# US 11,439,752 B2 · Methods and devices for occlusion detection using actuator sensors

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- Number: US 11,439,752 B2
- Document ID: US11439752B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/776,068
- Filed: 2020-01-29
- Published: 2020-08-06
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-01
- Assignees: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
- Applicants: Medtronic Minimed, Inc.
- Inventors: Afshin Bazargan; Adam S. Trock
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11439752B2

## CPC

- A61M 5/16831: {Monitoring, detecting, signalling or eliminating infusion flow anomalies (low-level float-valves causing cut-off A61M5/40; indicating or recording presence, absence or direction of flow in general G01P13/0066)}
- A61M 5/14244: {adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body}
- A61M 5/1452: {pressurised by means of pistons}
- A61M 5/14566: {with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump}
- A61M 5/1458: {Means for capture of the plunger flange}
- A61M 5/16804: {Active flow controllers}
- A61M 5/16863: {Occlusion detection}
- A61M 5/1723: {using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood sugar or pressure}
- A61M 2005/14506: {mechanically driven, e.g. spring or clockwork}
- A61M 2205/332: Force measuring means
- A61M 2205/3331: Pressure; Flow
- A61M 2205/3365: Rotational speed
- A61M 2205/502: User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
- A61M 2230/201: Glucose concentration
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}

## Abstract

Infusion devices, systems, and related operating methods are provided. A method of detecting an anomalous condition with respect to a fluid path based on operation of an actuation arrangement configured to deliver fluid via the fluid path involves providing input power to the actuation arrangement to produce actuation of the actuation arrangement, identifying an active amount of actuation of the actuation arrangement concurrent to the input power being provided to the actuation arrangement, disabling the input power to the actuation arrangement, identifying a passive amount of actuation of the actuation arrangement after disabling the input power to the actuation arrangement, and detecting the anomalous condition based on a relationship between the active amount and the passive amount.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of detecting an anomalous condition with respect to a fluid path based on operation of an actuation arrangement configured to deliver fluid via the fluid path, the method comprising:
providing input power to the actuation arrangement to produce actuation of the actuation arrangement;
identifying an active amount of actuation of the actuation arrangement concurrent to the input power being provided to the actuation arrangement;
disabling the input power to the actuation arrangement;
identifying a passive amount of actuation of the actuation arrangement after disabling the input power to the actuation arrangement; and
detecting the anomalous condition based on a relationship between the active amount and the passive amount,
wherein detecting the anomalous condition comprises detecting the anomalous condition based on a ratio of the active amount of actuation to the passive amount of actuation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
providing the input power comprises operating a driver module to enable current flow from an energy source to the actuation arrangement; and
disabling the input power comprises operating the driver module to prevent the current flow from the energy source to the actuation arrangement.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, the actuation arrangement comprising a motor including a rotor coupled to a plunger for delivering the fluid, wherein operating the driver module to enable the current flow comprises operating the driver module to enable the current flow through one or more sets of windings of the motor to produce rotation of the rotor of the motor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein:
identifying the active amount of actuation comprises identifying an active amount of rotation of the rotor occurring concurrent to the enabled current flow to the motor; and
identifying the passive amount of actuation comprises identifying a passive amount of rotation of the rotor after the current flow to the motor is disabled.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the ratio of the active amount of actuation to the passive amount of actuation comprises a ratio of the active amount of rotation to the passive amount of rotation, and wherein detecting the anomalous condition comprises detecting the anomalous condition when the ratio of the active amount of rotation to the passive amount of rotation is greater than a detection threshold.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the anomalous condition comprises detecting an occlusion condition when the ratio of the active amount of actuation to the passive amount of actuation is greater than an occlusion detection threshold.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the anomalous condition comprises detecting a leakage condition when the ratio of the active amount of actuation to the passive amount of actuation is less than a leakage detection threshold.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the anomalous condition comprises:
applying a matched filter to the ratio of the active amount of actuation to the passive amount of actuation to obtain a filtered output; and
detecting the anomalous condition based on the filtered output.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a notification of the anomalous condition via a user interface in response to detecting the anomalous condition.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, the anomalous condition comprising an occlusion condition, wherein the method further comprises initiating an occlusion detection process in response to detecting the occlusion condition to verify detection of the occlusion condition.

### Claim 11

An infusion device comprising:
an actuation arrangement coupled to a plunger to deliver fluid via a fluid path;
a driver module coupled to the actuation arrangement to selectively provide input power to the actuation arrangement;
a sensing arrangement to measure actuation of the actuation arrangement; and
a control module coupled to the driver module and the sensing arrangement to operate the driver module to provide the input power to the actuation arrangement, identify an active amount of actuation of the actuation arrangement concurrent to the input power being provided to the actuation arrangement using the sensing arrangement, operate the driver module to disable the input power to the actuation arrangement, identify a passive amount of actuation of the actuation arrangement after disabling the input power to the actuation arrangement using the sensing arrangement, and detect an anomalous condition with respect to the fluid path based on a relationship between the active amount and the passive amount, wherein the control module detects the anomalous condition based on a ratio of the active amount of actuation to the passive amount of actuation.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The infusion device of claim 11, further comprising a user interface coupled to the control module to provide a user notification of the anomalous condition in response to detecting the anomalous condition.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The infusion device of claim 11, wherein:
the actuation arrangement comprises a motor including a rotor;
the sensing arrangement comprises a rotor position sensing arrangement;
the active amount of actuation comprises an active amount of rotation of the rotor; and
the passive amount of actuation comprises a passive amount of rotation of the rotor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The infusion device of claim 13, wherein the ratio of the active amount of actuation to the passive amount of actuation comprises a ratio of the active amount of rotation to the passive amount of rotation, and wherein the control module detects the anomalous condition based on the ratio of the active amount of rotation of the rotor to the passive amount of rotation of the rotor.

### Claim 15

A method of detecting an occlusion in a fluid path, the method comprising:
operating, by a control module associated with an infusion device, a driver module to provide current flow to a motor to produce a first amount of rotation of a rotor of the motor, wherein the rotor is coupled to a plunger configured to deliver fluid via the fluid path;
after disabling the current flow to the motor, identifying, by the control module, a second amount of rotation of the rotor using a rotor sensing arrangement;
detecting, by the control module, an occlusion condition based on a relationship between the first amount and the second amount, wherein detecting the occlusion condition comprises detecting the occlusion condition based on a ratio of the first amount to the second amount; and
generating, by the control module, a user notification in response to detecting the occlusion condition.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising measuring the first amount of rotation using the rotor sensing arrangement while the current flow is provided to the motor, wherein identifying the second amount comprises measuring the second amount of rotation of the rotor while the motor is de-energized.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein:
measuring the first amount comprises obtaining a first number of incremental rotations of the rotor using an encoder;
measuring the second amount comprises obtaining a second number of incremental rotations of the rotor using the encoder, wherein the ratio of the first amount to the second amount comprises a ratio of the first number to the second number; and
detecting the occlusion condition comprises detecting the occlusion condition when the ratio of the first number to the second number is greater than an occlusion threshold.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising measuring the first amount of rotation using the rotor sensing arrangement while the current flow is provided to the motor during an active period of a drive cycle, wherein identifying the second amount comprises measuring the second amount of rotation of the rotor during a coasting period of the drive cycle.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein detecting the occlusion condition comprises detecting the occlusion condition based on a relationship between the ratio and previous characteristic drive ratios for one or more preceding drive cycles using a matched filter.