is minimized when fully extended into a control chamber of the pump.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2014Publication date: July 16, 2015Applicant: 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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Publication number: 20150196698Abstract: 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: March 23, 2015Publication date: July 16, 2015Applicant: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Kevin L. Grant, James D. Dale, Jason A. Demers, Michael J. Wilt
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Patent number: 9078971Abstract: A medical treatment system, such as peritoneal dialysis system, may include control and other features to enhance patient comfort and ease of use. For example, a peritoneal dialysis system may include a control system that can adjust the volume of fluid infused into the peritoneal cavity to prevent the intraperitoneal fluid volume from exceeding a pre-determined amount. The control system can adjust by adding one or more therapy cycles, allowing for fill volumes during each cycle to be reduced. The control system may continue to allow the fluid to drain from the peritoneal cavity as completely as possible before starting the next therapy cycle. The control system may also adjust the dwell time of fluid within the peritoneal cavity during therapy cycles in order to complete a therapy within a scheduled time period.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2012Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: 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
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Patent number: 9028691Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 27, 2008Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Assignee: 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: D743239Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2014Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Benjamin W. Jones, Jr., Jacob W. Scarpaci, James D. Dale, James M. Sibona, David E. Collins
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Patent number: D754322Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2014Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: David E. Collins, Jared Nicholas Farlow, Katherine M. Morgan, Kevin L. Grant, James D. Dale, Jason A. Demers, Arun D. Chawan