Method of preventing free flow of fluid from an infusion pump
AssigneeWalkMed Infusion LLC
InventorsLee W. Travis, Christina Wamsley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An infusion pump for metering fluid flow through an delivery tube of an infusion tubing set has an internal occlusion clamp which clamps the delivery tube to prevent the free flow of fluid through the tube when access to the delivery tube in the infusion pump is possible. To release the delivery tube from the infusion pump, a slide clamp is manually used to release the occlusion clamp to an open, non-occluding position while simultaneously occluding the delivery tube to prevent the free flow of fluid.
Claims20
A method of preventing free flow of fluid through a delivery tube of an infusion tubing set used with an infusion pump to regulate a flow of fluid delivered to a patient, the infusion pump comprising an internal occlusion clamp within the infusion pump, the internal occlusion clamp having an occluding position for occluding the delivery tube within the infusion pump upon a user gaining access to the delivery tube within the infusion pump, and the internal occlusion clamp also having a non-occluding position for allowing fluid flow through the delivery tube within the infusion pump when the delivery tube within the infusion pump is not accessible to the user of the infusion pump, the infusion pump used with a slide clamp on the delivery tube, the delivery tube extending initially through a non-occluding opening in the slide clamp, the non-occluding opening in the slide clamp permitting the flow of fluid through the delivery tube when the delivery tube is located in the non-occluding opening, the slide clamp also including an occluding opening adjoining the non-occluding opening, the occluding opening in the slide clamp preventing the flow of fluid through the delivery tube when the delivery tube is located in the occluding opening;
- and the method comprising:
- positioning the slide clamp on the delivery tube at a location outside of the infusion pump with the delivery tube extending through the non-occluding opening in the slide clamp when the internal occlusion clamp is in the non-occluding position to allow fluid flow through the delivery tube;
- moving the internal occlusion clamp into the occluding position upon the user gaining access to the delivery tube within the infusion pump;
- manually moving the slide clamp from the location outside of the infusion pump into operative contact with the internal occlusion clamp within the infusion pump to release the occlusion clamp from the occluding position to the non-occluding position while simultaneously moving the delivery tube from the non-occluding opening in the slide clamp into the occluding opening in the slide clamp to occlude fluid flow through the delivery tube to allow the user to remove the delivery tube from within the infusion pump by release of the internal occlusion clamp;
- and
- accomplishing the manual movement of the slide clamp to release the internal occlusion clamp and to occlude the delivery tube within the occluding opening in the slide clamp by direct manual grasping and manipulation movement of the slide clamp by the user.
A method of preventing free flow of fluid through a delivery tube of an infusion tubing set used with an infusion pump to regulate the flow of fluid delivered to a patient, the infusion pump including a tubing channel which receives the delivery tube within a main body of the infusion pump, the infusion pump also including a door which is pivotally connected to the main body to pivot between an open position which provides access to the delivery tube in the tubing channel and a closed position which prevents access to the delivery tube within the tubing channel, the infusion pump further comprising an internal occlusion clamp located in the main body, the internal inclusion clamp having an occluding position for occluding the delivery tube when the door is pivoted to the open position, the internal occlusion clamp also having a non-occluding position for allowing fluid flow through the delivery tube within the delivery channel when the door is pivoted to the closed position, the method comprising:
- positioning the delivery tube in a tubing channel within the main body of the infusion pump;
- positioning a slide clamp on the delivery tube at a location outside of the infusion pump with the delivery tube extending initially through a non-occluding opening in the slide clamp, the non-occluding opening in the slide clamp permitting the flow of fluid through the delivery tube when the delivery tube is located in the non-occluding opening, the slide clamp also including an occluding opening adjoining the non-occluding opening, the occluding opening in the slide clamp preventing the flow of fluid through the delivery tube when the delivery tube is located in the occluding opening;
- and
- pivoting the door to the open position;
- and while the door is in the open position
- manually moving the slide clamp into operative contact with the internal occlusion clamp to both release the occlusion clamp from the occluding position to the non-occluding position and move the delivery tube from the non-occluding opening in the slide clamp into the occluding opening in the slide clamp, the position of the delivery tube in the occluding opening in the slide clamp occluding the flow of fluid through the delivery tube when the delivery tube is not occluded by release of the internal occlusion clamp, both the release of the occlusion clamp and the occlusion of the delivery tube in the occluding opening in the slide clamp occurring due to the manual movement of the slide clamp.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.