Control Of A Pump Device

• US 20080146996A1
• Filed: 08/07/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smisson-Cartledge Biomedical LLC
• Original Assignee: Smisson-Cartledge Biomedical LLC
• Inventors: Cartledge, Richard G., Field, David C., York, Frederick J., Smisson, Hugh F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,109,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0281 Apparatus for treatment of blood or blood constituents prior to transfusion, e.g. washing, filtering or thawing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/127 with provisions for heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/10 Flow characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/14 Static flow deviators in tubes disturbing laminar flow in tubes, e.g. archimedes screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16831 Monitoring, detecting, signalling or eliminating infusion flow anomalies low-level float-valves causing cut-off A61M5/40; indicating or recording presence, absence or direction of flow in general G01P13/0066
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/36 with means for eliminating or preventing injection or infusion of air into body dialysis systems, blood oxygenators A61M1/14; haemofiltration equipment A61M1/34; automatic tube cut-off A61M39/281
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/365 Air detectors A61M5/1684 takes precedence; in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3626
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/44 having means for cooling or heating the devices or media

Abstract

A pump system simply and selectably controls the temperature, flow rate flow volume, and flow pressure of a fluid being infused into a patient'"'"'s body. The pump system a includes a central controller and user inputs that allow for simple selection and efficient operation of the pump system, which includes manually or automatically priming the pump system to remove air, selectably controlling and rapidly adjusting the flow rate over a wide range, selectably and safely controlling the pump system temperature controls, and selectably controlling the flow pressure during delivery. The pump system includes a pump housing with a central controller and a cartridge with infusion tubing removably coupled to the pump housing.

Claims

1. A pump system, comprising:

a. a pump housing comprising a motor driven pump, a prime input, an infusion input, and a central controller in communication with said prime input, said infusion input, and said motor driven pump; and

b. a cartridge removably coupled to said pump housing comprising at least one infusion tubing;

wherein;

said central controller is configured to cause said motor driven pump to pump fluid through said at least one infusion tubing and said cartridge to remove air from said at least one infusion tubing in response to the selection of said prime input; and

said central controller is further configured to cause said motor driven pump to pump fluid through said at least one infusion tubing and said cartridge to a patient at one of a predetermined flow rate or a predetermined flow pressure in response to the selection of said infusion input.

2. The pump system of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one infusion tubing comprises a first infusion tubing, a second infusion tubing, and an air output tubing;

said cartridge further comprises an air-trap communicating with said first infusion tubing, said second infusion tubing, and said air output tubing;

said first infusion tubing carries fluid in to said air-trap, said second tubing caries fluid out of said air-trap, and said air output tubing allows air to exit said air-trap;

said pump housing further comprises a fluid outflow flow limiting mechanism that reversibly restricts the flow of fluid through said second infusion tubing and an air output flow limiting mechanism that reversibly restricts the flow of air through said air output tubing; and

said central controller causes said fluid outflow flow limiting mechanism to restrict the flow of fluid through said second infusion tubing and causes said air output flow limiting mechanism to allow the flow of air through said air output tubing in response to the selection of said prime input.

3. The pump system of claim 2, wherein said fluid outflow flow limiting mechanism and said air output flow limiting mechanism comprise pinch clamps that operably and reversibly engage and compress said second infusion tubing and said air output tubing, respectively, when actuated so as to prevent the flow of fluid or air at the points of compression.

4. The pump system of claim 2, wherein said central controller executes manual priming of said pump system by causing said motor driven pump to begin pumping fluid at a predetermined rate into said air-trap to remove air from said first infusion tubing while said prime input is depressed and to stop said pumping fluid when said prime input is released.

5. The pump system of claim 4, wherein said predetermined rate is between about 100 milliliters per minute to about 1200 milliliters per minute.

6. The pump system of claim 2, further comprising a lower level sensor and an upper level sensor in communication with said central controller, wherein:

said lower level sensor detects fluid at a first point in said air-trap;

said upper level sensor detects fluid at a second point in said air-trap; and

said first point is positioned distal to said second point in said air-trap.

7. The pump system of claim 6, wherein said central control executes automatic priming in response to depressing and releasing said prime input by causing:

said motor driven pump to pump fluid at a first predetermined rate into said air-trap to force air out of said air output tubing;

said motor driven pump to increase pumping to a second predetermined rate when said fluid is detected by said lower level sensor; and

said motor driven pump to stop pumping after a predetermined volume of said fluid is pumped subsequent to detection by said lower level sensor.

