US-12623014-B2 - Smart connector for connecting patient to medical product

Abstract

Various smart medical connection embodiments of the present disclosure encompass a magnetic connectivity manager energizing ferromagnet(s) in response to a powering on the magnetic connectivity manager and a sensing of a connection strain on a medical base ( 21 ) and/or a patient base ( 31 ) of the device, whereby a magnetic connectivity interface ( 22, 32 ) activates a magnetic connectivity between metallic module(s) and the ferromagnet(s) for interfacing the conduit channels of the bases. The various smart medical connection embodiments of the present disclosure further encompass the magnetic connectivity manager deenergizing the ferromagnet(s) in response to a powering down of the magnetic connectivity manager and/or a sensing of a disconnection strain on the base(s), whereby the magnetic connectivity interface ( 22, 32 ) deactivates the magnetic connectivity between the metallic module(s) and the ferromagnet(s) for interfacing the conduit channels of the bases.

Inventors

• Saman Parvaneh

Assignees

• KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20201230

Priority Date

20200115

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A smart medical connector, comprising: a medical base having a medical conduit channel; a patient base having a patient conduit channel; a magnetic connectivity interface including at least one metallic module and at least one ferromagnet distributively adjoined to the medical base and the patient base, and a magnetic connectivity manager including a power supply, a ferromagnet controller and at least one strain sensor collectively adjoined to one of the medical base or the patient base, or distributively adjoined to the medical base and the patient base, wherein the magnetic connectivity manager is configured to controllably energize the at least one ferromagnet in response to a sensing by the at least one strain sensor of a connection strain on at least one of the medical base and the patient base, and wherein the magnetic connectivity manager is configured to controllably deenergize the at least one ferromagnet in response a sensing by the at least one strain sensor of a disconnection strain on at least one of the medical base and the patient base, wherein, in response to the energizing of the at least one ferromagnet, the magnetic connectivity interface is configured to activate a magnetic connectivity between the at least one metallic module and the at least one ferromagnet for interfacing the medical conduit channel and the patient conduit channel, and wherein, in response to the deenergizing of the at least one ferromagnet, the magnetic connectivity interface is configured to deactivate the magnetic connectivity between the at least one metallic module and the at least one ferromagnet for interfacing the medical conduit channel and the patient conduit channel.
2. 2 . The smart medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the medical base includes a medical conduit in at least one of a fluid communication and an electrical communication with the medical conduit channel.
3. 3 . The smart medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the medical conduit channel is configured to establish at least one of a fluid communication and an electrical communication with a medical conduit.
4. 4 . The smart medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the patient base includes a patient conduit in at least one of a fluid communication and an electrical communication with the patient conduit channel.
5. 5 . The smart medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the patient conduit channel is configured to establish at least one of a fluid communication and an electrical communication with a patient conduit.
6. 6 . The smart medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one metallic module is adjoined to the medical base; and wherein the at least one ferromagnet is adjoined to the patient base.
7. 7 . The smart medical connector of claim 6 , wherein the magnetic connectivity interface further includes at least one of: an additional at least one metallic module adjoined to the patient base; or an additional at least one ferromagnet adjoined to the medical base.
8. 8 . The smart medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one metallic module is adjoined to the patient base; and wherein the at least one ferromagnet is adjoined to the medical base.
9. 9 . The smart medical connector of claim 8 , wherein the magnetic connectivity interface further includes at least one of: an additional at least one metallic module adjoined to the medical base; or an additional at least one ferromagnet adjoined to the patient base.
10. 10 . The smart medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the power supply is adjoined to the medical base; and wherein the ferromagnet controller is adjoined to the patient base.
11. 11 . The smart medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the power supply is adjoined to the patient base; and wherein the ferromagnet controller is adjoined to the medical base.
12. 12 . The smart medical connector of claim 1 , further comprising a ferromagnetic driver, wherein the ferromagnetic driver is switchably connected to the power supply; wherein the ferromagnetic driver is connected to the at least one ferromagnet; and wherein the ferromagnet controller is configured to controllably connect the power supply to the at least one ferromagnet to energize the at least one ferromagnet.
13. 13 . The smart medical connector of claim 12 , wherein at least one of: the power supply is configured to controllably connect the power supply to the ferromagnetic driver to power on the ferromagnetic driver; or the ferromagnetic driver is configured to controllably connect the power supply to the ferromagnetic driver to power off the ferromagnetic driver.
14. 14 . The smart medical connector of claim 1 , wherein the power supply is switchably connected to the at least one ferromagnet; and wherein the ferromagnet controller is configured to controllably connect the power supply to the ferromagnet to energize the at least one ferromagnet.
15. 15 . The smart medical connector of claim 14 , wherein ferromagnetic driver is switchably connected to the power supply; and wherein at least one of: the power supply is configured to controllably connect the power supply to the ferromagnetic driver to power on the ferromagnetic driver; or the ferromagnetic driver is configured to controllably connect the power supply to the ferromagnetic driver to power off the ferromagnetic driver.
