Intravenous drug additive delivery system with electronic control

An apparatus for intravenous infusion of a primary and secondary fluid to a patient comprising:

• a primary container for holding the primary fluid;
• a secondary container for holding the secondary fluid, said secondary container being positioned so that the secondary fluid in said secondary container is positioned above the primary fluid in said primary container;
• a controller;
• a primary fluid delivery line extending from said primary container;
• a secondary fluid delivery line extending from said secondary container;
• a connector combining fluid flowing through said primary and secondary fluid delivery lines, said connector extending into said controller;
• a check valve positioned in said primary fluid delivery line permitting the secondary fluid to flow from the secondary container through the connector until the secondary container is empty and subsequently permitting the primary fluid to flow from the primary container through the connector;
• a delivery line extending from said controller to the patient for infusion of fluid flowing therethrough;
• and
• said controller initially permitting fluid to flow therethrough from said connector to said delivery line for infusion into the patient at a rate corresponding to a preselected rate of infusion of the secondary fluid, said controller further sensing the passage therethrough of a quantity of fluid corresponding to a preselected quantity of secondary fluid to be infused and subsequently permitting fluid to flow therethrough at a rate corresponding to a preselected rate of infusion of the primary fluid.

An apparatus for intravenous infusion of a primary and secondary fluid into a patient, comprising:

• a primary container for holding the primary fluid;
• a secondary container for holding the secondary fluid, said secondary container being positioned so that the secondary fluid contained therein is positioned above the primary fluid in said primary container;
• a controller positioned below said primary and secondary containers;
• a primary fluid delivery line extending from said primary container;
• a secondary fluid delivery line extending from said secondary container;
• a connector combining the fluid flow in said primary and secondary fluid delivery lines and delivering the fluid to said controller;
• a check valve positioned in said primary fluid delivery line permitting the secondary fluid to flow from the secondary container through the connector until the secondary container is empty and subsequently permitting the primary fluid to flow from the primary container through the connector;
• a delivery line extending from said controller to the patient for infusion of the fluid flowing therethrough;
• and
• said controller including:
• (a) a metering unit for metering a known quantity of fluid into said delivery line upon each activation thereof,
• (b) a drive unit for activating said metering unit,
• (c) input controls for operator input of the preselected rate and quantity of primary and secondary fluids to be infused into the patient, and
• (d) microprocessor means for directing said drive unit to activate said metering unit to meter fluid into said delivery line at a rate corresponding to the preselected rate of infusion for the secondary fluid, said microprocessor means further accumulating the number of activations of said metering unit to determine the quantity of fluid metered into said delivery line, said microprocessor means directing said drive unit to activate said metering unit to meter fluid to said delivery line at a rate corresponding to the preselected rate of infusion of the primary fluid upon sensing the metering of a quantity of fluid corresponding to the preselected quantity of secondary fluid to be infused, said microprocessor means directing said drive unit to prevent further activation of said metering unit when said microprocessor means measures a quantity of fluid metered into said delivery line at the rate corresponding to the preselected rate of infusion of the primary fluid corresponding to the preselected quantity of primary fluid to be infused.

A controller for metering primary and secondary fluids stored in primary and secondary containers, respectively, to a delivery line for infusion into a patient, the primary and secondary fluids flowing from the primary and secondary containers to a connector, the fluid flowing through the connector into the controller, said controller comprising:

• input means for input by an operator of a preselected rate of infusion for each of the primary and secondary fluids and a preselected volume of the secondary fluid to be infused;
• metering means for metering fluid from the connector into the delivery line, said metering means permitting fluid flow into the delivery line within a range of flow rates;
• and
• microprocessor means for communicating with said input means and said metering means, said microprocessor means for activating said metering means to meter fluid into the delivery line at a rate corresponding to the preselected rate for the secondary fluid until a preselected quantity of fluid has been metered through said metering means corresponding to the preselected volume of the secondary fluid to be infused, said microprocessor means subsequently for activating said metering means to meter fluid into said delivery line at a rate corresponding to the preselected rate for the primary fluid.

