This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ยง 119 to German Application No. 10 2021 127 062.6, filed Oct. 19, 2021, the content of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a medical fluid pump and its inner structure.
In medicine, fluid pumps, in particular syringe pumps and peristaltic pumps, are widely used to supply a patient with a defined dose of medication. Since such medical fluid pumps are expensive medical equipment, not every patient station is usually equipped with such a medical fluid pump, but rather the medical fluid pump is installed at the patient station as needed. For this reason, such medical fluid pumps are often mobile or partially mobile devices that are brought by a practitioner to the respective patient or patient site in question and are installed there. This also has the advantage that if the patient is transferred to another ward or an operating room, the patient does not have to be disconnected from the medical fluid pump, thus ensuring a consistent, uninterrupted supply of the defined dose of medication to the patient.
In order to ensure easy handling and easy transport for the practitioner, the medical fluid pump may be equipped with a carrying handle.
It has now been shown that when the medical fluid pump is transported on the carrying handle, tilting of the housing of the medical fluid pump from a horizontal position can occur. This is particularly problematic if the patient continues to be supplied by the medical fluid pump and the tilting may impair the proper function of the medical fluid pump.
In order to solve this problem, various solutions were considered. The carrying handle was locked in a carrying position relative to the housing so that tilting of the housing relative to the carrying handle in the carrying position could be prevented. However, this had the disadvantage that further moving components in the form of the lock had to be provided on the medical fluid pump, which on the one hand are difficult to clean and can thus represent a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, and on the other hand represent a further component that makes the medical fluid pump more expensive and represents a further source of damage to the medical fluid pump.
In a further approach, pivot points of the carrying handle were designed to be movable in order to make the carrying position variable, so that the carrying handle could be moved in the carrying position over a center of gravity of the fluid pump. Here, too, however, it was found that the additional movable components in the form of a slidable bearing made the medical fluid pump more expensive, represented a further source of damage and made handling of the medical fluid pump significantly more difficult.
A third approach was to provide metallic, in particular lead, counterweights, which were placed in the housing of the medical fluid pump in such a way that a center of gravity of the medical fluid pump is located below the carrying handle in the carrying position. However, the insertion of counterweights resulted in an increase in the overall weight of the medical fluid pump, making it more difficult for practitioners to handle.
The objects and aims of the disclosure are to eliminate or at least reduce the disadvantages of the prior art and in particular to provide a medical fluid pump having a carrying handle, wherein tilting of a housing against the carrying handle is prevented in a carrying position. In particular, it is to be achieved that in a carrying position, the housing of the fluid pump is oriented substantially horizontally without resulting in the disadvantages explained above.
The medical fluid pump, in particular in the form of an infusion pump or syringe pump, comprises a housing, a front flap hinged to a front side of the housing, a carrying handle pivotably hinged to opposite first and second side surfaces and pivotable from a storage position to a carrying position in which it is positioned above the housing, and a number of electrical and mechanical components within the housing required for all intended functions of the medical fluid pump. A selection of components from the electrical and mechanical components within the housing are provided as tare elements positioned within the housing such that the center of gravity of the fluid pump is substantially below the carrying handle in the carrying position.
In other words, the medical fluid pump, which is preferably configured as a syringe or peristaltic pump, includes the housing with a front flap hinged to the front side of the housing via hinges, which preferably has a display in the form of a touch display. The carrying handle, which preferably has a bracket shape, is hinged to the two side surfaces that extend from the outer rims of the front side of the housing in the direction of the rear side of the housing. The carrying handle can thus be folded from a folded position, in which the carrying handle rests against the housing, to a carrying position, in which the carrying handle is located above the housing. The electrical and mechanical components of the mechanical fluid pump, which are necessary for the implementation of all functions, in particular technical functions, are located within the housing. Of these electrical and mechanical components, a number of components are selected and arranged in the housing in such a way that the center of gravity is substantially in a vertical plane in which the carrying handle is also located in the carrying position. As a result, the housing is suspended from the carrying handle in a substantially horizontal position or orienting itself substantially horizontally, respectively.
