US 12,220,555 B2
Infusion pump alignment features for vertically-orientated IV tubes
Jiri Slaby, Buffalo Grove, IL (US); Steve Pippin, Libertyville, IL (US); Kevin Boron, Chicago, IL (US); and Robert Cuevas, Twin Lakes, WI (US)
Assigned to Baxter International Inc., Deerfield, IL (US); and Baxter Healthcare SA, Glattpark (CH)
Filed by BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC., Deerfield, IL (US); and BAXTER HEALTHCARE SA, Glattpark (CH)
Filed on Sep. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/902,365.
Application 17/902,365 is a continuation of application No. 16/869,869, filed on May 8, 2020, granted, now 11,433,178.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/845,435, filed on May 9, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0409806 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. A61M 5/142 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 5/142 (2013.01) [A61M 2005/14208 (2013.01); A61M 2205/0216 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An infusion pump apparatus for delivering an intravenous (“IV”) fluid, the apparatus comprising:
a housing including
an actuation area configured to engage a first portion of an IV tube in a vertical orientation when the infusion pump apparatus is positioned for operation, the actuation area including a top end for receiving the IV tube from a fluid container and a bottom end for providing the IV tube to a patient,
a tube channel located at the top end of the actuation area, the tube channel having a surface curvature and a width configured to accept a bottom side of a second portion of the IV tube, at least a portion of the tube channel having a radial curvature for bending the second portion of the IV tube from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation when the infusion pump apparatus is positioned for operation,
two parallel hood rails provided on either side of the tube channel, the hood rails having widths that extend outwardly from the tube channel,
a hood having a first side and a second side that are separated by the hood rails, the first and second sides connected to the hood rails,
under-hood rails positioned adjacent to the respective hood rails and located on each side of the tube channel, and
guide ribs positioned a distance away from the respective under-hood rails and located on each side of the tube channel for retaining the second portion of the IV tube, wherein gaps are formed between the under-hood rails and the guide ribs; and
a door connected to the housing and configured to enclose the actuation area, the tube channel, the hood rails, the under-hood rails, the guide ribs, and the hood of the housing, the door including
a cavity having dimensions sized to receive the hood rails and the hood when the door is in a closed position, the cavity being defined by at least a lower pre-alignment guide configured to contact or be adjacent to a bottom face of the hood, the lower pre-alignment guide including cutouts configured to respectively receive the under-hood rails, and
a guide section configured to be received in the gaps formed between the under-hood rails and the guide ribs, wherein a bottom face of the lower pre-alignment guide is located so as to contact or be located adjacent to the guide ribs,
wherein the hood and the hood rails are configured to engage the cavity and the guide section of the lower pre-alignment guide is configured to engage the gaps formed between the under-hood rails and the guide ribs to prevent the door from closing when the second portion of the IV tube is not positioned between the hood rails and the guide ribs.