1. A portable external device for a mechanical circulation support (MCS) system comprising:
a housing;
a first power source removably connected to the housing;
a second power source arranged within the housing; and
control electronics arranged within the housing, powered by at least one of the first or the second power sources, and configured to control an implantable pump.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first power source comprises a first rechargeable battery configured to operate without recharge for a period of time in a range from approximately 4 hours to approximately 12 hours.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first rechargeable battery is configured to operate without recharge for a period of time approximately equal to 8 hours.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second power source comprises a second rechargeable battery configured to operate without recharge for a period of time in a range from approximately 15 minutes to approximately 2 hours.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein the second rechargeable battery is configured to operate without recharge for a period of time approximately equal to 1 hour.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a width in a range from approximately 60 millimeters to approximately 90 millimeters, a length in a range from approximately 100 millimeters to approximately 140 millimeters, and a depth in a range from approximately 20 millimeters to approximately 40 millimeters.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a volume in a range from approximately 120 centimeters cubed to approximately 504 centimeters cubed.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein the portable external device comprises a weight in a range from approximately 0.25 kilograms to approximately 1.0 kilograms.
9. The device of claim 1 further comprising a latch configured to release the first power source for removal from the housing, wherein the latch is configured to be actuated to release the first power source for removal from the housing by at least two independent motions.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein the latch comprises two push buttons, each of which is biased into a locked position that inhibits removal of the first power source from the housing, and both of which are configured to be pushed into an unlocked position simultaneously to release the first power source for removal from the housing.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein the two push buttons are arranged on opposing sides of the housing such that the two buttons are configured to be pushed in approximately opposite directions to one another.
12. The device of claim 9, wherein the latch comprises a channel and a post biased into a locked position toward a first end of the channel that inhibits removal of the first power source from the housing, and wherein the post is configured to be pushed in at least two directions toward a second end of the channel into an unlocked position to release the first power source for removal from the housing.
13. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second power sources is configured to power the implantable pump.
14. The device of claim 1, wherein a ratio of power consumed by the control electronics to power consumed by the implantable pump is in a range from approximately 1100 to approximately 420.
15. The device of claim 14, wherein the ratio of power consumed by the control electronics to power consumed by the implantable pump is approximately equal to 420.
16. The device of claim 14, wherein the ratio of power consumed by the control electronics to power consumed by the implantable pump is approximately equal to 1100.
17. The device of claim 1, wherein one of the first power source and the second power source comprises an energy dense power source and the other of the first power source and the second power source comprises a power dense power source.
18. The device of claim 17, wherein each of the energy dense power source and the power dense power source is configured to power the implantable pump.
19. The device of claim 17, wherein the energy dense power source comprises a lithium-ion (Li-ion), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), or nickel-cadmium (NiCd) rechargeable battery.
20. The device of claim 17, wherein the power dense power source comprises lithium polymer (Lipoly) rechargeable battery.
21. The device of claim 17, wherein the energy dense power source comprises an energy density in a range from approximately 455 watt-hours per liter to approximately 600 watt-hours per liter.
22. The device of claim 17, wherein the power dense power source comprises a power density in a range from approximately 700 watts per liter to approximately 6 kilowatts per liter.
23. The device of claim 1, wherein the control electronics comprises two processors, each of which is configured to control at least one of the first power source, the second power source, the implantable pump, or one or more components of the control electronics.
24. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one piezoelectric speaker controlled by the control electronics to emit one or more audible sounds.
25. The device of claim 1, further comprising a first telemetry module configured to communicate information between the portable external device and one or more other devices according to a first wireless communication technique.
26. The device of claim 26, further comprising a second telemetry module configured to communicate information between the portable external device and one or more other devices according to a second wireless communication technique.
27. The device of claim 27, wherein the first wireless communication protocol is different than the second wireless communication technique.
28. The device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface comprising a capacitive sensor configured to receive user input.
29. The device of claim 29, further comprising a depression in which the capacitive sensor is arranged.
30. The device of claim 1, wherein power consumed by the control electronics is in a range from approximately 0.25 to approximately 1.25 watts.
31. A mechanical circulation support system comprising:
an implantable pump; and
a portable external device comprising:
a housing;
a first power source removably connected to the housing;
a second power source arranged within the housing; and
control electronics arranged within the housing, powered by at least one of the first or the second power sources, and configured to control an implantable pump.
