System, Method, and Apparatus for Detecting Coupling to a Patient Using One or More Electric-Field Sensors

• US 20150314083A1
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Blumberg, David Jr., Bellino, Michael F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,968,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/13 with means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. lip sensor
• 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 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• 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 2230/04 Heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/06 Heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/60 Muscle strain, i.e. measured on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5086 for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile

Abstract

A pump for infusing fluid, the pump including a pumping mechanism, a fluid delivery device, a plurality of electric field sensors, and a measurement component. The plurality of electric field sensors is configured to estimate either an electric field that is associated with a patient, or an electric field that is associated with a fluid path of the pump, or both. The measurement component is configured to receive the electric field estimates from each of the electric field sensors and further configured to measure the difference between the electric field estimates.

Claims

1. A pump for infusing fluid, said pump comprising:

a pumping mechanism configured to pump fluid;

a first electric field sensor configured to estimate a first electric field associated with a patient;

a second electric field sensor configured to estimate a second electric field associated with said patient, wherein said first and second electric field sensors are configured to be operatively coupled to a fluid path of said pumping mechanism; and

a measurement component configured to measure differences between said first electric field and said second electric field.

2. The pump of claim 1, wherein said first electric field and said second electric field are generated by said patient.

3. The pump of claim 2, wherein said first electric field estimation and said second electric field estimation are estimations of electric-field magnitudes.

4. The pump of claim 2, wherein said first electric field estimation and said second electric field estimation are estimations of electric flux.

5. The pump of claim 2, wherein said first electric field and said second electric field are generated by electrical activity associated with a heart of said patient.

6. The pump of claim 5, wherein said first electric field sensor is configured to be coupled to said patient, wherein said coupling is one of a wired coupling and a wireless coupling.

7. The pump of claim 6, wherein said second electric field sensor is configured to be coupled to a cannula in said fluid path of said pumping mechanism.

8. The pump of claim 6, wherein said second electric field sensor is configured to be coupled to a catheter in said fluid path of said pumping mechanism.

9. The pump of claim 6, wherein said second electric field sensor is configured to be coupled to an intravenous bag in said fluid path of said pumping mechanism.

10. The pump of claim 6, wherein said second electric field sensor is configured to be coupled to a tube in said fluid path of said pumping mechanism.

11. The pump of claim 2, wherein said first electric field and second electric field are generated by a muscle of said patient.

12. The pump of claim 11, wherein said first electric field sensor is configured to be near a first extreme of a muscle of said patient and said second electric field sensor is configured to be near a second extreme of said muscle of said patient.

13. A pump for infusing fluid, said pump comprising:

a pumping mechanism configured to pump fluid;

a modulator configured to provide a modulated electric field, wherein the modulator is configured to apply the modulated electric field to at least one of a fluid path of said pumping mechanism and a patient;

an electric-field sensor configured to estimate an electric field associated with said patient, wherein said electric field sensor is configured to be operatively coupled to at least one of a fluid path of said pumping mechanism and a patient; and

a measurement component operatively coupled to the electric-field sensor to receive the estimate of the electric field.

14. The pump of claim 13, further comprising a communication unit in communication with said modulator.

15. The pump of claim 14, wherein said communication between said communication unit and said modulator is a type of communication from the group consisting of wireless communication and wired communication.

16. The pump of claim 13, wherein said modulator is configured to inject a signal with a random number into said patient.

17. The pump of claim 16, further comprising a communication unit in communication with said modulator, wherein said communication unit is configured to recover said random number and communicate said random number.

18. The pump according to claim 17, wherein said communication unit is configured to communicate at least one command to said modulator.

19. The pump of claim 17, wherein said communication unit is configured to communicate an alert to said modulator if said communication unit does not receive said random number.

20. The pump of claim 19, wherein said modulator is configured to output an error condition if said modulator does not receive said random number from said communication unit.

21. The pump according to claim 13, wherein said modulator is operatively coupled to said patient and said electric-field sensor is operatively coupled to said fluid path.

22. The pump according to claim 21, wherein said modulator is operatively coupled to said patient via another fluid path.

23. The pump according to claim 13, wherein said modulator is operatively coupled to said fluid path and said electric-field sensor is operatively coupled to said patient.

24. The pump according to claim 23, wherein said electric-field sensor is operatively coupled to said patient via another fluid path.

25. A method for infusing fluid, said method comprising:

connecting a patient to a medical pump;

determining a first electric field measurement associated with the patient;

determining a second electric field measurement associated with the patient;

measuring a difference between the first and second electric field measurements; and

using the difference to determine whether the patient is connected to the medical pump.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the determining a first electric field measurement is performed by a first electric field sensor and the determining a second electric field measurement is performed by a second electric field sensor.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising authenticating a command for the medical pump.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising providing a warning upon a determination that the patient is not connected to the medical pump.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the authenticating a command comprises:

generating a random number;

encoding said random number into a signal;

broadcasting the signal into the patient through a fluid delivery device;

delivering said random number to a communication unit;

communicating at least one command and said random number to said medical pump from said communication unit; and

confirming said communication unit communicated said random number.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein authenticating said command further comprises outputting an error condition if said medical pump does not receive said random number.

31. A system for infusing fluid, said system comprising:

a pumping mechanism configured to pump fluid;

a first electric field sensor configured to estimate a first electric field associated with a patient;

a second electric field sensor configured to estimate a second electric field associated with said patient, wherein said first and second electric field sensors are configured to be operatively coupled to a fluid path of said pumping mechanism; and

a measurement component configured to measure differences between said first electric field and said second electric field.

32. A pump for infusing fluid, said pump comprising:

a pumping mechanism configured to pump fluid;

a means for measuring a first electric field associated with a patient;

a means for measuring a second electric field associated with said patient, wherein said means for measuring a first electric field and means for measuring a second electric field are configured to be operatively coupled to a fluid path of said pumping mechanism; and

a means for measuring differences between said first electric field and second electric field.

33. A pump infusing fluid, said pump comprising:

a pumping mechanism configured to pump fluid;

a first electric field sensor configured to estimate a first electric field associated with a patient;

a second electric field sensor configured to estimate a second electric field associated with said patient, wherein said first and second electric field sensors are configured to be operatively coupled to a fluid path of said pumping mechanism; and

a measurement circuit configured to measure differences between said first electric field associated with said patient and said second electric field associated with said patient.