Granted Patent B2

US 12,599,710 · App. 18/117,006 · Granted Apr 14, 2026

Inventors: Stephanie Lynne St. George (Centennial, CO); John Pittinger (Evergreen, CO)

Assignee: Terumo BCT, Inc.

A61M1/36224G16H40/63A61M2205/18A61M2205/3334A61M2205/3344A61M2205/502

Abstract

Claims (21)

1 . A method comprising:

detecting a beginning of a donation process;

in response to detecting the beginning of the donation process, providing an output;

determining an amount of time remaining for the donation process;

in response to detecting the amount of time remaining for the donation process, updating the output;

detecting a loss in pressure;

in response to detecting the loss in pressure, updating the output;

detecting an ending of the donation process; and

in response to detecting the ending of the donation process, updating the output,

wherein the output includes a display device displaying a series of lights and one or more of the lights of the series of lights are configured to pulse to instruct a donor to squeeze.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the donation process includes a plasma donation using an apheresis machine.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the beginning of the donation process comprises detecting a flow of fluid.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the output further includes a sound.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the output is provided on a side of an apheresis machine.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the output is within a range of the donor such that the output may be viewed and heard by the donor.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the series of lights updates to illustrate to the donor a percentage of the donation process remaining.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the percentage of the donation process remaining comprises an amount of time remaining in the donation process.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the lights of the series of lights are configured to pulse at a tempo associated with a rate at which the donor should squeeze to maintain pressure.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the loss in pressure comprises detecting that a pressure of a fluid in an apheresis machine drops below a predetermined threshold.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to detecting the loss in pressure, updating the output comprises instructing the donor to squeeze.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to detecting the ending of the donation process, the updating the output comprises one or more of ceasing an audible noise, turning off a light of the series of lights, changing a color of the light, and changing an audible sound.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (388)