Occlusion detection
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for occlusion detection, comprising:
- a syringe pump capable of accommodating a range of syringe diameters, said syringe pump including a plunger driver configured to apply a force to forwardly push a plunger within a barrel of a syringe loaded into said syringe pump;
a bendable element integrally formed with said plunger driver, said bendable element defining a moment arm between a bending point and a center of said force applied to said plunger, wherein said moment arm correspondingly increases with a decrease in a diameter of said syringe; and
a force sensor integrally formed with said plunger driver, wherein upon occurrence of an occlusion, said plunger exerts a force backwardly against said bendable element, thereby deflecting said bendable element into contact with said force sensor to thereby generate a signal indicating the occurrence of the occlusion, and wherein a force applied to said force sensor remains acceptable for proper detection and operation of the sensor when a syringe having a relatively small diameter is loaded into said syringe pump, due to occurrence of a correspondingly greater moment arm on said bendable element that is attributable to the relatively small diameter of the syringe.
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Abstract
A system for occlusion detection could include a syringe pump for a syringe containing a medication, wherein the syringe includes a plunger and the syringe pump includes a plunger driver. A bendable element could be integrally formed with the plunger driver, and a force sensor could also be integrally formed with the plunger driver. Upon occurrence of an occlusion, the plunger would exert a force backwardly against the bendable element, thereby deflecting the bendable element into contact with the force sensor to thereby generate a signal indicating the occurrence of the occlusion.
34 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A system for occlusion detection, comprising:
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a syringe pump capable of accommodating a range of syringe diameters, said syringe pump including a plunger driver configured to apply a force to forwardly push a plunger within a barrel of a syringe loaded into said syringe pump; a bendable element integrally formed with said plunger driver, said bendable element defining a moment arm between a bending point and a center of said force applied to said plunger, wherein said moment arm correspondingly increases with a decrease in a diameter of said syringe; and a force sensor integrally formed with said plunger driver, wherein upon occurrence of an occlusion, said plunger exerts a force backwardly against said bendable element, thereby deflecting said bendable element into contact with said force sensor to thereby generate a signal indicating the occurrence of the occlusion, and wherein a force applied to said force sensor remains acceptable for proper detection and operation of the sensor when a syringe having a relatively small diameter is loaded into said syringe pump, due to occurrence of a correspondingly greater moment arm on said bendable element that is attributable to the relatively small diameter of the syringe. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A system for occlusion detection, comprising:
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a syringe pump capable of accommodating a range of syringe diameters, said syringe pump including a plunger driver configured to apply a force to forwardly push a plunger within a barrel of a syringe loaded into said syringe pump; and a substantially unitary, combination component of a bendable element with a force sensor, being integrally formed with said plunger driver, said bendable element defining a moment arm between a bending point and a center of said force applied to said plunger, wherein said moment arm correspondingly increases with a decrease in a diameter of said syringe, wherein upon occurrence of an occlusion, said plunger exerts a force backwardly against said combination component, thereby deflecting said combination component such that a signal is thereby generated to indicate the occurrence of the occlusion, and wherein a force applied to said force sensor remains acceptable for proper detection and operation of the sensor when a syringe having a relatively small diameter is loaded into said syringe pump, due to occurrence of a correspondingly greater moment arm on said bendable element that is attributable to the relatively small diameter of the syringe. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A method of occlusion detection, comprising:
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providing a syringe pump capable of accommodating a range of syringe diameters, said syringe pump including (i) a plunger driver configured to apply a force to forwardly push a plunger within a barrel of a syringe loaded into said syringe pump, (ii) an element with said plunger driver, said element being a bendable element defining a moment arm between a bending point and a center of said force applied to said plunger, wherein said moment arm correspondingly increases with a decrease in a diameter of said syringe, and (iii) a force sensor integrally formed with said plunger driver, wherein upon occurrence of an occlusion, said plunger exerts a force backwardly against said element, thereby deflecting said element into contact with said force sensor to thereby generate a signal indicating the occurrence of the occlusion, and wherein a force applied to said force sensor remains acceptable for proper detection and operation of the sensor when a syringe having a relatively small diameter is loaded into said syringe pump, due to occurrence of a correspondingly greater moment arm on said bendable element that is attributable to the relatively small diameter of the syringe; administering the medication to a patient by way of said syringe pump; and sending said signal generated by said sensor to medical staff, upon an occurrence of an occlusion.
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6. A method of occlusion detection, comprising:
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providing a syringe pump capable of accommodating a range of syringe diameters, said syringe pump including (i) a plunger driver configured to apply a force to forwardly push a plunger within a barrel of a syringe loaded into said syringe pump and (ii) a substantially unitary, combination component of a bendable element with a force sensor, with said plunger driver, said bendable element defining a moment arm between a bending point and a center of said force applied to said plunger, wherein said moment arm correspondingly increases with a decrease in a diameter of said syringe, wherein upon occurrence of an occlusion, the plunger exerts a force backwardly against said combination component, thereby deflecting said combination component such that a signal is thereby generated to indicate the occurrence of the occlusion, and wherein a force applied to said force sensor remains acceptable for proper detection and operation of the sensor when a syringe having a relatively small diameter is loaded into said syringe pump, due to occurrence of a correspondingly greater moment arm on said bendable element that is attributable to the relatively small diameter of the syringe; administering the medication to a patient by way of said syringe pump; and sending said signal generated by said combination component to medical staff, upon an occurrence of an occlusion.
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Specification