8. The pump system in claim 7, wherein said first predetermined rate is between about 10 milliliters per minute to about 900 milliliters per minute.

9. The pump system in claim 7, wherein said second predetermined rate is between about 900 milliliters per minute to about 1200 milliliters per minute.

10. A pump system, comprising;

a. a pump housing comprising a motor driven pump, a plurality of input buttons that cause at least one of manual priming, automatic priming, heating, pressure adjustment, infusion rate adjustment, start pump operation, or stop pump operation in response to the selection thereof, and a central controller in communication with said plurality of input buttons and said motor driven pump; and

b. a cartridge removably coupled to said pump housing comprising at least one infusion tubing;

wherein one of an infusion mode, an infusion rate, a maximum pressure setting, or a heater setting is adjusted in response to a single selection of one of said plurality of input buttons.

12. The pump system of claim 10, wherein said adjusting occurs prior to operation of said pump system or during of said pump system.

14. The pump system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of input buttons comprise a standard infusion input button, rapid infusion input button, or a plurality of bolus preset input buttons that cause said pump system to operate in one of a standard infusion mode, a rapid infusion mode, or a bolus infusion mode in response to the selection thereof, respectively.

15. The pump system of claim 14, wherein:

said plurality of bolus preset input buttons comprises a first button causing delivery of a first volume when selected and a second button causing delivery of a second volume when selected;

said standard infusion mode and said rapid infusion mode pump fluid at a first predetermined flow rate and at a second predetermined flow rate, respectively; and

the flow rate for said standard infusion mode and said rapid infusion mode is adjustable, wherein adjusting occurs prior to operation or during operation of said pump system.

20. The pump system of claim 10, wherein:

said central controller causes an increment in the flow rate in response to the selection of a rate increase input button and causes a decrement in the flow rate in response to the selection of a rate decrease input button, wherein the increments and decrements are between about 1 milliliter per hour and about 50 milliliters per minute and

said central controller causes a rapid increment in the flow rate in response to continually depressing said rate increase input button and causes a rapid decrement in the flow rate in response, to continually depressing said rate decrease input button, wherein the increments and decrements are between about 10 milliliters per minute and about 500 milliliters per minute.

11. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

16-19. -19. (canceled)

21-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A pump system, comprising:

a. a pump housing comprising a motor driven pump, a thermal element, a heat exchanger temperature sensor, at least one user input control, and a central controller in communication with said at least one user input control, said motor driven pump, said thermal element, and said heat exchanger temperature sensor; and

b. a cartridge comprising a heat exchanger correspondingly aligned with said thermal element and removably coupled to said pump housing;

wherein;

said heat exchanger temperature sensor senses the temperature of said heat exchanger on said cartridge and communicates the sensed temperature to said central controller; and

in response to the selection of said at least one user input control, said central controller adjusts said thermal element in response to the sensed temperature to maintain an approximately constant first temperature of said heat exchanger.

25. The pump system of claim 24, wherein:

said thermal element comprises a heating element;

said at least one user input control comprises a heat input control; and

in response to the selection of said heat input control said central controller adjusts said heating element to maintain said first temperature greater than the temperature of fluid being delivered to said cartridge, wherein said first temperature maintained is between about 35°

Celsius and about 50°

Celsius.

28. The pump system of claim 25, wherein said central controller causes said heating element to stop producing heat when said heat exchanger temperature sensor senses a pre-defined second temperature that is greater than said first temperature.

30. The pump system of claim 25, wherein:

said pump housing further comprises a fluid outflow flow limiting mechanism positioned to reversibly prevent fluid from flowing out of said cartridge and to a patient;

said cartridge further comprises an infusion tubing;

said central controller is configured to cause said pump system to stop delivering fluid to a patient when said heat exchanger temperature sensor senses a pre-defined second temperature that is greater than said first temperature; and

said central controller stops delivering fluid to said patient by causing said fluid outflow flow limiting mechanism to reversibly engage said infusion tubing to prevent fluid from flowing to the patient in response to said heat exchanger temperature sensor sensing said second temperature.

33. The pump system of claim 24, wherein:

said thermal element comprises a cooling element;

said at least one user input control comprises a cooling input control; and

in response to the selection of said cooling input control said central controller adjusts said cooling element to maintain said first temperature less than the temperature of fluid being delivered to said cartridge, wherein said first temperature maintained is between about 0°

Celsius and about 37°

Celsius.

