Billing method for pump usage

• US 7,933,817 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boehringer Technologies LP (Boehringer Laboratories, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Boehringer Technologies LP (Boehringer Laboratories, Inc.)
• Inventors: Radl, Christopher L., Karpowicz, John, Boehringer, John R., Klocek, Kevin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARIKH, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US11/818,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20080005000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34, 705/2, 604/313, 604/319, 604/317
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/80 Suction pumps A61M1/64, A61M1/71, A61M60/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/09 Flow through the pump
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2207/043 of time
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/06 Control using electricity regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/1657 the picking arrangements using suction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/06 for inflating-pumps
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Disclosed are methods of leasing or billing for the usage of a portable suction pump adapted for use in a suction-assisted would treatment system. The pump has means for recording time units corresponding to periods of time when the pump is operating and for providing reports of usage time. The pump further has means for detecting that the wound treatment system is operating normally so as to be compliant with standards for suction wound treatment, and for recording and reporting time of normal operation or compliant usage. The methods include leasing the pump at a payment schedule that is based upon the amount of actual usage time or the amount of compliant usage time. The lease payment may include an amount of pre-paid time units such that unused time units can be credited to a new or renewed lease for a replacement pump. The billing methods can also be based in whole or in part on a planned maintenance schedule for the pump.

Claims

1. A method of billing for the usage of a portable suction pump for suction-assisted wound treatment, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a portable suction pump to a user for treating a wound;

(b) inputting data, by the user, into a user interface of the pump, the data related to compliant operation of the pump, wherein compliant operation is operation of the pump when medically effective suction is being applied to a wound;

(c) operating the pump by the user;

(d) measuring pump negative pressure from the wound using an instrumentation sensor selected from the group consisting of a pressure sensor and a flow sensor;

(e) determining the compliant operation of the pump by a monitoring system of the pump;

(f) recording and accumulating time units of compliant operation by a timing subsystem of the pump,

(g) reporting time units of compliant operation by a reporting subsystem of the pump; and

(h) billing for the pump at a payment schedule that is based at least in part upon the recorded compliant operation.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

including in the payment schedule a pre-payment for pre-programmed time units;

comparing the recorded time units of compliant operation with the pre-programmed time units to determine unused time units; and

providing a credit or partial return of payment for said unused time units.

3. The method as in claim 2, the method further comprising the step of:

changing the pre-programmed time units using the user interface.

4. The method as in claim 1, the pump further being adapted for reporting recorded time units, the method further comprising the steps of:

requesting a report from the pump using the user interface; and

receiving the report from the pump using the user interface.

5. The method as in claim 4, further comprising the step of:

assessing a fee corresponding to the report.

6. The method as in claim 4, wherein the user interface comprises one or more of a keypad, a user-viewable display, and a data port for connecting to an electronic device adapted for requesting and/or receiving the report.

7. The method of billing of claim 1, wherein compliant operation is when suction is in a predetermined range about a pressure setpoint, wherein the pressure setpoint is a pressure value selectable by an operator.

8. The method of billing of claim 7, wherein the predetermined range about a pressure setpoint is a range of about ±

25 mm Hg about the pressure setpoint.

11. The method as in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

providing a lease option to return the pump for a replacement pump; and

applying the credit or partial return of payment to a lease payment for the replacement pump.

9. A method of leasing a portable suction pump for suction-assisted wound treatment, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a portable suction pump to a user for treating a wound,

(b) inputting data, by the user into a user interface of the pump, the data related to compliant operation of the pump, wherein compliant operation is operation of the pump when medically effective suction is being applied to a wound;

(c) operating the pump by the user;

(d) measuring pump negative pressure from the wound using an instrumentation sensor selected from the group consisting of a pressure sensor and a flow sensor;

(e) determining the compliant operation of the pump by a monitoring system of the pump;

(f) recording and accumulating time units of compliant operation by a timing subsystem of the pump capable of delivering a predetermined quantity of time units of compliant operation,

(g) reporting time units of compliant operation by a reporting subsystem of the pump; and

(h) computing a lease payment component corresponding to the predetermined amount of compliant operation.

10. The method as in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

comparing the recorded amount of time units of compliant operation with the predetermined quantity of time units of compliant operation to determine an amount of unused compliant operation; and

providing a credit or partial return of payment corresponding to the amount of unused compliant operation.

12. The method as in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

requesting a report from the pump using the user interface; and

receiving the report from the pump using the user interface.

13. The method as in claim 12, further including the step of:

assessing a fee corresponding to the report.