32. The system of claim 32, wherein the first power source comprises a first rechargeable battery configured to operate without recharge for a period of time in a range from approximately 4 hours to approximately 12 hours.
33. The system of claim 33, wherein the first rechargeable battery is configured to operate without recharge for a period of time approximately equal to 8 hours.
34. The system of claim 32, wherein the second power source comprises a second rechargeable battery configured to operate without recharge for a period of time in a range from approximately 15 minutes to approximately 2 hours.
35. The system of claim 35, wherein the second rechargeable battery is configured to operate without recharge for a period of time approximately equal to 1 hour.
36. The system of claim 32, wherein the housing comprises a width in a range from approximately 60 millimeters to approximately 90 millimeters, a length in a range from approximately 100 millimeters to approximately 140 millimeters, and a depth in a range from approximately 20 millimeters to approximately 40 millimeters.
37. The system of claim 32, wherein the housing comprises a volume in a range from approximately 120 centimeters cubed to approximately 504 centimeters cubed.
38. The system of claim 32, wherein the portable external device comprises a weight in a range from approximately 0.25 kilograms to approximately 1.0 kilograms.
39. The system of claim 32, further comprising a latch configured to release the first power source for removal from the housing, wherein the latch is configured to be actuated to release the first power source for removal from the housing by at least two independent motions.
40. The system of claim 40, wherein the latch comprises two push buttons, each of which is biased into a locked position that inhibits removal of the first power source from the housing, and both of which are configured to be pushed into an unlocked position simultaneously to release the first power source for removal from the housing.
41. The system of claim 41, wherein the two push buttons are arranged on opposing sides of the housing such that the two buttons are configured to be pushed in approximately opposite directions to one another.
42. The system of claim 40, wherein the latch comprises a channel and a post biased into a locked position toward a first end of the channel that inhibits removal of the first power source from the housing, and wherein the post is configured to be pushed in at least two directions toward a second end of the channel into an unlocked position to release the first power source for removal from the housing.
43. The system of claim 32, wherein each of the first and second power sources is configured to power the implantable pump.
44. The system of claim 32, wherein a ratio of power consumed by the control electronics to power consumed by the implantable pump is in a range from approximately 1100 to approximately 420.
45. The system of claim 45, wherein the ratio of power consumed by the control electronics to power consumed by the implantable pump is approximately equal to 420.
46. The system of claim 45, wherein the ratio of power consumed by the control electronics to power consumed by the implantable pump is approximately equal to 1100.
47. The system of claim 32, wherein one of the first power source and the second power source comprises an energy dense power source and the other of the first power source and the second power source comprises a power dense power source.
48. The system of claim 48, wherein each of the energy dense power source and the power dense power source is configured to power the implantable pump.
49. The system of claim 48, wherein the energy dense power source comprises a lithium-ion (Li-ion), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), or nickel-cadmium (NiCd) rechargeable battery.
50. The system of claim 48, wherein the power dense power source comprises lithium polymer (Lipoly) rechargeable battery.
51. The system of claim 48, wherein the energy dense power source comprises an energy density in a range from approximately 455 watt-hours per liter to approximately 600 watt-hours per liter.
52. The system of claim 48, wherein the power dense power source comprises a power density in a range from approximately 700 watts per liter to approximately 6 kilowatts per liter.
53. The system of claim 32, wherein the control electronics comprises two processors, each of which is configured to control at least one of the first power source, the second power source, the implantable pump, or one or more components of the control electronics.
54. The system of claim 32, further comprising at least one piezoelectric speaker controlled by the control electronics to emit one or more audible sounds.
55. The system of claim 32, further comprising a first telemetry module configured to communicate information between the portable external device and one or more other devices according to a first wireless communication technique.
56. The system of claim 57, further comprising a second telemetry module configured to communicate information between the portable external device and one or more other devices according to a second wireless communication technique.
57. The system of claim 57, wherein the first wireless communication protocol is different than the second wireless communication technique.
58. The system of claim 32, further comprising a user interface comprising a capacitive sensor configured to receive user input.
