Occlusion detection system for an infusion pump
First Claim
1. An occlusion detection system comprising:
- a fluid tube;
an infusion pump, the fluid tube operatively engaged to the infusion pump, the infusion pump having an inlet valve, an expulsor valve and an outlet valve, the valves engaging the tube to force fluid through the tube at a baseline pressure, the valves further operative to create a normal negatively directed transient pressure condition less than the baseline pressure upstream of the pump during un-occluded operation;
a pressure sensor connected to the fluid tube of the infusion pump for monitoring the negatively directed transient pressure;
a control module connected to the sensor, the control module including means for detecting an absence of the negatively directed transient pressure in fluid tube; and
an alarm module for signaling an upstream occlusion when the means for detecting indicates the negatively directed transient pressure condition is absent.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a method and system for monitoring pressure conditions in the fluid pressure upstream and downstream of an intravenous fluid administration system and to detect upstream and/or downstream occlusions. In addition, the invention incorporates a method for detecting pressure conditions at an upstream or downstream detector across the wall of the tubing to identify upstream or downstream occlusions, respectively. The present invention also relates to a process for determining the fluid pressure in a fluid tube across the tube wall where the normal tube force changes over time, and more particularly, using a normalization process to eliminate changes in the tubing resilience.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. An occlusion detection system comprising:
-
a fluid tube; an infusion pump, the fluid tube operatively engaged to the infusion pump, the infusion pump having an inlet valve, an expulsor valve and an outlet valve, the valves engaging the tube to force fluid through the tube at a baseline pressure, the valves further operative to create a normal negatively directed transient pressure condition less than the baseline pressure upstream of the pump during un-occluded operation; a pressure sensor connected to the fluid tube of the infusion pump for monitoring the negatively directed transient pressure; a control module connected to the sensor, the control module including means for detecting an absence of the negatively directed transient pressure in fluid tube; and an alarm module for signaling an upstream occlusion when the means for detecting indicates the negatively directed transient pressure condition is absent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A system for determining the fluid pressure in a fluid tube of an infusion system where the fluid tube is partially compressed by a pressure sensor and the fluid tube exerts a tube force on the sensor that changes over time, the infusion system having a first and subsequent infusion cycles, comprising:
-
a control module connected to the sensor for receiving force readings, for calculating fluid pressure, and for controlling the infusion cycle; first means for determining an estimated tube force on the sensor due to the stiffness of the tube prior to the first infusion cycle; means for acquiring a tube force measurement prior to an infusion cycle; second means for determining if the force measurement prior to an infusion cycle is less than the estimated tube force including means for updating the estimated tube force if the force measurement is less than the estimated tube force as a function of the difference between the estimated tube force and the force measurement; and means for calculating and storing the fluid pressure as a function of at least the force measurement less the estimated tube force. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. An occlusion detection system comprising:
-
a fluid tube; an infusion pump, the fluid tube operatively engaged to the infusion pump, the infusion pump having an inlet valve, an expulsor valve and an outlet valve, the valves engaging the tube to force fluid through the tube at a baseline pressure, the valves further operative to create a normal negatively directed transient pressure condition less than the baseline pressure upstream of the pump during un-occluded operation; an upstream pressure sensor connected to the fluid tube upstream from the infusion pump, the upstream pressure sensor creating an upstream pressure signal representative of the fluid pressure in the fluid tube during an infusion cycle, the upstream pressure signal including a section characteristic of the negative transient pressure; a control module including a microprocessor which receives the upstream pressure signal from the upstream pressure sensor, the microprocessor programmed to create an upstream alarm signal if the section of the upstream pressure signal which is characteristic of the negative transient pressure is absent; an alarm including circuitry configured to signal an upstream occlusion alarm when the upstream alarm signal is received from the control module. - View Dependent Claims (14)
-
-
15. A system for determining the fluid pressure in a fluid tube of an infusion system, the infusion system having a first and subsequent infusion cycles, the system comprising:
-
a sensor for partially compressing the fluid tube, the sensor configured to generate a signal characteristic of an estimated tube force prior to the first infusion cycle, and further configured to generate a signal characteristic of tube forces prior to subsequent infusion cycles; and a control module which receives the signals from the sensor, the control module stores the estimated tube force signal and includes a processor which is programmed to update the estimated tube force if the signals from any subsequent infusion cycle is less than the estimated tube force, the processor further programmed to calculate a fluid pressure as a function of the estimated tube force. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification