SYRINGE PUMP

• US 20110184383A1
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: HASEGAWA, Eiji
• Application Number:
  US13/081,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20110184383A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/506
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14573 with a replaceable reservoir for quick connection/disconnection with a driving system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3125 specific display means, e.g. to indicate dose setting
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6036 characterised by physical shape, e.g. array of activating switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8262 connectable to external power source, e.g. connecting to automobile battery through the cigarette lighter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1456 with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part of the removable reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1458 Means for capture of the plunger flange

Abstract

A syringe pump includes: a syringe mounting part on which to mount a syringe outer cylinder of a syringe; a clamp which is pulled downward by an elastic member, contacts an upper surface of the mounted syringe outer cylinder and thereby fix the syringe outer cylinder; a slider which holds a plunger flange of a plunger of the mounted syringe by levers and which pushes out the plunger; and a display or monitor of which the display is controlled by the computer. Regarding an operation of mounting the syringe outer cylinder onto the syringe mounting part, an operation of setting the plunger flange into the slider, and an operation of fixing the syringe outer cylinder with the clamp, the display or monitor alternately displays the respective states before and after the operations at a predetermined interval.

Claims

1. A syringe pump for dispensing liquid medicine from a syringe which includes a plunger movably positioned inside an outer cylinder, the syringe pump comprising:

a syringe mounting part configured to receive the outer cylinder of the syringe so that the outer cylinder is mounted on the syringe mounting part;

a movable slider having a plunger receiving portion configured to receive the plunger of the syringe when the syringe is mounted on the syringe mounting part;

a clamp rotatable to a position overlying the outer cylinder when the outer cylinder is mounted on the syringe mounting part to fix the outer cylinder;

a display which displays information;

control means operatively connected to the display for controlling the display; and

the control means controlling the display to display;

i) outer cylinder mounting graphics showing that the outer cylinder is not mounted on the syringe mounting part, and visually distinguishable outer cylinder mounting graphics showing that the outer cylinder is mounted on the syringe mounting part;

ii) plunger holding graphics showing that the plunger is not received in the plunger receiving portion of the slider, and a visually distinguishable plunger holding graphics showing that the plunger is received in the plunger receiving portion of the slider;

and iii) outer cylinder fixing graphics showing that the outer cylinder is not fixed by the clamp, and a visually distinguishable outer cylinder fixing graphics showing that the outer cylinder is fixed by the clamp.

2. The syringe pump according to claim 1, further comprising a detecting switch in the syringe mounting part which detects whether the outer cylinder is mounted on the syringe mounting part;

the control means being operatively connected to the detecting switch to receive information from the detecting switch about whether the outer cylinder is properly mounted on the syringe mounting part;

the control means controlling the display to display the outer cylinder mounting graphics showing that the outer cylinder is not mounted on the syringe mounting part when the control means receives information from the detecting switch indicating that the outer cylinder is not properly mounted on the syringe mounting part; and

the control means controlling the display to display the outer cylinder mounting graphics showing that the outer cylinder is mounted on the syringe mounting part when the control means receives information from the detecting switch indicating that the outer cylinder is properly mounted on the syringe mounting part.

3. The syringe pump according to claim 1, further comprising a plunger detection switch which detects that the plunger is held by the slider;

plunger detectors detecting switches in the syringe mounting part which detect whether the outer cylinder is mounted on the syringe mounting part;

the control means being operatively connected to the plunger detection switch to receive information from the plunger detection switch about whether the plunger is held by the slider;

the control means controlling the display to display the plunger holding graphics showing that the plunger is not held by the slider when the control means receives information from the plunger detection switch identifying that the plunger is not properly held by the slider; and

the control means controlling the display to display the plunger holding graphics showing that the plunger is held by the slider when the control means receives information from the plunger detection switch identifying that the plunger is properly held by the slider.