16. 16 . A smart medical connecting method for a smart medical connector including a medical base having a medical conduit channel, a patient base having a patient conduit channel, and a magnetic connectivity interface including at least one metallic module and at least one ferromagnet distributively adjoined to the medical base and the patient base, the smart medical connecting method comprising: energizing the at least one ferromagnet in response to a powering on of the smart medical connector and further in response to a sensing of a connection strain on at least one of the medical base and the patient base, wherein, in response to the energizing of the at least one ferromagnet, the magnetic connectivity interface activates a magnetic connectivity between the at least one metallic module and the at least one ferromagnet for interfacing the medical conduit channel and the patient conduit channel, and deenergizing the at least one ferromagnet in response to at least one of a powering down of the smart medical connector and a sensing of a disconnection strain on the at least one of the medical base and the patient base, wherein, in response to the deenergizing of the at least one ferromagnet, the magnetic connectivity interface deactivates the magnetic connectivity between the at least one metallic module and the at least one ferromagnet for interfacing the medical conduit channel and the patient conduit channel.
17. 17 . The smart medical connecting method of claim 16 , further comprising: transmitting a notification of a deactivation of the magnetic connectivity between the medical base and the patient base including the magnetic connectivity interface between the medical conduit channel and the patient conduit channel.
18. 18 . The smart medical connecting method of claim 16 , further comprising: adjusting a threshold between the connection strain and the disconnection strain.
19. 19 . The smart medical connecting method of claim 16 , further comprising: deenergizing the at least one ferromagnet in response to an overriding event.
20. 20 . The smart medical connecting method of claim 16 , further comprising: adjusting an energizing level of the at least one ferromagnet to adjust a strength of the magnetic connectivity between the at least one metallic module and the at least one ferromagnet magnetically for interfacing between the medical conduit channel and the patient conduit channel.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS This application is the U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2020/088008, filed on Dec. 30, 2020, which claims the benefit of European Application No. 20151950.1 filed on Jan. 15, 2020 and U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 62/955,919 filed Dec. 31, 2019. These applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure generally relates to connecting a patient to a medical product (e.g., a medical fluid bag or a medical equipment). The present disclosure specifically relates to a smart connector for a disconnection of a connection of a patient to a medical product due to excessive strain/force on the connection or due to a request by care team (e.g., in case of emergency). BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Pulling out a basic connector as known in the art of the present disclosure (e.g., IV line connectors and electrical connectors) between IV bag/medical equipment and a patient due to excessive strain/force on the connector may be dangerous for the patient. For example, pulling an IV line due to pain-related body movements or the patient falling may remove the IV line from the patient and causes complication such as, for example, bleeding and disconnection of important medications. Disconnection of electrical connectors, such as, for example, cables that connect a patient to a monitoring system may interrupt patient monitoring and also lead to an unnecessary alarm, such as, for example, a disconnection alarm. Furthermore, pulling a medical device, IV bag, and IV stand due to pulling connectors is another problem that may be dangerous for a patient. Current connectors in medical facilities are simple and do not incorporate mechanisms for disconnection of a connection of a patient to a medical product due to excessive strain/force on the connection. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure describes smart medical connections between a patient and a medical product (e.g., a medical fluid container (IV bag) or a medical equipment (bedside vital sign monitor)) that is applicable to numerous and various medical applications. The smart medical connections of the present disclosure involve a sensing of a potentially harmful strain on a connection between a patient and a medical product, and further involves an automatic disconnecting of the patient from the medical product due to the sensed potentially harmful strain to thereby impede, hopefully prevent, any harm to patient. Additionally, the smart medical connections of the present disclosure may involve notifications to a clinical team on any disconnecting of patient of the patient from the medical product. Further, the smart medical connections of the present disclosure may involve a request by a clinician or a nurse to disconnect the patient from the medical product, such as, for example, in case of patient transfer or patient emergency care (e.g., providing electric shock to the patient). The present disclosure may be embodied as: (1) a smart medical connector of the present disclosure;(2) a smart medical connection system incorporating the smart medical connector of the present disclosure; and(3) a smart medical connecting method utilizing the smart medical connector of the present disclosure. Various embodiments of a smart medical connector of the present disclosure encompass a medical base, a patient base, a magnetic connectivity interface and a magnetic connectivity manager. The medical base has a medical conduit channel, and the patient base has a patient conduit channel. The magnetic connectivity interface includes one or more metallic modules and one or more ferromagnets distributively adjoined to the medical base and the patient base. The magnetic connectivity manager includes a power supply, a ferromagnetic driver and one or more strain sensors collectively adjoined to one of the medical base or the patient base, or distributively adjoined to the medical base and the patient base. In operation, the smart medical controller controllably energizes the ferromagnet(s) in response to a sensing by the strain sensor(s) of a connection strain on the medical base and/or the patient base. In response to an energizing of the ferromagnet(s), the magnetic connectivity interface activates a magnetic connectivity between the metallic module(s) and the ferromagnet(s) for interfacing the medical conduit channel and the patient conduit channel. Alternatively in operation, the magnetic connectivity manager controllably deenergizes the ferromagnet(s) in response to a sensing by the strain sensor(s) of a disconnection strain on the medical base and/or the patient base. In response to a deenergizing of the ferromagnet(s), the magnetic connectivity interface deactivates the magnetic connectivity between the metallic module(s) and the ferromagnet(s) for interfacing the medical conduit channel and the patient conduit channel. Various