Detecting obstructions in enteral/parenteral feeding tubes and automatic removal of clogs therefrom
First Claim
1. A method of automatically clearing a tube in a pumped fluid system in response to detection of an obstruction, comprising the steps of:
- pumping a fluid through the tube under pressure control;
providing an obstruction signal upon detection of an obstruction in the tube; and
in response to said obstruction signal, applying a modified pressure control to the fluid in the tube to urge a clog which is causing the obstruction to move and thereby to expel the clog from the tube.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tube in a pumped fluid system can become obstructed by a clog. The clog is automatically cleared in response to an obstruction signal by modifying the pumping cycle which is normally used to pump the fluid. In particular, the pumping cycle is stopped after a compression stroke to apply sustained high pressure in the clogged tube, using the same fluid and the same pump, to expel the clog from the tube. The obstruction signal is derived by measuring pressure during a portion of the pumping cycle when elevated pressure due to viscosity effects have subsided. Therefore, if the pressure remains elevated, a determination of an obstructed state can reliably be made which may be caused by a clog.
107 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method of automatically clearing a tube in a pumped fluid system in response to detection of an obstruction, comprising the steps of:
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pumping a fluid through the tube under pressure control;
providing an obstruction signal upon detection of an obstruction in the tube; and
in response to said obstruction signal, applying a modified pressure control to the fluid in the tube to urge a clog which is causing the obstruction to move and thereby to expel the clog from the tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of automatically clearing a tube in a pumped fluid system in response to detection of an obstruction, comprising the steps of:
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pumping a fluid through the tube during a normal pumping cycle;
providing an obstruction signal upon detection of an obstruction in the tube; and
in response to said obstruction signal, modifying the normal pumping cycle to urge a clog which is causing the obstruction to move and thereby to expel the clog from the tube. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of automatically clearing a tube in a pumped fluid system in response to detection of an obstruction, comprising the steps of:
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pumping a fluid through the tube under pressure;
providing an obstruction signal upon detection of an obstruction in the tube; and
in response to said obstruction signal, modifying the pressure applied to the fluid in the tube to urge a clog which is causing the obstruction to move and thereby to expel the clog from the tube.
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19. Apparatus for automatically clearing a tube in a pumped fluid system in response to detection of an obstruction, comprising:
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means for pumping a fluid through the tube under pressure control;
means for providing an obstruction signal upon detection of an obstruction in the tube; and
means for applying a modified pressure control to the fluid in the tube, in response to said obstruction signal, to urge a clog which is causing the obstruction to move and thereby to expel the clog from the tube.
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20. Apparatus for automatically clearing a tube in a pumped fluid system in response to detection of an obstruction, comprising:
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means for pumping a fluid through the tube during a normal pumping cycle;
means for providing an obstruction signal upon detection of an obstruction in the tube; and
means for modifying the normal pumping cycle, in response to said obstruction signal, to urge a clog which is causing the obstruction to move and thereby to expel the clog from the tube.
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21. Apparatus for automatically clearing a tube in a pumped fluid system in response to detection of an obstruction, comprising:
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means for pumping a fluid through the tube under pressure;
means for providing an obstruction signal upon detection of an obstruction in the tube; and
means for modifying the pressure applied to the fluid in the tube, in response to said obstruction signal, to urge a clog which is causing the obstruction to move and thereby to expel the clog from the tube.
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22. A method for detecting an obstruction in a tube of a pumped fluid system, comprising the steps of:
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pumping fluid through the tube with a pumping cycle in one portion of which compliant components of the pumped fluid system are elastically expanded into an enlarged state due to raised fluid pressure therein;
obtaining a measurement related to pressure in another portion of the pumping cycle in which, in the absence of an obstruction, the compliant components return toward a normal state from said enlarged state; and
determining that an obstruction exists in the tube if said measurement exceeds a threshold level. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of detecting an obstruction in a tube of a pumped fluid system, comprising the steps of:
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pumping fluid through a tube with a pumping cycle having one portion which forces more fluid into the tube than is expelled therefrom, and another portion in which a net outflow of fluid from the tube occurs, in the absence of an obstruction;
obtaining a measurement related to pressure during said other portion of the pumping cycle; and
determining that an obstruction exists in the tube if said measurement exceeds a threshold level. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A method of detecting obstructions in a pumped system, comprising the step of:
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providing a pump having a pumping cycle that forces fluid from a pumping chamber into a tube during a compression stroke and at least partly refills the pumping chamber during a retraction stroke;
controlling the pump to pause for a selected period of time before the retraction stroke;
obtaining a measurement related to pressure in the tube resulting from the pause; and
determining that an obstruction is present if the measurement exceeds a threshold level;
wherein the period of time for said pause is selected to be long enough for the pressure in the tube to dissipate in a no-obstruction condition, even for a high viscosity fluid. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 37)
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36. A method of detecting obstructions in a pumped system, comprising the steps of:
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providing a pump having a pumping cycle that forces fluid from a pumping chamber into a tube during a compression stroke and at least partly refills the pumping chamber during a retraction stroke;
controlling the pump to pause for a selected period of time before the retraction stroke;
obtaining a measurement related to pressure in the tube resulting from the pause; and
determining that an obstruction is present if the measurement exceeds a threshold level;
wherein the period of time for said pause is selected to enable a substantial amount of the fluid to be expelled from the tube in the absence of an obstruction, even for a high viscosity fluid.
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38. Apparatus for detecting an obstruction in a tube of a pumped fluid system, comprising:
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means for pumping fluid through the tube with a pumping cycle in one portion of which the tube is elastically expanded into an enlarged state due to raised fluid pressure therein;
means for obtaining a measurement related to pressure in another portion of the pumping cycle in which, in the absence of an obstruction, the tube returns toward a normal state from said enlarged state; and
means for determining that an obstruction exists in the tube if said measurement exceeds a threshold level.
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39. Apparatus for detecting an obstruction in a tube of a pumped fluid system, comprising:
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means for pumping fluid through a tube with a pumping cycle having one portion which forces more fluid into the tube than is expelled therefrom, and another portion in which a net outflow of fluid from the tube occurs, in the absence of an obstruction;
means for obtaining a measurement related to pressure during said other portion of the pumping cycle; and
means for determining that an obstruction exists in the tube if said measurement exceeds a threshold level.
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40. Apparatus for detecting obstructions in a pumped system, comprising:
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means for providing a pump having a pumping cycle that forces fluid from a pumping chamber into a tube during a compression stroke and at least partly refills the pumping chamber during a retraction stroke;
means for controlling the pump to pause for a selected period of time before the retraction stroke;
means for obtaining a measurement related to pressure in the tube resulting from the pause; and
means for determining that an obstruction is present if the measurement exceeds a threshold level;
wherein the selected period of time for said pause is long enough for the pressure in the tube to dissipate in a no-obstruction condition, even for a high viscosity fluid.
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41. Apparatus for detecting obstructions in a pumped system, comprising:
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means for providing a pump having a pumping cycle that forces fluid from a pumping chamber into a tube during a compression stroke and at least partly refills the pumping chamber during a retraction stroke;
means for controlling the pump to pause for a selected period of time before the retraction stroke;
means for obtaining a measurement related to pressure in the tube resulting from the pause; and
means for determining that an obstruction is present if the measurement exceeds a threshold level;
wherein the selected period of time for said pause enables a substantial amount of the fluid to be expelled from the tube in the absence of an obstruction, even for a high viscosity fluid.
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Specification