JPWO2020142423A5 - - Google Patents

Claims (21)

A device for restoring flow to a twisted tube, said device comprising a sleeve having an outer diameter 41, an inner diameter 42, a thickness 43, a length 44, and a cylindrical inner surface, said inner diameter 42 being is larger than the outer diameter 31 of the twisted tube, and the sleeve is slidable along the tube so as to compress the twisted tube in a direction perpendicular to the twist in the twisted tube; said device. The sleeve is made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), metal, polyethylene terephthalate (PETG), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), PC, acrylic, nylon, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). or Teflon), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), polyimide (PI) , acetal, 2. The device of claim 1, comprising a material selected from the group consisting of polyetherimide (PEI) , and any combination thereof. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said twisted tubing is a medical tubing selected from the group consisting of intravenous (IV) administration tubing, blood collection tubing, blood administration tubing, hemodialysis tubing, and peritoneal dialysis tubing . 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the twisted tube further comprises a tube clamp. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sleeve is flexible , semi-rigid, or rigid . 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter 42 of the sleeve is less than 10% greater than the outer diameter 31 of the twisted tube. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said outer diameter 41 of said sleeve is between 6 and 18 millimeters ( mm ) . 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inner diameter 42 of said sleeve is between 3 and 5 millimeters ( mm ) . 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes an outer surface including features selected from the group consisting of stippling, ribbing, and knurling. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the knurling is diamond knurling or straight oblique knurling. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes an outer surface including raised features. A method for removing kinks in a twisted tube, comprising placing a sleeve comprising an outer diameter 41, an inner diameter 42, a thickness 43, a length 44, and a cylindrical inner diameter over said twisted tube; Said method comprising sliding or rotating said sleeve along a tube . 13. The method of Claim 12, further comprising heating the sleeve. The sleeve is made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), metal, polyethylene terephthalate (PETG), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), PC, acrylic, nylon, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). or Teflon), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), polyimide (PI) , acetal, 13. The method of claim 12, comprising a material selected from the group consisting of polyetherimide (PEI) , and any combination thereof. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the inner diameter 42 of the sleeve is less than 10% greater than the outer diameter 31 of the twisted tube. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said inner diameter 42 of said sleeve is equal to said outer diameter 31 of said twisted tube. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sleeve length 44 is between 4 and 52 millimeters ( mm ) . 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sleeve includes an outer surface including raised features. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said sleeve comprises an outer shape selected from the group consisting of square, triangular, rectangular, cylindrical, hexagonal, equilateral, quadrilateral, pentagonal, and trapezoidal . 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises two sections connected by a living hinge along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve . 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises an opening along the length 44 of the sleeve .