Recirculation through plural pump cassettes for a solution compounding apparatus

Claim 3

The apparatus for compounding an admixture in accordance with claim 1, wherein said recirculation means includes first, second, and final tubing conduits, said first tubing conduit joining said liquid outlet in fluid communication with said second and third tubing conduit, said second tubing outlet conduit joining said one liquid inlet in fluid communication with said first and third tubing conduits, and said final tubing conduit joining said admixture container in fluid communication with said first and second tubing outlet conduits.

Claim 4

The apparatus for compounding an admixture in accordance with claim 2, wherein said positive displacement pump means has a predetermined maximum displacement volume which is greater than the volume of said final tubing outlet conduit.

Claim 7

The compounding method in accordance with claim 4, wherein said recirculating step comprises: alternately drawing said admixture from said container through said tubing means for flow into said upstream most liquid inlet; and pumping liquid from said at least two pump cassettes through said tubing means for flow into said admixture container.

Claim 8

The compounding method in accordance with claim 5, wherein said liquid tubing means comprises a Y-set tubing assembly including first, second, and third tubing conduits, said first tubing conduit joining said liquid outlet in fluid communication with said second and third tubing conduits, said second tubing conduit joining said upstreammost liquid inlet in fluid communication with said first and third tubing conduit, and said third tubing conduit joining said admixture container in fluid communication with said first and second tubing conduits.

Claim 9

The compounding method in accordance with claim 6, wherein each of said at least two positive displacement pump means has a predetermined maximum displacement volume, said maximum displacement volume being greater than the volume of said third conduit of said Y-set tubing assembly.

Claim 10

The compounding method in accordance with claim 4, wherein said compounding step includes operating each of said at least two pump means to selectively pump each of a plurality of source solutions from respective downstream ones of said liquid inlets, and said recirculating step includes recirculating the liquid admixture being formed through each of said at least two pump cassette after pumping of each of said source solutions.

Claim 11

The compounding method in accordance with claim 4, including flushing said pump cassette with a flush fluid introduced into a fluid inlet disposed in fluid communication with said liquid flow path downstream of said liquid outlet, and reversibly operating said positive displacement pump means so that said flush fluid flows through said flow path and out of said upstreammost inlet.

Claim 12

A fluid pumping apparatus and transfer tubing set for transferring fluids from multiple supply containers to a single receiving container, the pumping apparatus and transfer tubing set comprising: two pumping components, each pumping component having a fluid flow path through the component; a plurality of fluid ports in each fluid flow path of the two pumping components including a fluid outlet port at one end of the flow path, a flush fluid inlet port at the other end of the flow path, and at least one supply fluid inlet port and a fluid recirculation port positioned between said fluid outlet port and said flush fluid inlet port; a plurality of fluid inlet conduits, each inlet conduit connecting one of said multiple supply containers to one of said at least one supply fluid inlet port in each of said two pumping components; two fluid outlet conduits, each outlet conduit connected to a fluid outlet port in each of said two pumping components; means for fluidly coupling the two fluid outlet conduits immediately upstream of the receiving container; a fluid recirculation conduit connecting said fluid recirculation port of one of said two pumping components with the fluid recirculation port of the other of said two pumping components so as to allow fluid flow through the fluid recirculation conduit in selectively alternate directions; and a final fluid outlet conduit fluidly connecting the coupling means with the receiving container.

Claim 13

A fluid pumping apparatus and transfer tubing set for transferring fluids from multiple supply containers to a single receiving container, the pumping apparatus and transfer tubing set comprising: two pumping components, each pumping component having a fluid flow path through the component; a plurality of fluid ports in each fluid flow path of the two pumping components including a fluid outlet port at one end of the flow path, a flush fluid inlet port at the other end of the flow path, and at least one supply fluid inlet port and a fluid recirculation port positioned between said fluid outlet port and said flush fluid inlet port; a plurality of fluid inlet conduits, each inlet conduit connecting one of said multiple supply containers to one of said at least one supply fluid inlet port in each of said two pumping components; two fluid outlet conduits, each outlet conduit connected to a fluid outlet port in each of said two pumping components; means for fluidly coupling the two fluid outlet conduits immediately upstream of the receiving container; a fluid recirculation conduit connecting said fluid recirculation port of one of said two pumping components with the fluid recirculation port of the other of said two pumping components so as to allow fluid flow through the fluid recirculation conduit in selectively alternate directions; and a final fluid outlet conduit fluidly connecting the coupling means with the receiving container.

Claim 14

The fluid pumping apparatus and transfer tubing set of claim 10 wherein said two pumping components are two pumping diaphragm cassettes each having a pumping chamber in the fluid flow path.

Claim 15

The fluid pumping apparatus and transfer tubing set of claim 11 wherein the final fluid outlet conduit has a fluid volume less than the fluid volume of each pumping chamber.

Claim 16

The fluid pumping apparatus and transfer tubing set of claim 12 wherein the two pumping diaphragm cassettes are fluidly connected by the coupling means so as to allow fluid recirculation from the receiving container sequentially though the fluid flow path of each pumping diaphragm cassette.