Sterile Connection Of Tubing

• Main Authors: Min, Kyungyoon, Madsen, James, Westberg, Tom, Brierton, Mark J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.07.2022
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; BLASTING; CONTROLLING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; LIGHTING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PIPES; REGULATING; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A sterile connection device includes first and second carriages. The first carriage defines a first portion of a proximal slot and a first portion of a distal slot, while the second carriage defines second portions of the proximal and distal slots. A controller executes a sterile connection procedure in which a solid cutting blade is heated, followed by the heated blade being moved to a cutting position to cut sealed proximal and distal tubes received by the slots. The second carriage moves proximally or distally with respect to the first carriage so as to align the cut ends of the tubes. The heated blade then moves out of the cutting position, followed by the first carriage moving toward the second carriage so as to press the cut ends of the tubes into contact with each other so as to sterilely connect the cut ends and define a joined tube.