Infusion pump having power-saving modes

Abstract

An infusion apparatus having a pump powered by a source of battery power and a controller that performs a plurality of processing tasks related to the pumping of liquid through a conduit. The controller is operable in a normal mode of operation utilizing a first rate of power consumption from the source of battery power. The infusion apparatus includes control means for causing the controller to operate in a first power-saving mode of operation utilizing a second rate of power consumption, the second rate of power consumption being lower than the first rate of power consumption, and the control means causes the controller to operate in a second power-saving mode of operation utilizing a third rate of power consumption, the third rate of power consumption being lower than the first rate of power consumption. The controller may operate in the first power-saving mode of operation at a first frequency, such as every second, while the controller operates in the second power-saving mode of operation at a different frequency, such as 50 times per second. In the first power-saving mode of operation, the controller may operate in an idle mode in which it does not execute any of its processing tasks but in which its internal clocks remain running. In the second power-saving mode of operation, the controller may operate in a sleep mode in which it does not execute any of its processing tasks and in which none of its internal clocks are running.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.