4. The syringe pump according to claim 1, further comprising a clamp sensor which determines whether the outer cylinder is properly fixed by the clamp;

the control means being operatively connected to the clamp sensor to receive information from the clamp sensor about whether the outer cylinder is fixed by the clamp;

the control means being operatively connected to the clamp sensor to receive information from the clamp sensor about whether the outer cylinder is fixed by the clamp;

the control means controlling the display to display the outer cylinder fixing graphics showing that the outer cylinder is not fixed by the clamp when the control means received information from the clamp sensor indicating that the outer cylinder is not properly fixed by the clamp; and

the control means controlling the display to display the outer cylinder fixing graphics showing that the outer cylinder is fixed by the clamp when the control means received information from the clamp sensor indicating that the outer cylinder is properly fixed by the clamp.

5. A syringe pump for dispensing liquid medicine from a syringe which includes a plunger movably positioned inside an outer cylinder, the syringe pump comprising:

a syringe mounting part configured to receive the outer cylinder of the syringe so that the outer cylinder is mounted on the syringe mounting part;

a slider for holding the plunger of the syringe mounted on the syringe mounting part;

a clamp configured to contact an upper surface of the outer cylinder to fix the outer cylinder when the outer cylinder is mounted on the syringe mounting part;

a display which displays predetermined information;

control means operatively connected to the display for controlling the display; and

the control means controlling the display to display graphics showing, with respect to a first operation of mounting the outer cylinder onto the syringe mounting part, a second operation of holding the plunger by the slider and a third operation of fixing the outer cylinder by the clamp, respective changes between states before the first, second and third operation and after the first, second and third operations.

6. The syringe pump according to claim 5, wherein the display displays graphics showing the respective states before and after the first, second and third operations, alternately and repeatedly at a predetermined interval.

7. The syringe pump according to claim 5, further comprising:

an outer cylinder detector which detects that the outer cylinder is mounted on the syringe mounting part and outputs detection information;

a plunger detector which detects that the plunger is held by the slider and outputs detection information;

a clamp detector which detects that the outer cylinder is fixed by the clamp and outputs detection information;

the control means being connected to the outer cylinder detector, the plunger detector and the clamp detector; and

the detection information from the outer cylinder detector, the plunger detector, and the clamp detector is inputted to the control means, and the control means controls the display to display the graphics showing the state after completion of the respective first, second and third operations.

8. A syringe pump for dispensing liquid medicine from a syringe which includes a plunger movably positioned inside an outer cylinder, the syringe pump comprising:

a syringe mounting part configured to mount the outer cylinder of the syringe on the syringe mounting part;

a slider configured to hold the plunger of the syringe when the outer cylinder is mounted on the syringe mounting part;

a clamp positionable to contact an upper surface of the outer cylinder when the outer cylinder is mounted on the syringe mounting part to thereby fix the outer cylinder;

an outer cylinder detecting switch which detects that the outer cylinder is mounted on the syringe mounting part;

a plunger detection switch which detects that the plunger is held by the slider;

a clamp sensor which detects that the clamp is positioned to be in contact with the outer cylinder so that the outer cylinder is fixed by the clamp;

a display configured to display predetermined information;

control means for controlling the display;

the control means being operatively connected to the outer cylinder detecting switch, the plunger detection switch and the clamp sensor to receive output from the outer cylinder detecting switch, the plunger detection switch and the clamp sensor; and

the control means controlling the display unit to displays states detected respectively by the outer cylinder detecting switch, the plunger detection switch, and the clamp sensor.

9. The syringe pump according to claim 8, wherein the control means controls the display such that until the control means receives detection information from the outer cylinder detection switch, the plunger detection switch and the clamp sensor, the display displays graphics showing respective states before and after each of an operation of mounting the outer cylinder on the syringe mounting part, an operation of the plunger being positioned to be held by the slider, and an operation of fixing the outer cylinder with the clamp, which correspond respectively to the detection information, alternately and repeatedly at a predetermined interval.

10. The syringe pump according to claim 8, wherein when the control means receives detection information from the outer cylinder detecting switch, the plunger detection switch and the clamp sensor, the display displays graphics showing respective states after completion of an operation of mounting the outer cylinder on the syringe mounting part, an operation of positioning the plunger to be held by the slider, and an operation of fixing the outer cylinder with the clamp, which correspond respectively to the detection information.

11. The syringe pump according to claim 8, wherein when the control means receives detection information from the outer cylinder detecting switch, the plunger detection switch and the clamp sensor, the display displays character information showing that three operations have been completed, the three operations being an operation of mounting the outer cylinder on the syringe mounting part, an operation of holding the plunger by the slider, and an operation of fixing the outer cylinder by the clamp.