A controller for metering primary and secondary fluids from primary and secondary containers, respectively, to a delivery line for infusion into a patient, the secondary fluid initially flowing into a connector until the secondary container is substantially empty, and the primary fluid subsequently flowing into the connector, fluid flowing through the connector into the controller, said controller comprising:

• an input control for input by an operator of a preselected rate and quantity to be infused for each of the primary and secondary fluids;
• a metering unit for metering a known quantity of fluid from the connector into the delivery line upon each activation of said metering unit;
• a drive unit for activating said metering unit, said drive unit having a range of speeds to permit variation of the flow of fluid into said delivery line;
• and
• microprocessor means communicating with said input control and said drive unit, said microprocessor means directing said drive unit to activate said metering unit to meter fluid into said delivery line at a rate corresponding to the preselected rate for the secondary fluid input into said input control, said microprocessor means sensing the number of activations of said metering unit to measure the quantity of fluid metered into said delivery line, said microprocessor means directing said drive unit to activate said metering unit to meter fluid into said delivery line at a rate corresponding to the preselected rate for the primary fluid upon measuring flow through said metering unit equal to the preselected quantity of secondary fluid to be infused into the patient, said microprocessor means directing said drive unit to stop activation of said metering unit when said microprocessor means measures a total flow through said metering unit equal to the combined preselected quantity of primary fluid and secondary fluid to be infused into the patient.

A controller for use in a fluid delivery system infusing primary and secondary fluids into a patient through a delivery line, said primary and secondary fluids being stored in primary and secondary containers, respectively, the secondary fluid being stored at a higher elevation than the primary fluid, the system further having fluid lines extending from each container to a connector combining fluid flow from the containers for entry into a controller, a check valve being positioned to initially permit flow of the secondary fluid into the connector until the secondary container is substantially empty and subsequently permitting flow of the primary fluid into the connector, said controller comprising:

• input means for input by an operator of a preselected rate of infusion for each of the primary and secondary fluids and a preselected quantity of secondary fluid to be infused;
• metering means for metering a known quantity of fluid from the connector into the delivery line upon each activation thereof;
• and
• microprocessor means communicating with said input means and said metering means, said microprocessor means initially activating said metering means in a continuous manner at a predetermined frequency to meter fluid into the delivery line at a rate corresponding to the preselected rate for the secondary fluid, said microprocessor means further accumulating the number of activations of said metering means to determine the quantity of fluid metered into the delivery line through said metering means, said microprocessor means subsequently activating said metering means at a frequency to meter fluid into the delivery line at a rate corresponding to the preselected rate for the primary fluid upon sensing the metering of a quantity of fluid into the delivery line corresponding to the preselected quantity of the secondary fluid to be infused, the metering of fluid into the delivery line being independent of the flow of fluid from either the primary or secondary container.

A controller for use in a fluid delivery system infusing primary and secondary fluids into a patient through a delivery line, said primary and secondary fluids being stored in primary and secondary containers, respectively, the stored secondary fluid being elevated above the stored primary fluid, the system having fluid delivery lines extending from each of the containers to a connector combining the fluid flow therefrom for entry into the controller, a check valve being positioned to initially permit flow of secondary fluid into the connector until the secondary container is substantially empty and subsequently permitting flow of the primary fluid into the connector, said controller comprising:

• input means for input by an operator of a preselected rate of infusion for each of the primary and secondary fluids and a preselected quantity of secondary fluid to be infused;
• metering means for metering fluid from the connector to the delivery line, said metering means comprising:
• a metering chamber having first and second compartments;
• first and second inlet tubes connected respectively to the first and second compartment;
• first and second outlet tubes connected respectively to the first and second compartment;
• rod means for reciprocation between each of said inlet and outlet tubes such that fluid flow is allowed alternatively in both of said first inlet tube and said second outlet tube and in both of said second inlet tube and said first outlet tube, said inlet tubes being connected to the connector and said outlet tubes being connected to the delivery line;
• and
• a movable pressure transmitting member positioned between the first and second compartments in said metering chamber, the pressure transmitting member forming a movable portion of each of the compartments and being movable between two positions such that the two compartments are simultaneously and alternately filled and emptied of a known volume of fluid, the fluid entering one compartment from the connector moving the pressure transmitting member between the two positions to displace the known quantity of fluid from the other compartment into the delivery line;
• and
• microprocessor means for communicating with said input means and said metering means, said microprocessor means activating said metering means, the activation of said metering means causing said rod means to reciprocate to discharge the known quantity of fluid into the delivery line, said microprocessor means activating said metering means at a frequency to meter fluid into the delivery line at a rate corresponding to the preselected rate for the secondary fluid, said microprocessor means further accumulating the number of activations of said metering means to determine the quantity of fluid metered into the delivery line until a quantity of fluid has been metered into the delivery line corresponding to the preselected quantity of the secondary fluid to be infused into the patient, said microprocessor means subsequently activating said metering means at a frequency to meter fluid into the delivery line at a rate corresponding to the preselected rate for the primary fluid, the metering of the fluid into the delivery line being determined by the flow of fluid through said metering means.