The core of the invention is therefore that a selection of the electrical and mechanical components that are necessary to implement the objects the medical fluid pump has to fulfil are used as balance or tare weights. In this way, it can be ensured that the medical fluid pump or the housing of the medical fluid pump is brought into a desired position/orientation in relation to an environment when it is suspended from the carrying handle, without the need for additional components such as (lead) weights or engaging hinges or the like.
The electrical and/or mechanical components may all be components required for the function of the medical fluid pump.
This is also desirable, since several of the medical fluid pumps may be suspended below each other, and can then be carried by the carrying handle of the uppermost medical fluid pump. If the centers of gravity of the medical fluid pumps suspended one below the other are substantially in one plane with the carrying handle in the carrying position, comfortable carrying is possible. If, on the other hand, the centers of gravity of the medical fluid pumps suspended one below the other are not below the carrying handle, this leads to an unergonomic carrying position, which may result in rapid fatigue of the carrier.
In a first aspect, the selection of components from the electrical and mechanical components may include at least one energy storage device and/or a power adaptor.
In other words, at least the energy storage device and/or the power adaptor may be used as tare weights. In yet other words, the position of the center of gravity of the medical fluid pump can be influenced by the suitable placement of the energy storage device and/or the power adaptor so that the center of gravity is substantially below the carrying handle in the carrying position. Since the energy storage device, which is configured in particular as a rechargeable battery, for example in the form of a lead-acid battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a lithium-ion battery, a lithium-polymer battery or a lithium-metal battery, and the power adaptor are components that have a high specific weight due to the materials used in them, but are relatively flexible in their placement within the medical fluid pump, these components are particularly suitable for specifically manipulating or influencing the center of gravity of the medical fluid pump.
In a further aspect, the selection of components from the electrical and mechanical components may include at least a drive train and/or a motor.
In other words, at least the drive train and/or the motor can be used as tare weights. In yet other words, by appropriate placement of the drive train and/or the motor, the position of the center of gravity of the medical fluid pump can be influenced such that the center of gravity is substantially below the carrying handle in carrying position. Since the drive train, which is configured in particular as a holding arm with a drive head that can be moved linearly with respect to the housing or as a peristaltic system, and the motor that drives the drive train are components that have a high specific weight and also a high absolute weight due to the materials used in them, these components are suitable for specifically manipulating or influencing the center of gravity of the medical fluid pump.
In a further aspect, a first assembly, preferably in the form of the drive train, may be configured in a first longitudinal half of the housing facing the front side of the housing, and a second assembly, preferably in the form of the power adaptor and/or of a communication module may be configured in a second longitudinal half of the housing facing the rear side of the housing opposite the front side of the housing, wherein a weight of the first assembly balances a weight of the second assembly with respect to a tilt axis through the pivot points.
In other words, the first assembly, which in particular may be the drive train, may be arranged inside the housing in the first longitudinal half, which is directly adjacent to the front flap. The second assembly, which in particular may be the power adaptor and/or the communication module, may be arranged inside the housing in the second longitudinal half, which is arranged between the rear side of the housing and the first longitudinal half. A first torque generated by a first weight force of the first assembly with respect to the tilt axis through the pivot points of the carrying handle is substantially cancelled by a second torque generated by a second weight force of the second assembly with respect to the tilt axis through the pivot points of the carrying handle. In yet other words, there is substantially a torque equilibrium of the first weight force and the second weight force, relative to the tilt axis.
In a further aspect, a third assembly, which may preferably be configured in the form of the drive head outside the housing on the second side surface, may be configured to move linearly relative to the housing via a drive arm, and a fourth assembly, preferably in the form of the motor, may be arranged in a first transverse half of the housing facing away from the drive head.
In other words, the third assembly, which is preferably the drive head that is linearly movable to the housing via the holding arm, may be configured outside of the housing of the medical fluid pump adjacent to the second side surface. The fourth assembly, which in particular may be configured as the motor responsible for driving the drive head, may be arranged in the first transverse half of the interior space of the housing adjacent to the first side surface and spaced from the second side surface.
