US 11,731,371 B2
Sterile connection of tubing
James Madsen, Chicago, IL (US); Kyungyoon Min, Kildeer, IL (US); Mark J. Brierton, Cary, IL (US); and Tom Westberg, Lake Forest, IL (US)
Assigned to Fenwal, Inc., Lake Zurich, IL (US)
Filed by Fenwal, Inc., Lake Zurich, IL (US)
Filed on Jan. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/580,684.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/140,995, filed on Jan. 25, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0234303 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 65/74 (2006.01); B29C 65/18 (2006.01); B29C 65/00 (2006.01); F16L 47/02 (2006.01); G05D 23/22 (2006.01); A61M 39/18 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 65/743 (2013.01) [B29C 65/18 (2013.01); B29C 66/5221 (2013.01); B29C 66/857 (2013.01); B29C 66/91421 (2013.01); B29C 66/9261 (2013.01); F16L 47/02 (2013.01); G05D 23/22 (2013.01); A61M 39/18 (2013.01); B29L 2031/753 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sterile connection device comprising:
a housing;
a first carriage including
a first lower jaw defining a first portion of a proximal slot configured to receive a portion of a proximal sealed tube and defining a first portion of a distal slot configured to receive a portion of a distal sealed tube, and
a first upper jaw configured to move between an open condition spaced away from the first lower jaw and a closed condition positioned adjacent to the first lower jaw;
a second carriage positioned laterally of the first carriage and including
a second lower jaw defining a second portion of the proximal slot and a second portion of the distal slot, and
a second upper jaw configured to move between an open condition spaced away from the second lower jaw and a closed condition positioned adjacent to the second lower jaw;
a blade handling assembly configured to move a solid cutting blade into a plurality of positions within the housing;
a blade heating assembly; and
a system controller configured to execute a sterile connection procedure when proximal and distal tubes are received by the proximal and distal slots and the first and second upper jaws are in the closed conditions, wherein the sterile connection procedure includes
controlling the blade heating assembly to heat the solid cutting blade,
controlling the blade handling assembly to move the heated blade away from the blade heating assembly to a cutting position so as to cut the proximal and distal tubes,
controlling the second carriage to move proximally or distally with respect to the first carriage so as to align one of the portions of the proximal slot with one of the portions of the distal slot,
controlling the blade handling assembly to advance the heated blade out of the cutting position, and
controlling the first carriage to move laterally toward the second carriage so as to press cut ends of the proximal and distal tubes received by the aligned portions of the proximal and distal slots into contact with each other so as to sterilely connect the cut ends and define a joined tube, wherein the solid cutting blade is heated by conductive heating applied by the blade heating assembly.