Omnicell, Inc.

Oregon State University

Home Dialysis Plus, Ltd.

Other

Eldon James Corporation

Shredding Systems, Inc.

Magtec Energy, LLC

Altman Browning and Company

David M Browning

Dennis Jason Fuhrman

William C Park, Iv

Steven N W Hunter

James R Curtis

Brian Kevin Paul

Goran Jovanovic

Sundar V Atre

Erin M Wheeler

Chene L Cramer

Craig A Ira

Matthew Stephen Bauer

Thomas J Garnier

Timothy W Lunneborg

Paul Gene Dimmer

Mathew Bauer

Kevin Loll

James Ronald Thomas

Neil Howard Thomas

Goran Nadezda Jovanovic

William C Park

Steven N Hunter

William C Iv Park

A releasable valved coupler and a method of producing and using such a coupler including a coupler body having a first valve element and a coupler insert having a second valve element, wherein a first valve tip of the first valve element can engage a second valve tip of the second valve element upon insertion of the coupler insert inside of a tubular chamber of the coupler body, whereby the first valve element disengages a first valve seat and the second valve element disengages a second valve seat to open a flow path through the coupler. By moving the coupler body and the coupler insert in outward opposed axial directions, the first and second valve tips can disengage, correspondingly engaging the first valve element with the first valve seat and engaging the second valve element with the second valve seat to close the flow path through the coupler.

Releasable valved coupler

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for cleansing blood through hemodialysis by the process of diffusion across a membrane into dialysate. This dialyzer also removes solutes from the blood by a process of convection, where fluid and dissolved solutes pass through the membrane out of the blood. In one embodiment in accordance with the present invention, the MECS dialyzer uses a counter-flow between the dialysate and blood through a plurality of microchannels. The dialyzer comprises a plurality of flat semi-permeable membranes interleaved between microchannel sheets to define a plurality of flow channels. The stack of membranes and microchannel sheets are aligned and consolidated to form the MECS dialyzer. The MECS dialyzer acts as a flow manifold with ports and headers to collect the blood and dialysate and direct them to and from the microchannels.

MECS dialyzer method

The present invention is related to hemodialysis, and more particularly, to a dialyser with improved efficiency of mass transfer across a dialysis membrane utilizing microchannel separation provided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In accordance with an embodiment, a dialyzer is provided comprising a plurality of semipermeable membrane sheets and a plurality of flow separators. The membrane sheets and flow are arranged in alternating configuration and coupled into a laminae stack defining a plurality of parallel microchannel layers. Each microchannel layer comprises a plurality of first microchannels and a plurality of second microchannels. The first and second microchannels of each microchannel layer are in fluid communication with each other via one of the plurality of membrane sheets therebetween. The MECS dialyzer is characterized as having a high surface to volume ratio and a high mass transfer coefficient.

MECS dialyzer

The system includes a bin hopper which temporarily stores a plurality of small elements, such as medications. The elements are moved out of the bin and singulated into a one-by-one sequence by a series of singulating conveyors. The resulting sequence of elements is moved onto a main system conveyor where the element is identified and then moved to a loading mechanism which arranges the item so it is ready to be gripped and stored. The system includes a mass storage apparatus comprising a series of four upstanding cylindrical drums, each having a plurality of individually accessible and addressable cell storage locations for the elements. A gripping apparatus removes the elements from the loading mechanism and transfers them to a selected location in a cylindrical drum. When an article is to be dispensed, the drum is rotated so that an ejection arm comes adjacent the desired location in the drum. The ejector arm is actuated, pushing the small element out of its slot, into the center of the drum, where it falls onto a conveyor which moves the dispensed item from the system.

Automatic apparatus for storing and dispensing packaged medication and other small elements

A magnetic heater is provided having a conductive member and a first magnet assembly comprising a frame and at least one magnet disposed a distance adjacent the conductive member, wherein the first magnet assembly and the first frame are adapted to rotate relative to each other about an axis so as to induce eddy currents in the conductive member when relative motion is produced between the conductive member and the first magnet assembly, the at least one magnet adapted to move relative to the frame in dependence on the change in the rate of rotation of the frame. The magnetic heater is provided with a passive relative-positioning actuator adapted to move one or more magnets in an axial direction and a radial direction relative to the frame. Such movement is exploited to control the magnetic field strength at the conductive member by controlling, among other things, the conductor/magnet spacing.

Controlled magnetic heat generation

Apparatus and methods are provided to enable the removal of tablet and capsule medication from bottles. The apparatus includes a bottle opener assembly that enables the removal of the medication from the base of the bottle. Removal of the medication from the base of the bottle bypasses the need for removal of the bottle cap, tamper-resistant seals, and any filler material. The present invention further includes an automated unpack/repack system for packing the medication in bulk and individual containers.

Bottle unpack/repack apparatus and methods

A preload-clamp nut device is provided which securely mounts to a shaft having a plurality of shaft-mounted tools and provides a preload against the tools. A preferred embodiment of the device comprises a sleeve with a threaded bore and a slitted, tapered surface and a flange having a plurality of threaded holes, a clamp ring having a tapered bore and a plurality of openings that can be aligned with the plurality of threaded holes in the flange, and a plurality of bolts each having a set nut and a lock nut. When the bolts are inserted through the openings in the clamp ring into the threaded holes in the flange the set nuts and bolts can be tightened to clamp onto the shaft and preload the shaft-mounted tools. An alternative embodiment of the present invention provides a flange having a two-portion bore with a tapered portion and a constant diameter portion and a plurality of threaded holes, and a multipiece lockring having beveled edges that fit into the flange's tapered bore portion. A groove in a shaft receives the lockring. Bolts can be inserted into the flange's threaded holes and tightened to provide a preload on tools mounted onto the shaft. The preload is resisted by the groove-mounted lockring which prevents exodus of the flange from the shaft.

Preload-clampnut device

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

David M Browning