Infusion system having plural fluid input ports and at least one patient output port

• US 5,464,392 A
• Filed: 03/07/1994
• Issued: 11/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hospira Incorporated (Pfizer Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories
• Inventors: Adaniva, George, Strohl, Clair, Epstein, Paul, LaWhite, Eric, Coyne, Henry, Petschek, Harry, Kaleskas, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Application Number:
  US08/207,281
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 604/65-67, 128/DIG. 12, 128/DIG. 13
• US Class Current: 604/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1402 Priming
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14208 with a programmable infusion control system, characterised by the infusion program
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14224 Diaphragm type
• 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 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/12 Pressure infusion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/13 Infusion monitoring

Abstract

An infusion system for administering multiple infusates at individually programmable rates, volumes, and sequences in any order from any one or more of plural fluid input ports through a patient output port and into the circulatory system of a patient. Infusates may be either continuously or time sequentially administered, and infusates may be either intermittently administered at selectively regular intervals or in time overlap to administer a dilution. Various error conditions are automatically detected and alarms generated in the event of conflicts between infusates, to identify times of no infusions, and to identify system malfunctions. The system is selectively operable, among others, in a priming mode, a maintenance mode, a normal-on mode, and a manual override mode, The system is operative to adapt actual to desired flow rates in normal operation. All fluids flow through a unitary disposable cassette without making any other system contact. Air bubbles in the fluid line are automatically detected and disposed of. Fluid pressures are monitored and system operation adjusted as a function of such pressures. Infusates may be administered from syringes as well as from standard bag or bottle containers. Infusate from a selected input port may be controllably pumped into a syringe for unsticking the syringe plunger. The system is selectively operable to adjust total fluid volume and rate to below preselected values for patients whose total fluid intake must be restricted. The system is operable to maintain an accurate record of total infusion history.

Claims

1. An infusion system for delivering plural fluids to a patient, comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of input line receiving port structures adapted to be releasably mounted to the housing, each port structure adapted to receive an individual input line from an associated fluid source;

a controller means to control an infusion of fluids into a patient in accordance with selected instructions, said instructions including selected at least one first fluid input in a first time sequence that specifies a desired successive time sequence, and selected at least one second fluid input different from said at least one first fluid input in a second time sequence that specifies a desired repeat interval and a desired number of times;

a forced flow mechanism coupled to each input port structure and operatively coupled to said controller means to receiver said instructions for controllably forcing a fluid to flow from a selected one of said fluid inputs at a selected rate during a selected one of said first and second time sequences through the respective input port structure to the patient.

2. The infusion system of claim 1, wherein said input line receiving port structures are disposable.

3. The infusion system of claim 1, wherein said instructions further include, for each selected fluid to be infused, at least one of a rate instruction, a time instruction, and a volume instruction.

4. The infusion system of claim 2, further comprising an operator interactive interface for interactively entering to said controller means data for generating said selected instructions.

5. The infusion system of claim 4, wherein said operator interactive interface includes a keypad.

6. An infusion system for delivering plural fluids to a patient comprising:

a controller means for controlling an infusion of fluids into a patient in accordance with selected instructions, said instructions including, for each fluid to be infused, at least one of a rate instruction, a time instruction, and a volume instruction;

a first pump controlled by said controller means for pumping the fluids in accordance with said instructions;

a disposable fluid flow path structure comprising an input port, an output port, and a flexible fluid channel defining a flow path between said input port and said output port, said disposable flow path structure releasably associated with said first pump, whereby said first pump pumps a fluid through said flow path in accordance with said instructions; and

a second pump controlled by said controller means for pumping others of the fluids in accordance with said instructions.

7. The infusion system of claim 6, further comprising a second disposable fluid flow path structure releasably associated with said second pump, said disposable fluid flow path structure comprising an input port, an output port, and a flexible fluid channel defining a flow path between said input port and said output port, whereby said second pump pumps a fluid through said flow path in accordance with said instructions.

8. The infusion system of claim 6, further comprising an operator interactive interface for interactively entering to said controller means said at least one instruction for each fluid to be infused.

9. The infusion system of claim 8, wherein said operator interactive interface includes a keypad.

10. The infusion system of claim 6, wherein said controller means is operative to select for each fluid to be infused a time sequence that specifies at least one start time.

11. The infusion system of claim 6, wherein said controller means is operative to select for each fluid to be infused a desired repeat interval and a desired number of times.

12. An infusion system for delivering plural fluids to a patient, comprising:

a housing;

a fluid line receiving assembly adapted to be releasably mounted to said housing, said line receiving assembly including plural input line retaining members each for connection to one of plural infusion input lines;

a forced flow assembly disposed within said housing for interfacing with said line receiving assembly for forcibly flowing a selected fluid from a selected input line at a selected rate;

a clock for providing a timing signal;

a controller means operatively connected to said line receiving assembly for selected among plural input lines respectively in fluid communication with the corresponding ones of plural fluids that are to be individually pumped in any order by said forced flow assembly, said controller means further operatively connected to said forced flow assembly for controlling said forced flow assembly in accordance with a set of preselected instructions and the timing signal, said set of instructions including rate of pumping for each of the plural sources; and

said line receiving assembly further comprising a flow path assembly coupled to all of the input line retaining members and cooperative with the controller means for channeling each individual fluid selected from among the plural sources of fluid to said forced flow assembly and to a common output fluid line.

13. An infusion system connectable to an output line for delivering plural fluids to a patient, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of input ports, each input port adapted to receive an individual fluid input line from an associated fluid source;

a controller means for generating instructions for selected each fluid input from among the plural sources of fluid to be pumped in any order an any time through the input ports, the instructions including at least a rate of pumping instruction for each selected fluid input and, for at least one fluid input, a delayed starting time;

an input device coupled to the controller means for providing operator access to the controller means for entering data for generating the instructions;

a real time clock for providing a timing signal; and

a forced flow assembly operatively coupled to the controller means and to the clock for forcibly flowing the selected fluids in accordance with the instructions and the timing signal.

14. The infusion system of claim 13, wherein the delayed starting time instruction comprises a time interval.

15. The infusion system of claim 13, wherein the delayed starting time instruction comprises a real time.

16. The infusion system of claim 13, wherein the delayed starting time instruction comprises an instruction to begin pumping the selected fluid after completion of pumping of a previously selected fluid.

17. The infusion system of claim 13, wherein said input ports are releasably mounted to said housing.

18. An infusion system connectable to a common output line for delivering plural fluids to a patient, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of input ports, each input port adapted to receive an individual fluid input line from an associated fluid source;

a controller means comprising an instruction generator for generating instructions for selecting each fluid input from among the plural sources of fluid to be pumped in any order at any time through the input ports, the instructions including at least a rate of fluid flow instruction and a desired time sequence for each selected fluid input and, for at least one fluid input, specifying a time sequence that comprises a repetition at desired intervals of a desired time sequence during which a desired rate of fluid flow is produced over a desired time interval;

an input device coupled to the controller means for providing operator access to the controller means for entering data for generating the instructions;

a real time clock for providing a timing signal; and

a forced flow assembly operatively coupled to the controller means and to the clock for forcibly flowing the selected fluids in accordance with the instructions and the timing signal.

19. The infusion system of claim 18, wherein said instructions include an instruction to begin pumping at a preselected real time.

20. The infusion system of claim 18, wherein said instructions include an instruction to begin pumping the selected fluid after completion of pumping of another selected fluid.

21. The infusion system of claim 18, wherein said input ports are disposably mounted to said housing.