Injection Site Information Cap

• US 20140276213A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CRISI Medical Systems, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: CRISI Medical Systems, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Bochenko, Walter John
• Granted Patent: US 10,143,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/573
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1044 Verifying the connection, e.g. audible feedback, tactile feedback, visual feedback, using external light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1077 Adapters, e.g. couplings adapting a connector to one or several other connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6009 for matching patient with his treatment, e.g. to improve transfusion security
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6081 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/82 Internal energy supply devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/0208 Subcutaneous access sites for injecting or removing fluids transcutaneous access sites A61M39/0247; implantable infusion devices A61M5/14276
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/162 with antiseptic agent incorporated within the connector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/20 Closure caps or plugs for connectors or open ends of tubes

Abstract

A injection site information cap includes a housing, a cover portion, an engagement portion configured to couple to and cover an injection port of an injection site, and at least one information element on the cover portion that is positioned to be automatically sensed by at least one sensor of the injection site when the engagement portion is coupled to or is being coupled to the medication injection port. Related apparatus, systems, and techniques are also described.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising;

a cover portion;

an engagement portion configured to couple to and cover an injection port of an injection site; and

at least one information element on the cover portion positioned to be automatically sensed by at least one sensor of the injection site when the engagement portion is coupled to or is being coupled to the injection port.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the engagement portion comprises a female luer lock thread configured to couple to a male luer lock thread on the injection port.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the at least one information element is encoded with one or more of:

mechanically encoded information, magnetically encoded information, a near field communication (NFC) tag, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the at least one information element comprises optically encoded information.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the optically encoded information comprises at least one bar code.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the at least one bar code is sensed by the at least one sensor as the cover portion is circumferentially rotated.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

a disinfectant to disinfect the injection port upon the coupling of the engagement portion with the injection port.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the injection port is fluidically coupled to a patient.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the injection port is fluidically coupled to a fluid wasting reservoir.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the information element encapsulates data characterizing one or more of:

a disinfection state of the injection port, a caregiver identification, an identification of a patient, a procedural step performed in connection with care of the patient, a state of waste disposal, a lab sample, respiratory management for the patient, and dietary management for the patient.

11. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein at least the cover portion of the housing is color coded with one of a plurality of color categories, each color category characterizing one or more of:

caregiver identification, a patient care procedural activity, a laboratory sample, a state of the injection port, a fluid injected into the injection port, and a state of a patient.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein at least the information element is color coded with one of a plurality of color categories, each color category characterizing one or more of:

care giver identification, a patient care procedural activity, a laboratory sample, a state of the injection port, a fluid injected into the injection port, and a state of a patient.

13. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the information element is affixed to an outer surface of the cover portion.

14. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the information element is integral to an outer surface of the cover portion.

15. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is further configured to seal the injection port of the injection site.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising;

a first engagement portion on the housing configured to couple to and cover a first injection port of a first injection site;

at least one first information element on an outer surface of the first engagement portion of the housing positioned to be automatically sensed by at least one first sensor of the first injection site when the first engagement portion is coupled to or is being coupled to the first injection port;

a second engagement portion on the housing configured to couple to and cover a second injection port of a second injection site; and

at least one second information element on an outer surface of the second engagement portion of the housing positioned to be automatically sensed by at least one second sensor of the second injection site when the second engagement portion is coupled to or is being coupled to the second injection port.

17. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the at least one first information element is different from the at least one second information element.

18. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein at least one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion comprises a female luer lock thread configured to couple to a male luer lock thread on the injection port.

19. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein one or more of the at least one first information element and the at least one second information element is encoded with one or more of:

mechanically encoded information, magnetically encoded information, a near field communication (NFC) tag, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

20. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein one or more of the at least one first information element and the at least one second information element comprises optically encoded information.

21. An apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the optically encoded information comprises at least one bar code.

22. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein the at least one bar code is sensed by the at least one sensor as the housing is circumferentially rotated.

23. An apparatus as in claim 16, further comprising:

a disinfectant to disinfect at least one of (i) the first injection port upon the coupling of the first engagement portion with the first injection port and (ii) the second injection port upon the coupling of the second engagement portion with the second injection port.

24. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein at least one of the first injection port and the second injection port is fluidically coupled to a patient.

25. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the at least one of the first injection port and the second injection port is fluidically coupled to a fluid wasting reservoir.

26. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein one or more of the at least one first information element and the at least one second information element encapsulates data characterizing one or more of:

a disinfection state of the injection port, a caregiver identification, an identification of a patient, a procedural step performed in connection with care of the patient, a state of waste disposal, a lab sample, respiratory management for the patient, and dietary management for the patient.

27. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the housing is color coded with one of a plurality of color categories, each color category characterizing one or more of:

caregiver identification, a patient care procedural activity, a laboratory sample, a state of the injection port, a fluid injected into the injection port, and a state of a patient.

28. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein one or more of the at least one first information element and the at least one second information element is color coded with one of a plurality of color categories, each color category characterizing one or more of:

care giver identification, a patient care procedural activity, a laboratory sample, a state of the injection port, a fluid injected into the injection port, and a state of a patient.

29. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein one or more of the at least one first information element and the at least one second information element is affixed to an outer surface of the housing.

30. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein one or more of the at least one first information element and the at least one second information element is integral to an outer surface of the housing.

31. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein at least one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion is further configured to seal the injection port of the injection site.

32. An apparatus in claim 16, wherein the first injection site and the second injection site physically connected to each other.

33. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the at least one first information element and the at least one second information element are identical.

34. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the at least one first information element and the at least one second information element are different.

35. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the first engagement portion is positioned opposite the second engagement portion.

36. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the first engagement portion is positioned at an angle as compared to a center line of the second engagement portion.

37. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the housing is flexible.

38. An apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising;

a first engagement portion on the housing configured to cover an injection port;

at least one information element on an outer surface of the first engagement portion of the housing positioned to be automatically sensed by at least one first sensor of the injection site when the first engagement portion is coupled to or is being coupled to the injection port;

a second engagement portion on the housing configured to cover the injection port;

at least one second information element on an outer surface of the second engagement portion of the housing positioned to be automatically sensed by the at least one first sensor of the injection site when the second engagement portion is coupled to or is being coupled to the injection port.

39. A method for implementation by one or more data processors comprising:

receiving, by at least one data processor, information from a medication delivery apparatus characterizing at least one information element on a cap covering an injection port of the medication delivery apparatus;

associating, by at least one data processor, the received information with data comprising one or more of;

a disinfection state of the injection port, a caregiver identification, an identification of a patient, a procedural step performed in connection with care of the patient, a state of waste disposal, a lab sample, respiratory management for the patient, and dietary management for the patient; and

promoting the associated data.

40. A method as in claim 39, wherein the medication delivery apparatus comprises:

a housing;

a fluid conduit at least partially extending within the housing and configured to deliver medication within a medication container to the patient;

an injection port extending from an external surface of the housing and configured to be coupled to a fluid outlet of the medication container, the injection port being fluidically and directly coupled to the fluid conduit; and

at least one sensor disposed within the housing to sense the at least one information element on the information cap.

41. A method as in claim 39, wherein the medication delivery apparatus further comprises:

a transmitter within the housing to wirelessly transmit information generated by the at least one sensor to a remote data collection system; and

a self-contained power source within the housing powering the at least one sensor and the transmitter.

42. A method as in claim 39, wherein promoting the associated data comprises at least one of:

displaying the associated data, storing the associated data into a physical storage device, loading the associated data into memory, and transmitting the associated data to a remote computing system.