12. The syringe pump according to claim 8, wherein the control means determines that an unusual condition is generated and displays information specifying the unusual condition on the display.

13. The syringe pump according to claim 12, wherein after the control means receives all detection information from the outer cylinder detecting switch, the plunger detection switch and the clamp sensor, and when at least one of the detection information changes to an undetection information, the control means controls the display to display information identifying the unusual condition corresponding to the change to the undetection information.

14. The syringe pump according to claim 12, wherein the display includes a backlight configured to be turned on and off, and the control means controls the display to cause the backlight to blink when the control means determines that the unusual condition is generated.

15. The syringe pump according to claim 8, further comprising:

a power source terminal through which external electric power is supplied and fed to each component of the syringe pump;

a secondary battery which is charged through the power source terminal and which is configured to feed electric power to each of the components;

an external power source detection means for detecting a connection state of the power source terminal to the external electric power; and

the control means controls the display to display information for prompting connection of the power source terminal to the external power source when the external power source detection means determines that the power source terminal is not connected to the external power source.

16. The syringe pump according to claim 8, wherein the control means controls the display to display specific operations of a procedure for performing an inspection operation of the syringe pump.

17. A method of operating a syringe pump which dispenses liquid medicine from a syringe which includes a plunger movably positioned inside an outer cylinder, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display of the syringe pump, graphics illustrating that the outer cylinder of the syringe is not mounted on a syringe mounting part of the syringe pump when the outer cylinder of the syringe is not properly mounted on the syringe mounting part of the syringe pump, and changing the graphics displayed on the display to illustrate that the outer cylinder of the syringe is mounted on the syringe mounting part of the syringe pump when the outer cylinder of the syringe is properly mounted on the syringe mounting part of the syringe pump;

displaying, on the display of the syringe pump, graphics illustrating that the plunger of the syringe is not received in a plunger receiving portion of the syringe pump when the plunger of the syringe is not properly received in the plunger receiving portion of the syringe pump, and changing the graphics displayed on the display to illustrate that the plunger of the syringe is received in the plunger receiving portion of the syringe pump when the plunger of the syringe is properly received in the plunger receiving portion of the syringe pump; and

displaying, on the display of the syringe pump, graphics illustrating that the outer cylinder is not fixed by a clamp overlying the outer cylinder when the outer cylinder is not properly fixed by the overlying clamp, and changing the graphics displayed on the display to illustrate that the outer cylinder of the syringe is fixed by the overlying clamp when the outer cylinder is properly fixed by the overlying clamp.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

when the outer cylinder of the syringe is not properly mounted on the syringe mounting part of the syringe pump, alternatively displaying on the display in a visually distinguishing manner the graphics illustrating that the outer cylinder of the syringe is not mounted on the syringe mounting part of the syringe pump and the graphics illustrating that the outer cylinder of the syringe is mounted on the syringe mounting part of the syringe pump; and

when the outer cylinder of the syringe is properly mounted on the syringe mounting part of the syringe pump, displaying on the display only the graphics illustrating that the outer cylinder of the syringe is mounted on the syringe mounting part of the syringe pump.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

when the plunger of the syringe is not properly received in the plunger receiving portion of the syringe pump, alternatively displaying on the display in a visually distinguishing manner the graphics illustrating that the plunger of the syringe is not received in the plunger receiving portion of the syringe pump and the visually distinguishable graphics illustrating that the plunger of the syringe is received in the plunger receiving portion of the syringe pump; and

when the plunger of the syringe is properly received in the plunger receiving portion of the syringe pump, displaying on the display only the graphics illustrating that the plunger of the syringe is received in the plunger receiving portion of the syringe pump.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

when the outer cylinder is not properly fixed by the overlying clamp, alternatively displaying on the display in a visually distinguishing manner the graphics illustrating that the outer cylinder of the syringe is not fixed by the overlying clamp and the graphics illustrating that the outer cylinder of the syringe is fixed by the overlying clamp; and

when the outer cylinder is properly fixed by the overlying clamp, displaying on the display only the graphics illustrating that the outer cylinder of the syringe is fixed by the overlying clamp.