COMPACT PERISTALTIC MEDICAL PUMP

• US 20110060284A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kpr U.S., LLC (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Harr, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,241,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/153
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14228 with linear peristaltic action, i.e. comprising at least three pressurising members or a helical member
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14232 Roller pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body

Abstract

A compact medical pump includes a linear peristaltic pumping mechanism driven by a motor located within a periphery of a belt of the pumping mechanism. The motor drives a gear set that drives a driving pulley which engages the belt having the rollers. A battery for the pump is positioned adjacent to the gear set. The pump includes a controller and user interface for operating the pumping mechanism as a function of pumping parameters input via the user interface. The controller may sense motor current and determine fluid path characteristics based on the sensed current.

Claims

1. A medical pumping apparatus for administering a fluid to a patient via a pump set loaded therein, said pump set comprising a tube in fluid communication with a fluid source, said pumping apparatus comprising:

a guide channel adapted for receiving a portion of the tube when the pump set is loaded in the pumping apparatus;

a belt responsive to a motive force provided thereto for traveling proximate the portion of the tube received in the guide channel, said belt having at least one finger on an outer surface thereof, said finger engaging the portion of the tube received by the guide channel as the belt travels such that the tube is squeezed between the finger and an opposing surface of the guide channel to force the fluid through the tube from the fluid source to the patient; and

a drive system positioned at least partially within an interior space defined by an inner surface of the belt for providing motive force to the belt.

2. The medical pumping apparatus of claim 1 wherein the finger comprises a roller for engaging the tube.

3. The medical pumping apparatus of claim 1 wherein the opposing surface of the guide channel comprises a platen against which the tube is squeezed by the finger.

4. The medical pumping apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of fingers evenly spaced about the outer surface of the belt for periodically engaging the portion of the tube received by the guide channel as the belt travels.

5. The medical pumping apparatus of claim 1 wherein the motor comprises a brushless direct current pancake motor.

6. The medical pumping apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive system comprises:

a plurality of pulleys for supporting the belt, at least one of said pulleys comprising a drive pulley engaging the inner surface of the belt;

a motor for providing the motive force; and

a gear set engaging the motor and the drive pulley for transferring the motive force provided by the motor to the drive pulley for driving the belt.

7. The medical pumping apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a user interface for displaying and receiving information relating to one or more pumping parameters; and

a controller for selectively providing power to the drive system as a function of the pumping parameters.

8. The medical pumping apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a sensor for sensing a current of the motor;

and wherein said controller is responsive to the sensed current for determining a fluid path characteristic of the pumping apparatus, said fluid path characteristic comprising at least one of;

a bubble in the tube;

an empty fluid source;

a partial occlusion in the tube; and

a complete occlusion in the tube.

9. The medical pumping apparatus of 7 further comprising a housing, said housing having a front for supporting the user interface, a bottom for supporting the guide channel, and a back, wherein the controller is positioned within the housing behind the user interface, the belt is positioned within the housing behind the controller, and a gear set of the drive system is positioned adjacent the back of the housing.

10. A method of determining a fluid path characteristic of a pump set loaded in a medical pumping apparatus, said pump set comprising a tube in fluid communication with a fluid source, wherein a portion of the tube is received in a guide channel of the medical pumping apparatus, said method comprising:

supplying power to a motor of the medical pumping apparatus, said motor converting the supplied power to motive force and providing the motive force to a belt of the medical pumping apparatus, wherein said motor is positioned at least partially within an interior space defined by an inner surface of the belt;

receiving the provided motive force at the belt, wherein the belt travels proximate the portion of the tube received in the guide channel in response to receiving the motive force provided thereto, said belt having at least one finger on an outer surface thereof, said finger engaging the portion of the tube received by the guide channel as the belt travels such that the tube is squeezed between the finger and an opposing surface of the guide channel to force the fluid through the tube from the fluid source to a patient;

sensing a current of the motor, wherein said current is indicative of the motive force provided to the belt by the motor;

comparing the sensed current to a threshold; and

determining the fluid path characteristic as a function of said comparing.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the threshold is a maximum threshold and determining a fluid path characteristic comprises determining that the tube is occluded if the sensed current exceeds the maximum threshold.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the threshold is a minimum threshold and determining the fluid path characteristic comprises determining that there is an air bubble in the tube if the sensed current is below the minimum threshold.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the threshold is a minimum threshold and determining the fluid path characteristic comprises determining that the reservoir is empty if the sensed current remains below the minimum threshold for a predetermined period of time.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the predetermined period of time varies as a function of pumping parameters of the medical pumping apparatus.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

positioning the motor at least partially in the interior space defined by the inner surface of the belt; and

providing a gear set operatively connected to the motor and the belt for transferring the motive force from the motor to the belt, said gear set being positioned adjacent to a battery of the medical pumping apparatus, wherein said battery supplies power to the motor.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising at least one of:

indicating the determined fluid path characteristic on a user interface of the medical pumping apparatus;

providing an alarm in response to the determined fluid path characteristic; and

altering pump operation in response to the determined fluid path characteristic to change the determined fluid path characteristic.

17. A method of pumping a fluid through a pumping set to a patient, said pumping set comprising a fluid source and a tube, said method comprising:

positioning a portion of the tube on a platen of a medical pumping apparatus; and

selectively providing power to a motor of the medical pumping apparatus as a function of pumping parameters of the medical pumping apparatus, wherein;

the motor provides motive force to a belt in response to the provided power;

the motor is at least partially positioned within an interior space defined by an inner surface of the belt;

the belt has at least one finger on an exterior surface thereof;

the belt travels proximate the portion of the tube positioned on the platen in response to the provided motive force; and

the finger engages the portion of the tube positioned on the platen as the belt travels such that the tube is squeezed between the finger and an opposing surface of the platen to force fluid through the tube from the fluid source to the patient.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

positioning the motor in the interior space defined by the inner surface of the belt; and

providing a gear set operatively connected to the motor and the belt for transferring the motive force from the motor to the belt, said gear set being positioned adjacent to a battery for supplying power to the medical pumping apparatus.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving pumping parameters from the patient via a user interface of the medical pumping apparatus.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

sensing a current of the motor;

comparing the current to a threshold; and

determining a fluid path characteristic as a function of said comparing, wherein the fluid path characteristic comprises at least one of

a bubble in the tube;

an empty reservoir;

a partial occlusion in the tube;

or

a total occlusion in the tube.

21. A medical pumping apparatus for administering a fluid to a patient via a pump set loaded therein, said pump set comprising a tube in fluid communication with a fluid source, said pumping apparatus comprising:

a guide channel adapted for receiving a portion of the tube when the pump set is loaded in the pumping apparatus;

a belt responsive to a motive force provided thereto for traveling proximate the portion of the tube received in the guide channel, said belt having a plurality of rollers evenly spaced about an outer surface of the belt, each of said rollers periodically engaging the portion of the tube received by the guide channel as the belt travels such that the tube is squeezed against an opposing surface of the guide channel to force the fluid through the tube from the fluid source to the patient; and

a drive system positioned at least partially within an interior space defined by an inner surface of the belt for providing motive force to the belt;

a user interface for displaying and receiving information relating to one or more pumping parameters;

a controller for selectively providing power to the drive system as a function of the pumping parameters; and

a housing, said housing having a front for supporting the user interface, a bottom for supporting the guide channel, and a back, wherein the controller is positioned within the housing behind the user interface, the belt is positioned within the housing behind the controller, and a gear set of the drive system is positioned adjacent the back of the housing.