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HKP Actuators Provide Motion Solutions for Machines Used in Pet Care

Dialysis Pet Care

Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) is a treatment used to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood when kidneys can no longer perform these functions effectively. Today, a version of this treatment is being made available to pets, to extend and improve the quality of their lives.    

How does Peritoneal Dialysis Work?   

A sterile solution called dialysate is introduced into a pet’s abdominal cavity via a catheter. The catheter is surgically placed into the pet’s abdomen. As the dialysate sits in the abdominal cavity, waste products and excess electrolytes from the blood pass through the peritoneum and mix with the dialysate. After a period of time, fluid containing waste products is drained from the pet’s abdomen through a catheter. Fresh dialysate is added, and the process is repeated. 

This process is automated via Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD) machines, where components called “cyclers” perform the exchanges automatically. HKP actuators move the cyclers, and other components in the ADP machine, to ensure that the right amount of dialysis solution is moved into a pet’s abdominal cavity.

Application Challenges:

  • Accuracy
  • Reliability & Stability
  • Performance - as the amount of force applied is critical, to ensure that the pet is not injured in the process.

System Requirements:

  • Small footprint
  • Flexibility - for easy integration into system design
  • Multiple configuration options - to optimize performance
  • Compatibility with a wide range of drives and controllers

Typical Current Motion Solutions:

HKP Linear Actuators:

HKP Actuators create force and motion in a straight line. A linear actuator consists of a rotary motor (stepper, brush DC or brushless servo) and a threaded lead screw with a precision nut.  As the motor’s rotor spins, the actuator converts the motor’s rotation into linear motion by moving the nut in a straight line. The straight-line movement is used to lift, drop, slide, adjust, tilt, push or pull objects with the simple push of a button.

The performance, capacity, speed, force and precision of linear actuators is dependent upon a wide range of configuration aspects – including the size of the motor, the diameter of the lead screw, the gearbox ratio (if there is one), and any other accessories, such as limit switches and position sensing encoders.

HKP Actuators, when used in these applications, have the following advantages:

  1. Automated valve control – which can reduce infection to the patient.
  2. Accuracy – to precisely control the drain process.
  3. Durability – multiple tests and warnings are available to notify health technicians if a system upset occurs.
Today, pet healthcare is a growing market. Many innovative solutions providers are considering, developing and deploying new healthcare solutions for our pets. HKP motion solutions play an important role in many of these healthcare solutions.

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