14. The method as in claim 9, wherein the user interface comprises one or more of a keypad, a user-viewable display, and a data port for connecting to an electronic device adapted for requesting and/or receiving the report.

15. The method of billing of claim 9, wherein compliant operation is when suction is in a predetermined range about a pressure setpoint, wherein the pressure setpoint is a pressure value selectable by an operator.

16. The method of billing of claim 15, wherein the predetermined range about a pressure setpoint is a range of about ±

25 mm Hg about the pressure setpoint.

26. The pump as in claim 9, further comprising the user interface to request a report from the reporting subsystem and to receive the report from the reporting subsystem.

27. The pump as in claim 26, wherein a fee is charged corresponding to the report.

28. The pump as in claim 9, wherein the user interface comprises a keypad and a user-viewable display.

29. The pump as in claim 9, wherein the user interface comprises a data port for connecting to an electronic device adapted for requesting and/or receiving the report.

17. A method of leasing a portable suction pump in a suction-assisted wound treatment system, comprising:

(a) providing the pump to a user for treating a wound, the pump having means for detecting compliant operation of the system, the pump being adapted for recording operation time units and for recording compliant operation time units, wherein compliant operation time units are time units where operation of the pump causes medically effective suction to be applied to a wound,

(b) inputting data, by the user into a user interface of the pump, the data related to compliant operation of the pump;

(c) operating the pump by the user;

(d) measuring pump negative pressure from the wound using an instrumentation sensor selected from the group consisting of a pressure sensor and a flow sensor;

(e) determining the compliant operation of the pump by a monitoring system of the pump;

(f) recording and accumulating time units of operation by a timing subsystem of the pump;

(g) recording and accumulating time units of compliant operation by the timing subsystem of the pump,

(h) relating the accumulated time units of operation and the accumulated time units of compliant operation to a standard for determining a compliant treatment factor for wound healing; and

(i) leasing the pump at a payment schedule that is based at least in part on the compliant treatment factor.

18. The method as in claim 17, wherein the means for detecting compliant operation is a device for monitoring flow rate into the pump, comparing the flow rate to a reference flow rate, and indicating compliant operation when the flow rate is within a range of the reference flow rate.

19. The method as in claim 17, the pump being further adapted for reporting the recorded time units of operation and the recorded time units of compliant operation, the method further comprising the steps of:

requesting a report from the pump using the user interface, the report comprising an indication of one or more of said recorded time units of operation, said recorded time units of compliant operation, and said compliant treatment factor; and

receiving the report from the pump using the user interface.

20. The method as in claim 19, further comprising the step of assessing a fee corresponding to the report.

21. The method as in claim 19, wherein the user interface comprises one or more of a keypad, a user-viewable display, and a data port for connecting to an electronic device.

22. The method of claim 17, where compliant operation is when suction is in a predetermined range about a pressure setpoint, wherein the pressure setpoint is a pressure value selectable by an operator.

23. The method of billing of claim 22, wherein the predetermined range about a pressure setpoint is a range of about ±

25 mm Hg about the pressure setpoint.

24. A method of billing for usage of suction-assisted wound treatment system, comprising the steps of:

providing a system comprising a pump having a user interface for receiving input from a user on pump operation, a monitoring system, a reporting subsystem, and a timing subsystem;

measuring pump negative pressure from the wound using a flaw rate monitor;

detecting operation of the system using the flow rate monitor;

accumulating and recording time units of operation, by the timing subsystem;

determining, by the monitoring system, compliant time of operation of the system using the flow rate monitor, wherein compliant time of operation is time of operation of the pump when medically effective suction is being applied to a wound;

accumulating and recording time units of compliant operation, by the timing subsystem;

relating and reporting, by the reporting subsystem, the ratio of the recorded time units of compliant operation and the recorded time units of operation to a standard for determining a compliant treatment factor for wound healing; and

billing at a payment schedule that is based at least in part on the compliant treatment factor and is based at least in part upon the recorded time units of operation.

25. A portable suction pump adapted for use in a suction-assisted wound treatment system, comprising:

a user interface to input data by a user, the data related to compliant operation of the pump, wherein compliant operation is operation of the pump when medically effective suction is being applied to a wound;

a monitoring system to monitor pump operation, said monitoring system including a flow rate monitor to determine compliant operation of the system, wherein the monitoring system is adapted to determine compliant operation of the pump; and

a timing subsystem to record time units of compliant operation,

a reporting subsystem for reporting the time units of compliant operation;

wherein the pump is leased on a payment schedule that is based at least in part on the recorded time units of compliant operation.