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US 10,195,418 B2Granted
Pinch clamp devices, methods, and systems
AssigneeNxStage Medical, Inc.
InventorsScott W. Newell, Dennis M. Treu, Kenneth E. Buckler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A linearly actuated pinch clamp is provided, including a housing, a motor connected to the housing, a mechanical drive unit connected to the motor for converting a rotary motion of the motor to a linear motion and for introducing a mechanical advantage to the motion of the motor, and a pinching element having a body and a pinching surface. The pinching element body is coupled to the mechanical drive unit. In certain versions of the pinch clamp, the pinching element is slidably mounted to the housing such that the pinching element is linearly displaceable by the mechanical drive unit between a first position and a second position where the pinching surface cooperates with a fixed surface to pinch closed a flexible tube.
Claims30
A linearly actuated pinch clamp, comprising:
- a housing;
- a motor connected to the housing;
- a mechanical drive unit that includes a linear actuator with an output shaft and being connected to the motor for converting a rotary motion of the motor to a linear motion and for introducing a mechanical advantage to the motion of the motor;
- a pinching element having a body and a pinching surface, the pinching element body coupled to the mechanical drive unit and slidably mounted to the housing such that the pinching element is linearly displaceable by the mechanical drive unit between a first position and a second position where the pinching surface cooperates with a fixed surface to pinch closed a flexible tube;
- and
- a spring operatively connected between the housing and the pinching element to bias the pinching element toward the second position, thereby reducing a force necessary to move the pinching element from the first position to the second position and pinch closed the flexible tube, wherein
- the pinching element body defines a longitudinal bore and a transverse bore, the longitudinal bore partially extending into the pinching element body, the transverse bore extending through the pinching element body and intersecting the longitudinal bore, and
- the pinching element further includes a coupling block, slidingly arranged within the longitudinal bore of the pinching element body and coupled to the output shaft of the linear actuator.
5 more elements
A linearly actuated pinch clamp, comprising:
- a housing having a flange;
- a motor connected to the housing;
- a mechanical drive unit connected to the motor for converting a rotary motion of the motor to a linear motion and for introducing a mechanical advantage to the motion of the motor;
- a coupling block including a cam surface, the coupling block connected to the mechanical drive unit and slidably mounted to the housing;
- and
- a rotationally displaceable pinching element, including:
- a body rotatably mounted to the housing,
- a pinching surface at a distal end of the body, and
- a projection on the body engageable with the coupling block cam surface such that the pinching element is rotationally displaceable by linear motion of the mechanical drive unit and the coupling block between a first position and a second position where the pinching surface cooperates with the housing flange to pinch closed a flexible tube.
6 more elements
A pinch clamp system, comprising:
- a power supply;
- a microcontroller coupled to the power supply;
- an energy storage device coupled to the power supply;
- a motor driver coupled to the energy storage device;
- a linearly actuated pinch clamp, coupled to the motor driver and the microcontroller, including:
- a motor,
- a mechanical drive unit connected to the motor for converting a rotary motion of the motor to a linear motion and for introducing a mechanical advantage to the motion of the motor,
- a displaceable pinching element coupled to the mechanical drive unit and including a pinching surface, the pinching element being displaceable between a first position and a second position where the pinching surface cooperates with a fixed surface to pinch closed a flexible tube, and
- a sensor to measure a position of the pinching element;
- and
- a switch, coupled to the power supply, the microcontroller and the motor driver, to pass commands from the microcontroller to the motor driver when the power supply voltage remains above a predetermined threshold, and to provide a command to the motor driver to move the pinching element to the second position when the power supply voltage falls below the predetermined threshold, wherein
- the pinching element is rotationally displaceable and is coupled to the mechanical drive unit via a coupling block that converts the linear motion of the mechanical drive unit to pinching element rotational displacement.
9 more elements
A pinch clamp, comprising:
- a motor connected through a mechanical drive unit and a releasable coupling to a pinching element, the pinching element biased by a biasing element against a fixed element, a gap between the pinching element and the fixed element receiving a tube that is thereby pinched with a force determined by the biasing element;
- and
- the pinching element having a first part and a second part that are connected by the releasable coupling when power is applied to the releasable coupling and disconnected when power is lost, such that when the motor is driven through the mechanical drive unit to retract the pinching element against a force of the biasing element with power applied to the releasable coupling, the gap is opened and a tube received therewithin permitted to open and in the event of a loss of power, the releasable coupling releases the second part causing the biasing element to force the second part of the pinching element to close the tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.