# US 11,027,054 B2 · Wave-based patient line blockage detection

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- Number: US 11,027,054 B2
- Document ID: US11027054B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/201,364
- Filed: 2018-11-27
- Published: 2019-09-12
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-14
- Assignees: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
- Applicants: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
- Inventors: William Scott Crawford; Robert Matthew Ohline
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027054B2

## CPC

- A61M 1/285: {Catheters therefor}
- A61M 1/1522: {the interface being evacuated interfaces to enhance contact}
- A61M 1/1524: {the interface providing means for actuating on functional elements of the cassette, e.g. plungers}
- A61M 1/154: {with sensing means or components thereof}
- A61M 1/155: {with treatment-fluid pumping means or components thereof}
- A61M 1/1561: {at least one cassette surface or portion thereof being flexible, e.g. the cassette having a rigid base portion with preformed channels and being covered with a foil}
- A61M 1/159: {specially adapted for peritoneal dialysis}
- A61M 1/28: Peritoneal dialysis {; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation}
- G01N 29/024: by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
- G01N 29/30: Arrangements for calibrating or comparing, e.g. with standard objects
- A61M 5/16863: {Occlusion detection}
- A61M 2205/121: interface between cassette and base
- A61M 2205/122: using evacuated interfaces to enhance contact
- A61M 2205/3331: Pressure; Flow
- A61M 2205/70: with testing or calibration facilities
- A61M 2209/02: Equipment for testing the apparatus
- G01N 2291/011: Velocity or travel time
- G01N 2291/042: Wave modes
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A dialysis machine (e.g., a peritoneal dialysis (PD) machine) can include a pressure sensor mounted at a proximal end of a patient line that provides PD solution to a patient through a catheter. During treatment, an occlusion can occur at different locations in the patient line and/or the catheter. Elastic waves may be generated at a pump that introduces (e.g., for fill cycles) or withdraws (e.g., for drain cycles) the solution into/out of the patient line. For example, when the solution is introduced or withdrawn suddenly, elastic waves travel distally down the patient line until they encounter the occlusion, and are then reflected back (e.g., toward the pressure sensor).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a medical device comprising:
a medical tube having a proximal end connected to an outlet of the medical device; and
a pressure sensor mounted at the proximal end of the medical tube, the pressure sensor configured for measuring a first pressure and a second pressure at the proximal end of the medical tube; and
a computing device comprising one or more processors, the one or more processors configured for:
determining an elapsed time between the first pressure measurement and the second pressure measurement; and
determining a location of an occlusion in the medical tube based on the elapsed time,
wherein the computing device is remote from the medical device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the medical device and the computing device are in wired communication with each other.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to control the medical device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein controlling the medical device comprises setting or adjusting one or more operating parameters of the medical device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein controlling the medical device comprises controlling one or more motors of the medical device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more motors are controlled via one or more driver modules.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more operating parameters comprise at least a flow rate of the medical device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to monitor one or more operating parameters of the medical device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more operating parameters comprise, at least, one or both of a flow rate of the medical device and a pressure value measured by the pressure sensor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a remote computing device.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the remote computing device is a mobile computing device.

### Claim 12

A system comprising:
a medical device comprising:
a medical tube having a proximal end connected to an outlet of the medical device; and
a pressure sensor mounted at the proximal end of the medical tube, the pressure sensor configured for measuring a plurality of pressures at the proximal end of the medical tube; and
a computing device comprising one or more processors, the one or more processors configured for:
determining one or more elapsed times between local extrema of the measured pressures; and
determining a location of an occlusion in the medical tube based on the one or more elapsed times,
wherein the computing device is remote from the medical device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the local extrema comprise at least one of a local maximum and a local minimum.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the medical device and the computing device are in wired communication with each other.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device is configured to control the medical device.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein controlling the medical device comprises setting or adjusting one or more operating parameters of the medical device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein controlling the medical device comprises controlling one or more motors of the medical device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more motors are controlled via one or more driver modules.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more operating parameters comprise at least a flow rate of the medical device.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device is configured to monitor one or more operating parameters of the medical device.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more operating parameters comprise, at least, one or both of a flow rate of the medical device and a pressure value measured by the pressure sensor.

### Claim 22 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device is a remote computing device.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The system of claim 22, wherein the remote computing device is a mobile computing device.

### Claim 24

A system comprising:
a medical device comprising:
a medical tube having a proximal end connected to an outlet of the medical device, the medical tube having a plurality of zones; and
a pressure sensor mounted at the proximal end of the medical tube, the pressure sensor configured for measuring a first pressure and a second pressure at the proximal end of the medical tube; and
a computing device comprising one or more processors, the one or more processors configured for:
determining an elapsed time between the first pressure measurement and the second pressure measurement; and
determining in which of the plurality of zones an occlusion is located based on the elapsed time,
wherein the computing device is remote from the medical device.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the medical tube comprises five zones, at least one of the zones comprising a catheter.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein at least one of the zones comprises a port connecting the catheter to the medical tube.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the medical device and the computing device are in wired communication with each other.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the computing device is configured to control the medical device.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The system of claim 28, wherein controlling the medical device comprises setting or adjusting one or more operating parameters of the medical device.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The system of claim 29, wherein controlling the medical device comprises controlling one or more motors of the medical device.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The system of claim 30, wherein the one or more motors are controlled via one or more driver modules.

### Claim 32 (depends on 29)

The system of claim 29, wherein the one or more operating parameters comprise at least a flow rate of the medical device.

### Claim 33 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the computing device is configured to monitor one or more operating parameters of the medical device.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The system of claim 33, wherein the one or more operating parameters comprise, at least, one or both of a flow rate of the medical device and a pressure value measured by the pressure sensor.

### Claim 35 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the computing device is a remote computing device.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The system of claim 35, wherein the remote computing device is a mobile computing device.