Patent ID: 9308309
Filing Date: 2016-04-12
CPC Classification: A61M,G05D,G06D,G16H,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A method for controlling valves for flow path control in a dialysis machine, having a plurality of processes for establishing a plurality of flow paths by controlling a plurality of valves that, before being claimed by a particular process, are available to, and controllable by, more than one process, each process being configured to provide a specific flow path and able to claim, release and poll valves required for establishing said specific flow path, wherein a process can claim different groups of valves from within said plurality of valves depending on an availability of the valves, for providing said specific flow path, said method comprising the steps of: a first process for establishing a first flow path, the first process claiming a first group of valves from said plurality of valves, said claimed first group of valves being non-available to other processes while said first group of valves is claimed by said first process and other processes being unable to change a switching state of said first group of valves while said first group of valves is claimed by said first process; executing the first process by setting switching states of said first group of valves, said switching states creating connections between the valves to establish said first flow path; a second process for establishing a second flow path, the second process claiming a second group of valves from said plurality of valves, said claimed second group of valves being non-available to other processes while said second group of valves is claimed by said second process and other processes being unable to change switching states of said second group of valves while said second group of valves is claimed by said second process, and said second process is executed by setting the switching states of said second group of valves, said switching states creating connections between the valves to establish said second flow path; polling by said second process before said second process is executed, whether the second group of valves suitable for establishing the second flow path is available for establishing the second flow path; wherein in case that the second croup of valves includes a first valve out of said first group of valves claimed by said first process for establishing the first flow path and therefore is unavailable to the second process, the step of polling by said second process resulting in sending of a request to the first process for a release of said non-available first valve, said first process itself making a decision on said request for the release of the non-available first valve claimed by said first process; once the first valve is released by the first process, the second process claiming the first valve, such that the first valve forms part of said second group of valves claimed by the second process and is non-available to other processes; and said second process being executed when all valves of the second group of valves are available and claimed by the second process.