Infusion apparatus capable of storing a plurality of accumulated infusion fluid volumes of the past

• US 5,395,321 A
• Filed: 04/02/1993
• Issued: 03/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Baxter International Inc., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Baxter International Inc., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Callaghan, Thomas, Bennett, Cynthia A., Esche, Grace M., Kawahara, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Yasko, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CERMAK, ADAM
• Application Number:
  US08/042,005
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 604/65-67, 604/151-155, 604/189, 128/DIG. 12, 128/DIG. 13
• US Class Current: 604/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/13 Infusion monitoring

Abstract

In an infusion apparatus for use in the medical field, a peristaltic pump mechanism pumps an infusion fluid including medication through an administration tube toward a patient. A clock powered independent of the apparatus counts a predetermined unit time. A CPU accumulates data representing an incremental unit of fluid of the infusion fluid delivered by the pump mechanism to measure an accumulated infusion fluid volume each time the clock counts the unit time. Data as to the current accumulated infusion fluid volume is stored in a second storage section of a RAM. Each time the clock counts the unit time, data representing the accumulated infusion fluid volume stored in the second storage section is written to a ring buffer in the RAM, so that the ring buffer stores data representing a plurality of accumulated infusion fluid volumes in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of times at which the plurality of accumulated infusion fluid volumes were measured. The CPU accesses the buffer ring at a key-inputted request by an operator to display any desired accumulated data of the infusion fluid volume on a display unit.

Claims

1. An infusion apparatus for infusing an infusion fluid into a patient through an administration tube, comprising:

a peristaltic pump mechanism for peristaltically pumping the infusion fluid in the administration tube to deliver the infusion fluid toward the patient;

clock means for counting a predetermined unit time;

accumulating means for accumulating data representing a unit flow of said infusion fluid delivered by said pump mechanism to measure an accumulated infusion fluid volume each time said clock means counts said predetermined unit time;

storage means for storing a plurality of accumulated infusion fluid volumes measured by said accumulating means, each accumulated infusion fluid volume being written in sequence into said storage means each time said clock means counts said predetermined unit time;

accessing means for reading out any one of said accumulated infusion fluid volumes stored in said storage means at a request of an operator;

display means for displaying the accumulated infusion fluid volume read out by said accessing means; and

means for inputting said request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage means comprises a ring buffer which always holds a predetermined number of newest accumulated infusion fluid volumes measured in a predetermined period of time preceding a current time.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage means stores said plurality of accumulated infusion fluid volumes in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of different times at which said plurality of accumulated infusion fluid volumes were measured.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accumulated infusion fluid volumes stored in the storage means are accessed and displayed in order of time or in arbitrary order.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said clock means is powered independent of said apparatus.