In yet other words, the interior space of the housing may be divided into a first transverse half and a second transverse half. The first transverse half is adjacent to the first side surface and to the second transverse half and includes the fourth assembly, which in particular is the motor. The second transverse half is adjacent to the second side surface and the first transverse half. A third assembly, preferably in the form of the drive head, may be arranged outside the housing, adjacent to the second side surface which bounds the second transverse half. In this way, the third assembly and the fourth assembly are arranged as far away from each other as possible. On the one hand, this allows the fourth assembly to act as a kind of counterweight for the third assembly, in particular when the third assembly is extended. On the other hand, this effectively prevents vibrations that occur in the fourth assembly from being transmitted to the third assembly and impairing its function.
In a further aspect, the energy storage device may be arranged substantially in the center of gravity of the medical fluid pump.
In other words, the energy storage device is disposed substantially below the carrying handle in the carrying position. Since the energy storage device is a component with a high specific and absolute weight, it is advantageous to arrange it in the desired center of gravity of the medical fluid pump.
In a further aspect, the communication module may be configured/connected to a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first antenna is configured at the first side surface and the second antenna is configured at the second side surface.
In other words, the medical fluid pump may include the communication module, which may have two external antennas. The first antenna is preferably fixed to the first side surface in a first antenna receptacle and the second antenna is fixed to the second side surface in a second antenna receptacle. Such an arrangement of the antennas can prevent possible interference of the transmission power of the antennas with each other.
In a further aspect, the distance between the first side surface and the second side surface may be matched to the transmission frequency of the first antenna and the second antenna. Preferably, the distance corresponds to substantially a multiple of a quarter, and more preferably a multiple of a half, of the wavelength of the transmission frequency.
In other words, the transmission frequency of the antennas is 2.4 GHz and/or 5 GHz. The wavelength is 12.5 cm for 2.4 GHz and 6 cm for 5 GHz. The distance between the antennas and thus between the first side surface and the second side surface is thus a multiple of 3.125 cm or a multiple of 3 cm, respectively.
In yet other words, the dimensions, in particular a width dimension, of the medical fluid pump are predetermined by the transmission frequency of the antennas of the communication module. For this reason, the dimensions of the medical fluid pump cannot be changed at will, but are substantially predetermined.
In a further aspect, the fourth assembly, preferably in the form of the motor, may be arranged in the first transverse half of the housing and a fifth assembly, preferably in the form of a deadbolt drive, may be arranged in the second transverse half of the housing different from the first transverse half.
In other words, the fourth assembly, preferably in the form of the motor, and the fifth assembly, preferably in the form of the deadbolt drive, are arranged in different transverse halves of the interior space of the housing of the medical fluid pump. In this way, the fourth assembly and the fifth assembly are arranged as far away from each other as possible. In this way, vibrations that occur in the fourth assembly or in the fifth assembly can be effectively prevented from being transmitted to the other one of the fifth assembly of the fourth assembly, respectively, and from impairing their function.
The Figures are schematic in nature and serve only to aid understanding of the disclosure. Identical elements are marked with the same reference signs.
Preferred embodiments are described below on the basis of the Figures. Here, features and characteristics are described by way of example for individual embodiments. It should be explicitly mentioned that features described here are not limited to the respective embodiment.
The housing 4 further comprises an upper housing shell 14 and a lower housing part 16, which can be connected to each other and thus form the housing 4. A carrying handle 18 in the form of a handle bar is pivotably hinged to the upper housing shell 14. The carrying handle 18 embraces the upper housing shell 14 in a width direction, so that the carrying handle 18 is hinged to both side surfaces or to a first side surface and a second side surface of the upper housing shell 14 or of the housing 4, respectively. The carrying handle 18 is connected to the housing 4 at pivot points 20. The pivot points 20 are configured as hinges and are located, as shown in
In
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Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2021 127 062.6 | Oct 2021 | DE | national |