Patent 12005224 was granted and assigned to Nxstage Medical, Inc. on June, 2024 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A method of controlling flow through a flexible tube includes providing a pinch clamp mechanism including a pinching element and a pinching surface configured to apply a force on the flexible tube when the flexible tube is positioned between the pinching element and the pinching surface. The method also includes displacing the pinching element relative to the pinching surface with a mechanical drive unit and biasing the pinching element toward the pinching surface with a spring.