SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DIFFERENTIATING CONTAINERS IN MEDICATION DELIVERY

• US 20120179132A1
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey W. Valk, Timothy W. Valk
• Original Assignee: Admetsys Corporation
• Inventors: Valk, Jeffrey W., Valk, Timothy W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,242,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6027 Electric-conductive bridges closing detection circuits, with or without identifying elements, e.g. resistances, zener-diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6045 having complementary physical shapes for indexing or registration purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1452 pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2053 Media being expelled from injector by pressurised fluid or vacuum for infusion A61M5/145, A61M5/155
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5086 for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fluid delivery system that comprises a fluid container having a chamber structured to hold a fluid therein and a delivery device operable to control delivery of a fluid from the chamber of the fluid container. The fluid container includes a geometric mating member extending from an outer surface thereof. The delivery device includes a geometric mating receptacle structured to mate with at least a portion of the geometric mating member of the fluid container to verify compatibility of the fluid container with the delivery device. Alternatively or additionally, the fluid container may include a first data fixture component and the delivery device may include a second data fixture component that cooperates with the first data fixture component of the fluid container to verify compatibility of the fluid container with the delivery device.

Claims

1. A fluid delivery system comprising:

a fluid container having a chamber structured to hold a fluid therein, the fluid container including a geometric mating member extending from an outer surface thereof; and

a delivery device operable to control delivery of a fluid from the chamber of the fluid container, the delivery device including a geometric mating receptacle structured to mate with at least a portion of the geometric mating member of the fluid container to verify compatibility of the fluid container with the delivery device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the geometric mating member is detachable from the fluid container.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the geometric mating member and fluid container are formed as separate components that are permanently coupled to one another.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the geometric mating member is formed integral with the fluid container.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the geometric mating member defines an outer perimeter surface, and wherein the geometric mating receptacle is structured to mate with a portion of the outer perimeter surface.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the geometric mating receptacle mates with and surrounds the entire outer perimeter surface of the geometric mating member.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein an outer perimeter surface of the geometric mating member defines a polygonal shape.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein an outer perimeter surface of the geometric mating member defines at least one curved portion.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid container is a syringe and wherein the geometric mating member extends radially outward from a barrel of the syringe.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the delivery device is a syringe pump.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the geometric mating member extends around the entire circumference of the fluid container.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more pairs of secondary mating fixtures associated with the geometric mating member and the geometric mating receptacle structured to further verify compatibility when the geometric mating member of the fluid container is mated with the geometric mating receptacle of the delivery device.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the one or more pairs of secondary mating fixtures comprise geometrical protrusions and counterpart apertures that are structured to receive the protrusions upon alignment of the geometric mating member of the fluid container with the geometric mating receptacle of the delivery device.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the one or more pairs of secondary mating fixtures comprise electrical contacts that complete an electrical circuit upon alignment of the geometric mating member of the fluid container with the geometric mating receptacle of the delivery device.

15. A fluid delivery system having compatibility verification features comprising:

a fluid container including a geometric mating member;

a delivery device operable to control delivery of a fluid from the fluid container, the delivery device including a delivery channel having a geometric mating receptacle structured to mate with the geometric mating member of the fluid container to verify compatibility of the fluid container with the delivery device; and

a pair of secondary mating fixtures including a first mating fixture associated with the fluid container and a second mating fixture associated with the delivery device;

wherein the first and second mating fixtures are structured to align with one another to further verify compatibility when the geometric mating member of the fluid container is mated with the geometric mating receptacle of the delivery device.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the fluid container is a syringe.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the delivery device is a syringe pump.

18. A method for coupling a fluid container to a delivery device comprising:

providing a fluid container having a chamber structured to hold a fluid therein, the fluid container including a geometric mating member extending from an outer surface thereof;

providing a delivery device operable to control delivery of a fluid from the chamber of the fluid container, the delivery device including a geometric mating receptacle; and

verifying compatibility between the fluid container and the delivery device by mating at least a portion of the geometric mating member of the fluid container with the geometric mating receptacle of the delivery device.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of verifying compatibility further comprises installing the fluid container within a delivery channel of the delivery device.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein an outer perimeter surface of the geometric mating member defines a polygonal shape.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the fluid container is a syringe.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the delivery device is a syringe pump.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of aligning a first mating fixture associated with the fluid container with a second mating fixture associated with the delivery device to further verify compatibility between the fluid container and the delivery device.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the first mating fixture communicates information related to the fluid container to the second mating fixture.

25. A fluid delivery system comprising:

a fluid container having a chamber structured to hold a fluid therein, the fluid container including a first data fixture component associated therewith; and

a delivery device operable to control delivery of a fluid from the chamber of the fluid container, the delivery device including a second data fixture component associated therewith that cooperates with the first data fixture component of the fluid container to verify compatibility of the fluid container with the delivery device.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the first data fixture component contains information that may be communicated to the second data fixture component.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the second data fixture component is a reader device.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the first data fixture component communicates the information as a binary signal.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the first data fixture component communicates the information as an analog signal.

30. The system of claim 26, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the second data fixture for receiving the communicated information.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein the communicated information relates to a fluid contained within the fluid container.

32. The system of claim 26 wherein the first data fixture component is structured to physically contact the second data fixture component to communicate the information.

33. The system of claim 26 wherein the first data fixture component comprises a barcode and the second data fixture component comprises a barcode reader.

34. The system of claim 26 wherein the first and second data fixture components comprise electrical contacts.

35. The system of claim 26 wherein the first and second data fixture components comprise optical contacts.

36. The system of claim 26 wherein the first data fixture component is a radio frequency identification tag and the second data fixture component is a radio frequency identification interrogator.

37. The system of claim 26 wherein the first data fixture component is a memory device and the second data fixture component is a memory reader.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the memory device is an EEPROM memory device.

39. The system of claim 25, further comprising a geometric mating member extending from an outer surface of the fluid container and a geometric mating receptacle coupled to the delivery device, the geometric mating receptacle structured to mate with at least a portion of the geometric mating member of the fluid container to verify compatibility of the fluid container with the delivery device.

40. The system of claim 25 wherein the fluid container is a syringe.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein the delivery device is a syringe pump.

42. A method for coupling a fluid container to a delivery device comprising:

providing a fluid container having a chamber structured to hold a fluid therein, the fluid container including a first data fixture component associated therewith;

providing a delivery device operable to control delivery of a fluid from the chamber of the fluid container, the delivery device including a second data fixture component associated therewith; and

verifying compatibility between the fluid container and the delivery device by communicating information related to the fluid container from the first data fixture component to the second data fixture component.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of displaying a message regarding the compatibility between the fluid container and the delivery device.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the message indicates that the fluid container is not compatible with the delivery device.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein the message indicates that the fluid container is compatible with the delivery device.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of operating the delivery device to dispense fluid from the fluid container.

47. The method of claim 42 wherein the first data fixture component communicates the information as a binary signal.

48. The method of claim 42 wherein the first data fixture component communicates the information as an analog signal.

49. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of relaying the communicated information to a controller for verifying compatibility between the fluid container and the delivery device.

50. The method of claim 42 wherein the fluid container includes a geometric mating member extending from an outer surface thereof and the delivery device includes a geometric mating receptacle coupled thereto.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising the step of mating at least a portion of the geometric mating member of the fluid container with the geometric mating receptacle of the delivery device.

52. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of detecting a physical characteristic of the fluid container with a geometry sensor.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the physical characteristic comprises the dimensions of the fluid container.

54. The method of claim 42 wherein the fluid container is a syringe.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the delivery device is a syringe pump.