36. The pump system of claim 33, wherein said central controller causes said cooling element to stop cooling when said heat exchanger temperature sensor senses a pre-defined second temperature that is lower than said first temperature.

38. The pump system of claim 33, wherein:

said pump housing further comprises a fluid outflow flow limiting mechanism positioned to reversibly prevent fluid from flowing out of said cartridge and to a patient;

said cartridge further comprises an infusion tubing;

said central controller causes said pump system to stop delivering fluid to a patient when said heat exchanger temperature sensor senses a pre-defined second temperature that is lower than said first temperature; and

said central controller stops delivering fluid to said patient by causing said fluid outflow flow limiting mechanism to reversibly engage said infusion tubing to prevent fluid from flowing to the patient in response to said heat exchanger temperature sensor sensing said second temperature.

41. The pump system of claim 24, wherein said central controller adjusts said thermal element at least partially in response to a fluid flow rate detected by said central controller, wherein the speed by which said central controller adjusts said thermal element is directly proportional to said fluid flow rate.

43. The pump system of claim 24, wherein:

said pump housing further comprises an inflow temperature sensor in communication with an infusion tubing that senses the temperature of fluid before entering said heat exchanger; and

said central controller adjusts said thermal element at least partially in response to the temperature of fluid sensed by said inflow temperature sensor, wherein the speed by which said central controller adjusts said thermal element is directly proportional to the difference between the temperature of said fluid sensed by said inflow temperature sensor and a target temperature.

46. A method for cooling the temperature of a region of a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:

providing fluid at a first temperature to said cartridge of said pump system of claim 24, wherein said thermal element of said pump system comprises a cooling element;

selecting said at least one user input control of said pump system;

cooling said fluid to a second temperature lower than said first temperature by said cooling element of said pump system in response to the selection of said at least one user input control; and

delivering said fluid to said patient after substantially reaching said second temperature, wherein said second temperature is between about 0°

Celsius and about 37°

Celsius.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein said delivering said fluid comprises infusing saline into said patient'"'"'s bladder to lower said patient'"'"'s core body temperature to a third temperature, and further comprising draining said saline from said patient'"'"'s bladder while continuously delivering new volumes of cooled said saline until said patient'"'"'s core temperature reaches said third temperature, wherein said third temperature is between about 0°

Celsius and about 37°

Celsius.

52. The method of claim 46, wherein said delivering said fluid comprises intravenously infusing blood to said region of said patient'"'"'s body to cool said region to a third temperature, wherein said third temperature is between about 0°

Celsius and about 37°

Celsius.

26-27. -27. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

31-32. -32. (canceled)

34-35. -35. (canceled)

37. (canceled)

39-40. -40. (canceled)

42. (canceled)

44-45. -45. (canceled)

47-48. -48. (canceled)

50-51. -51. (canceled)

53-55. -55. (canceled)

56. A pump system, comprising:

a. a pump housing comprising a motor driven pump, at least one user input control, a central controller in communication with said at least one user input control and said motor driven pump, and an electronic controller in communication with and at least partially controlling said motor driven pump and in communication with said central controller;

b. a cartridge removably coupled to said pump housing comprising an infusion tubing and a pressure sensor;

wherein;

said pressure sensor senses the pressure of a fluid passing through said infusion tubing and communicates the sensed pressure to said central controller; and

in response to the selection of said at least one user input control, said central controller causes said electronic controller to adjust said motor driven pump in response to the sensed pressure to maintain an approximately constant pressure of said fluid passing through said infusion tubing.

58. The pump system of claim 56, wherein said at least one user input control comprises at least one of a pressure increase input, a pressure decrease input, a maximum pressure input, or a preset pressure input.

59. The pump system of claim 56, wherein said approximately constant pressure is between about 0 mmHg and about 750 mmHg.

60. A method for controlling the pressure of fluid, comprising:

providing said fluid to said cartridge of said pump system of claim 56;

selecting said at least one user input control of said pump system; and

delivering said fluid to a patient at an approximately constant pressure, in response to the selection of said at least one user input control.

61. The method of claim 60, further comprising delivering said fluid to a patient at a pressure between about 0 mmHg and about 750 mmHg.

63. The pump system of claim 60, wherein said at least one user input control comprises at least one of a pressure increase input, a pressure decrease input, a maximum pressure input, or a preset pressure input.

64. The method of claim 60, further comprising delivering said fluid to a patient during an arthroscopic procedure.

57. (canceled)

62. (canceled)