Integrated test station for testing liquid flow and electrical safety characteristics of IV pumps

• US 5,717,603 A
• Filed: 06/27/1996
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mediq/Prn Life Support Services LLC (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Spectrel Partners, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Huang, Leon, DiGianfilippo, Aleandro, McClendon, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Application Number:
  US08/671,089
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 364/509-510, 364/550, 364/558, 364/481, 364/482, 364/413.01, 364/413.11, 417/18-24, 417/6, 417/27, 417/28, 417/29-32, 604/65, 604/67, 604/81, 28/DIG. 12, 222/52, 222/55, 222/56, 222/57, 222/58, 222/63, 137/561 R, 137/594, 137/595
• US Class Current: 702/114
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/70 with testing or calibration facilities
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/02 Equipment for testing the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/09 Flow through the pump
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 51/00 Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations

Abstract

A testing apparatus for an intravenous pump houses a first component adapted to test at least one liquid flow characteristic of the pump and a second component adapted to be coupled electrically to the pump to test at least one electrical characteristic of the pump. An interior panel compartmentalizes the housing into two compartments isolated one from the other. The first component is confined solely within one of the compartments and the second component is confined solely within the other one of the compartments.

Claims

1. A pump testing apparatus comprising

a housing having an interior,

a first component in the housing interior adapted to be coupled in liquid flow communication with an external intravenous pump to test at least one liquid flow characteristic of the pump,

a second component in the housing interior adapted to be coupled electrically to the pump to test at least one electrical characteristic of the pump, and

a panel in the housing interior compartmentalizing the housing interior into two compartments isolated one from the other, the first component being confined solely within one of the compartments and the second component being confined solely within the other one of the compartments.

5. Art apparatus according to claim 1 or

wherein the at least one liquid flow characteristic tested by the first component includes liquid flow rate.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5

wherein the first component includes a load cell to measure liquid flow rate gravimetrically.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2

wherein the at least one liquid flow characteristic tested by the first component includes liquid occlusion pressure.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7

wherein the first component includes a pressure transducer to measure liquid pressure.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2

wherein the at least one electrical characteristic tested by the second component includes a measurement of electrical safety.

2. A pump testing apparatus comprising

a housing having an interior,

a first component in the housing interior adapted to be coupled in liquid flow communication with an external intravenous pump to test at least one liquid flow characteristic of the pump,

a second component in the housing interior adapted to be coupled electrically to the pump to test at least one electrical characteristic of the pump,

a panel in the housing interior compartmentalizing the housing interior into two compartments isolated one from the other, the first component being confined solely within a first one of the compartments and the second component being confined solely within the second one of the compartments, and

a controller in the second one of the compartments for operating the first component and the second component.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the controller operates in response to control signals received from an external host processor.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2

wherein the controller operates in response to control signals received from an external host processor.

10. A pump testing apparatus comprising

a housing having an interior,

a first component in the housing interior adapted to be coupled in liquid flow communication with an external intravenous pump to test liquid flow rate and pressure of liquid conveyed by the pump,

a second component in the housing interior adapted to be coupled electrically to the pump to test at least one electrical safety characteristic of the pump,

a panel in the housing interior compartmentalizing the housing interior into two compartments isolated one from the other, the first component being confined solely within one of the compartments and the second component being confined solely within the other one of the compartments, and

a controller in the second one of the compartments for operating the first component and the second component.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10

wherein the first component includes a receptacle for receiving liquid from the pump, and a load cell weighing the receptacle and the liquid it receives to measure liquid flow rate gravimetrically.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11

wherein the first component includes a valve communicating with the receptacle selectively operable to drain liquid from the receptacle.

13. An apparatus according to claim 10

wherein the first component includes a pressure transducer for sensing liquid pressure.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13

wherein the first component includes a valve selectively operable for preventing liquid flow in the first component downstream of the pressure transducer.

