MEDICAL DEVICE COMPRISING A VISUAL AND AN AUDIO ALARM SIGNAL GENERATOR

• US 20180021513A1
• Filed: 02/05/2016
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Vial SAS (Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Vial SAS (Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Doris, Lionel
• Granted Patent: US 10,016,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/16863 Occlusion detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1452 pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16827 controlling delivery of multiple fluids, e.g. sequencing, mixing or via separate flow-paths infusion of multiple fluids without using a controller A61M5/1407
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16831 Monitoring, detecting, signalling or eliminating infusion flow anomalies low-level float-valves causing cut-off A61M5/40; indicating or recording presence, absence or direction of flow in general G01P13/0066
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1684 by detecting the amount of infusate remaining, e.g. signalling end of infusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5086 for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile

Abstract

A medical device (2, 3, 20), in particular a medical infusion device (2, 3, 20), comprises a control unit (200) for controlling operation of the medical device (2, 3, 20), a visual alarm generator (201) for generating a visual alarm signal (V), and an audio alarm generator (202) for generating an audio alarm signal (S). Herein, the control unit (200) is constituted to control the visual alarm generator (201) and the audio alarm generator (202), in case of an alarm condition, for producing a visual alarm signal (V1, V2) and an audio alarm signal (S1, S2) which are offset with respect to each other by a predetermined time difference (T1). In this way a medical device is provided which allows to enhance the perception of a user to help the user to quickly identify a medical device on which an alarm condition has occurred.

Claims

1. A medical device, in particular medical infusion device, comprising:

a control unit for controlling operation of the medical device,

a visual alarm generator for generating a visual alarm signal, and

an audio alarm generator for generating an audio alarm signal,

wherein the control unit is configured to control the visual alarm generator and the audio alarm generator, in case of an alarm condition, for producing a visual alarm signal and an audio alarm signal which are offset with respect to each other by a predetermined time difference.

2. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the offset is measured between a rising flank of the visual alarm signal and a rising flank of the audio alarm signal.

3. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the visual alarm generator and the audio alarm generator, in case of an alarm condition, such that the visual alarm signal precedes the audio alarm signal by the predetermined time difference.

4. The medical device according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined time difference is in the range between 5 ms and 100 ms.

5. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the visual alarm generator and the audio alarm generator, in case of an alarm condition, such that the audio alarm signal precedes the visual alarm signal by the predetermined time difference.

6. The medical device according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined time difference is in the range between 5 ms and 70 ms.

7. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the visual alarm generator and the audio alarm generator in case of an alarm condition, to produce

a first audio alarm signal,

a first visual alarm signal following the first audio alarm signal by a first predetermined time difference, and

a second audio alarm signal following the first visual alarm signal by a second predetermined time difference.

8. The medical device according to claim 7, wherein the first predetermined time difference is in the range between 5 ms and 40 ms, whereas the second predetermined time difference is in the range between 5 ms and 100 ms.

9. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the visual alarm generator and the audio alarm generator, in case of an alarm condition, to produce

a first visual alarm signal,

a first audio alarm signal following the first visual alarm signal by a first predetermined time difference, and

a second visual alarm signal following the first audio alarm signal by a second predetermined time difference.

10. The medical device according to claim 9, wherein the first predetermined time difference is in the range between 5 ms and 100 ms, whereas the second predetermined time difference is in the range between 5 ms and 40 ms.

11. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the visual alarm generator comprises an LED component, an incandescent lamp, a vacuum display tube, a CRT display device, an LCD display device and/or an OLED display device.

12. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the visual alarm generator is configured to produce a steady visual alarm signal or a time-varying visual alarm signal.

13. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the audio alarm signal generator comprises an acoustic transducer such as a piezoelectric buzzer, an electromagnetic buzzer, and/or a loudspeaker.

14. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the audio alarm signal generator is configured to produce a steady audio alarm signal or a time-varying audio alarm signal.

16. The medical device according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined time difference is in the range between 20 ms and 70 ms.

17. The medical device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined time difference is in the range between 10 ms and 40 ms.

15. A method for controlling a medical device, in particular a medical infusion device, in which

a control unit controls the operation of the medical device,

a visual alarm generator generates a visual alarm signal, and

an audio alarm generator generates an audio alarm signal,

wherein the control unit controls the visual alarm generator and the audio alarm generator such that, in case of an alarm condition, a visual alarm signal and an audio alarm signal are produced which are offset with respect to each other by a predetermined time difference.