Method and system for loading of tubing into a pumping device
AssigneeMedtronic Xomed, Inc.
InventorsGerould W. Norman, Craig L. Drager, Michael L. Koltz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tube-positioning system for loading tubing into a peristaltic pump includes a holder and a first tube segment. The holder includes a shell configured to slidably fit onto an exterior of a pump and a pair of guides extending upward from opposite side walls of the shell. The first tube segment has a fixed length and extends between the pair of guides with each end of the first tube segment secured within one of the respective guides.
Claims22
A method of loading a peristaltic pump, the method comprising:
- providing a holder with a pair of guides laterally spaced apart from each other and extending vertically upward from opposite side walls of the holder;
- arranging a first tube segment to extend from one of the respective guides to the other respective guide and to be vertically spaced above a top edge of the holder;
- slidably engaging the holder onto an exterior of a housing of the pump to position the respective guides externally on each of opposite sides of the housing to cause positioning of a midportion of first tube segment within a housing of the pump vertically above a first roller of the pump, wherein the first roller is an uppermost rotational position within the pump;
- and
- advancing a contact portion of the pump toward the first roller to pressingly engage the midportion of the first tube segment between the contact portion and the first roller.
A tube-positioning system for loading tubing into a peristaltic pump, the system comprising
- a holder including:
- a shell configured to slidably fit onto an exterior of a housing of a pump;
- and
- a pair of guides extending upward from opposite side walls of the shell, wherein the guides are laterally spaced apart from each other by a distance substantially equal to a width of the housing of the pump;
- a first tube segment extending between the pair of guides, the first tube segment including a pair of ends and a midportion, wherein the first tube segment has a fixed length so that the midportion forms an arcuate shape between the respective guides upon each one of the respective ends being removably secured within one of the respective guides.
A fluid delivery system comprising:
- means for automatically loading, via one-handed application, a first tube segment within a roller-tube engagement zone of a peristaltic pump while holding opposite ends of the first tube segment at a position external to, and at opposite sides of, an exterior of the peristaltic pump so that the first tube segment maintains a fixed length and forms an arcuate shape during loading within the roller-tube engagement zone;
- and
- means for automatically positioning, prior to loading of the first tubing segment, one roller of an array of rollers at the roller-tube engagement zone of the pumphead.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.