Systems and methods for controlling an infusion pump
AssigneeCareFusion 303, Inc.
InventorsTimothy W. Vanderveen, Robert Dwaine Butterfield
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for determining the position of a fluid within a fluid source and infusion line coupled to an infusion flow control device are described herein. An exemplary system and method includes sampling fluid pressure upstream of an infusion pump, and calculating fluid pressure slope profiles. By sampling fluid pressure upstream of an infusion pump at discrete intervals and monitoring fluid pressure slope profiles, conditions of fluid flow, including unintentional fluid flow through an infusion line or a defective check valve in an infusion line, are detected, and fluid flow through an infusion pump is controlled.
Claims20
A method of detecting equilibrium during fluid flow through an infusion pump from a first fluid source and a second fluid source, the method comprising:
- sampling fluid pressure of the first fluid source and the second fluid source within an infusion line upstream of the infusion pump operating at a first fluid flow rate;
- calculating a fluid pressure slope profile, the fluid pressure slope profile being a change in pressure over discrete intervals;
- detecting equilibrium between a head height of the first and second fluid sources, wherein the fluid pressure slope profile comprises first, second and third slope profile segments, and equilibrium between the first and second fluid source head heights is detected when a slope of the third slope profile segment is less than one-half of a slope of each of the first slope profile segment and the second slope profile segment;
- and
- setting the infusion pump to a post-equilibrium fluid flow rate based on the detected equilibrium.
A system for detecting equilibrium between first and second fluid sources:
- an infusion pump coupled with an infusion line;
- a pressure sensor coupled to the infusion line upstream of the infusion pump, the pressure sensor configured to sample fluid pressure within the infusion line;
- a memory adapted to store the fluid pressure values;
- and
- a processor in communication with the pressure sensor and the memory, the processor configured to:
- sample fluid pressure of the first fluid source and the second fluid source within an infusion line upstream of the infusion pump operating at a first fluid flow rate;
- calculate a fluid pressure slope profile, the fluid pressure slope profile being a change in pressure over discrete intervals;
- detect equilibrium between a head height of the first and second fluid sources, wherein the fluid pressure slope profile comprises first, second and third slope profile segments, and equilibrium between the first and second fluid source head heights is detected when a slope of the third slope profile segment is less than one-half of a slope of each of the first slope profile segment and the second slope profile segment;
- and
- set the infusion pump to a post-equilibrium fluid flow rate based on the detected equilibrium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.