15. A pump testing apparatus having

a component adapted to be coupled in liquid flow communication with an external intravenous pump to test pressure of liquid conveyed by the pump, the component including

a pressure transducer for sensing liquid pressure,

an inlet adapted for attachment to pump tubing to convey liquid under pressure from the pump to the pressure transducer,

an outlet to convey liquid under pressure from the pressure transducer, and

a valve block comprising an integral body having a first interior passage coupling the inlet to the pressure transducer and a second interior passage coupling the pressure transducer to the outlet, and

a valve actuator connected to the integral body operable in a first mode to open communication between the first and second interior passages to convey liquid through the valve block under pressure from the pump for sensing by the pressure transducer and in a second mode to occlude the outlet to block liquid flow through the valve block and generate an occlusion pressure in the first interior passage for sensing by the pressure transducer.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15

wherein the inlet and pressure transducer are each coupled by pressure resistant connections to the integral body in communication with the first interior passage, and

wherein the outlet is also coupled by a pressure resistant connection to the integral body in communication with the second interior passage.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16

wherein at least one of the pressure resistant connections comprises a threaded connection.

18. An apparatus according to claim 15

wherein the component further includes a receptacle coupled to the outlet to receive liquid when the first actuator operates in its first mode and a load cell for weighing the receptacle and the liquid it receives to measure liquid flow rate gravimetrically.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18

wherein the component further includes a valve communicating with the receptacle selectively operable to drain liquid from the receptacle.

20. A system for testing an intravenous fluid pump comprising:

a test station including

a housing having an interior,

a first component in the housing interior adapted to be coupled in liquid flow communication with an external intravenous pump to test at least one liquid flow characteristic of the pump,

a second component in the housing interior adapted to be coupled electrically to the pump to test at least one electrical characteristic of the pump,

a panel in the housing interior compartmentalizing the housing interior into two compartments isolated one from the other, the first component being confined solely within a first one of the compartments and the second component being confined solely within the second one of the compartments, and

a controller in the second one of the compartments for operating the first component and the second component, and

a host processor coupled to the test station controller for generating control signals according to prescribed criteria to operate the first component and generate based thereon a first test output regarding the liquid flow characteristic tested by the first component and to operate the second component and generate based thereon a second test output regarding the electrical characteristic tested by the second component.

21. A system according to claim 20

wherein the at least one liquid flow characteristic tested by the first component includes liquid flow rate.

22. A system according to claim 21

wherein the first component includes a load cell to measure liquid flow rate gravimetrically.

23. A system according to claim 20

wherein the at least one liquid flow characteristic tested by the first component includes liquid occlusion pressure.

24. A system according to claim 23

wherein the first component includes a pressure transducer to measure liquid pressure.

25. A system according to claim 20

wherein the at least one electrical characteristic tested by the second component includes a measurement of electrical safety.

26. A system according to claim 20

and further including a reporting station coupled to the host processor for communicating at least one of the test outputs on alpha or numeric or alpha-numeric format.

27. A system according to claim 20

wherein the host processor includes memory for storing at least one of the test outputs in a database.

28. A system according to claim 27

wherein the host processor includes means for sorting the database according to specified criteria and generating a sorted output.

29. A system according to claim 28

and further including a reporting station coupled to the controller for communicating the sorted output in alpha or numeric or alpha-numeric format.

30. A pump testing apparatus comprising

a housing having an interior,

a first circuit component in the housing interior adapted to be coupled electrically to the pump to test at least one electrical characteristic of the pump,

a second circuit component in the housing interior including a processing element for transmitting control signals to the first circuit component,

at least one of the first and second circuit components including optical-isolation element for electrically isolating the first circuit component from the second circuit component,

a third component in the housing interior adapted to be coupled in liquid flow communication with an external intravenous pump to test at least one liquid flow characteristic of the pump, and

a panel in the housing interior compartmentalizing the housing interior into two compartments isolated one from the other, the first and second circuit components being confined solely within one of the compartments and the third component being confined solely within the other one of the compartments.

31. An apparatus according to claim 30

and wherein the processing element of the second circuit component generates control signals to operate the third component.

32. An apparatus according to claim 31

wherein the processing element operates in response to control signals received from an external host processor.