59. The system of claim 60, further comprising a depression in which the capacitive sensor is arranged.
60. The system of claim 32, wherein power consumed by the control electronics is in a range from approximately 0.25 to approximately 1.25 watts.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A mobile sample collection system comprising housing enclosing:
a main influent peristaltic pump operatively connected to a main tubing line;
a continuous flow centrifuge (CFC) operatively connected to the main tubing line, the CFC comprising a centrifuge bowl; and
an elutriate collection tank receiving elutriate from the CFC, the elutriate collection tank comprising a tank liner configured to prevent direct contact of pumped fluids with the tank,
wherein the main influent peristaltic pump is configured to continuously pump fluids from a liquid source through the main tubing line and into the CFC, the fluids comprising suspended solids and dissolved solids,
wherein the fluids are processed through the CFC so that that the suspended solids are retained on the centrifuge bowl and so that the dissolved solids exit from the CFC through the main tubing line are collected in the elutriate collection tank for analysis, and
wherein excess fluids are returned to the liquid source.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a climate-controlled trailer.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the main tubing line comprises one or more sampling ports connectively linked to one or more peristaltic sampling pumps.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the main tubing line is operatively linked to a flow meter.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first sampling port connectively linking the main tubing line to a secondary tubing line operatively linked to a first peristaltic sampling pump configured to pump fluid containing dissolved solids from the CFC into the elutriate collection tank for sample collection and analysis.
6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second sampling port connectively linking the main tubing line to a secondary tubing line operatively linked to a second sampling pump configured to pump the fluids containing suspended and dissolved solids from the liquid source into a bulk liquid collection tank for sample collection and analysis.
7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third sampling port connectively linking the main tubing line to a secondary tubing line operatively linked to a third sampling pump configured to pump the fluids from the liquid source as samples for direct analysis and real-time quality monitoring.
8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a first sampling port connectively linking the main tubing line to a secondary tubing line operatively linked to a first peristaltic sampling pump configured to pump fluid containing dissolved solids from the CFC into the elutriate collection tank for sample collection and analysis;
a second sampling port connectively linking the main tubing line to a secondary tubing line operatively linked to a second sampling pump configured to pump the fluids from the liquid source into a bulk liquid collection tank for sample collection and analysis; and
a third sampling port connectively linking the main tubing line to a secondary tubing line operatively linked to a third sampling pump configured to pump the fluids from the liquid source as samples for direct analysis and real-time quality monitoring.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the main peristaltic pump is capable of pumping fluids through the system at a flow rate of at least 15 gallons per minute.
10. A method for assembling the mobile sample collection system of claim 1, comprising:
providing a main influent peristaltic pump, a main tubing line, an elutriate collection tank and a CFC comprising a centrifuge bowl;
operatively configuring the main influent peristaltic pump to continuously pump fluids from a liquid source through the main tubing line, into the CFC and back to the liquid source; and
operatively connecting the elutriate collection tank to the CFC so as to enable fluid containing dissolved solids to exit from the CFC through the main tubing line for collection in the elutriate collection tank.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising connectively linking a first sampling port between the main tubing line and a secondary tubing line operatively linked to a first peristaltic sampling pump configured to pump elutriate fluid comprising dissolved solids from the CFC into the elutriate collection tank.
12. The method of claim 10, further comprising connectively linking a second sampling port between the main tubing line and a secondary tubing line operatively linked to a second peristaltic sampling pump configured to pump the fluids comprising suspended solids and dissolved solids from the liquid source into a bulk liquid collection tank.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising connectively linking a third sampling port between the main tubing line and a secondary tubing line operatively linked to a third peristaltic sampling pump configured to pump the fluids from the liquid source as samples for direct analysis and real-time quality monitoring.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
connectively linking a first sampling port between the main tubing line and a secondary tubing line operatively linked to a first peristaltic sampling pump configured to pump fluid comprising dissolved solids from the CFC into the elutriate collection tank;
connectively linking a second sampling port between the main tubing line and a secondary tubing line operatively linked to a second peristaltic sampling pump configured to pump the fluids comprising suspended solids and dissolved solids from the liquid source into a bulk liquid collection tank for sample collection and analysis; and
connectively linking a third sampling port between the main tubing line and a secondary tubing line operatively linked to a third peristaltic sampling pump configured to pump the fluids from the liquid source as samples for analysis and real-time quality monitoring.
15. A method for determining the concentration of a contaminant in a liquid sample, comprising:
providing the sample collection system of claim 1;
pumping fluids from a liquid source through the main tubing line and into the CFC;
processing the fluids through the CFC;
collecting a sample comprising solid materials processed through the CFC; and
determining the concentration of the contaminant in the sample.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the sample comprises suspended solids and the contaminant is adsorbed to a solid.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the sample comprises a contaminant adsorbed to a solid retained on the centrifuge bowl.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the sample comprises dissolved solids exiting from the CFC and the contaminant is present as a dissolved solid.