Medicinal fluid delivery systems and methods for priming the same

• US 8,197,438 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Beck, Timothy L., Allen, Janette, Burke, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERDICHEVSKY, AARTI
• Application Number:
  US12/646,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20110152757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 604/65, 604/67, 604/131, 604/151
• US Class Current: 604/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1402 Priming
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1403 Flushing or purging
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1452 pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16831 Monitoring, detecting, signalling or eliminating infusion flow anomalies low-level float-valves causing cut-off A61M5/40; indicating or recording presence, absence or direction of flow in general G01P13/0066
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/365 Air detectors A61M5/1684 takes precedence; in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3626

Abstract

Medicinal fluid delivery systems and methods for priming the same are disclosed. The systems may be configured to measure an electro-transmissive quality of a medicinal fluid when: medicinal fluid is dispensed into a fluid delivery path, a proximal end of the fluid delivery path is in contact with a first electrode, and the distal end of the fluid delivery path is in contact with a second electrode. Methods for priming medicinal fluid delivery systems may include dispensing a medicinal fluid through a fluid delivery path, sensing an electro-transmissive quality of the medicinal fluid, and determining that the fluid delivery path is full based on the electro-transmissive quality.

Claims

1. A medicinal fluid delivery system comprising:

a controller configured to detect when a fluid delivery path is volumetrically full with a medicinal fluid;

a medicinal fluid pump operably connected to the controller and fluidically connected to a tube comprising at least a portion of the fluid delivery path, wherein the fluid delivery path comprises a proximal end and a distal end;

a first electrode in electrical communication with the controller; and

a second electrode in electrical communication with the controller wherein, the controller is configured to measure an electro-transmissive quality of the medicinal fluid when;

the pump dispenses the medicinal fluid into the fluid delivery path;

the proximal end is in contact with the first electrode; and

the distal end is in contact with the second electrode;

wherein the controller is further configured to provide an indication that the entire fluid delivery path from the proximal end to the distal end is volumetrically full when the controller detects that the entire fluid delivery path is volumetrically full with the medicinal fluid.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the indication is tactile, an audible sound or a visible light.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the pump is configured to automatically stop dispensing the medicinal fluid into the fluid delivery path when the controller detects that the fluid delivery path is volumetrically full with the medicinal fluid.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to detect that the fluid delivery path is volumetrically full with the medicinal fluid based on the electro-transmissive quality.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the electro-transmissive quality is a current, an impedance or an admittance.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to detect a fluidic effervescence of the medicinal fluid based on the electro-transmissive quality.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the controller is configured to reduce the fluidic effervescence of the medicinal fluid via a fluidic agitation or by transmitting a fragmenting signal from the first electrode to the second electrode.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the controller is configured to provide an alert based on the fluidic effervescence of the medicinal fluid.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the controller is configured to detect that the fluid delivery path is volumetrically full with the medicinal fluid based on the electro-transmissive quality.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the pump is configured to provide a sterile fluid path when the proximal end is in contact with the first electrode and the distal end is in contact with the second electrode.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the pump is configured to reclaim any of the medicinal fluid that is dispensed beyond the distal end.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the pump comprises the first electrode and the second electrode.

13. A medicinal fluid delivery system comprising:

a medicinal fluid pump operably connected to a controller;

a fluid delivery path at least partially within a tube wherein, the tube is in fluidic communication with the pump and the fluid delivery path comprises a proximal end and a distal end;

a first electrode disposed on the pump and in electrical communication with the controller, wherein the first electrode is in contact with the proximal end; and

a second electrode disposed on the pump and in electrical communication with the controller, wherein when the second electrode is in contact with the distal end and the pump dispenses a medicinal fluid into the fluid delivery path, the controller is configured to;

measure an electro-transmissive quality of the medicinal fluid;

detect that the fluid delivery path is filled with the medicinal fluid based on the electro-transmissive quality;

detect a fluidic effervescence of the medicinal fluid based on the electro-transmissive quality; and

reduce the fluidic effervescence of the medicinal fluid via a manual agitation, a fluidic agitation or a fragmenting signal.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the pump is configured to reclaim any of the medicinal fluid that is dispensed beyond the distal end.

15. A method for priming a medicinal fluid delivery system comprising:

dispensing a medicinal fluid through a fluid delivery path at least partially within a tube, wherein the fluid delivery path comprises a proximal end and a distal end;

sensing an electro-transmissive quality of the medicinal fluid between a first electrode in contact with the proximal end and a second electrode in contact with the distal end; and

determining that the fluid delivery path is full based on the electro-transmissive quality.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising reclaiming any of the medicinal fluid that is dispensed beyond the distal end.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

detecting a fluidic effervescence of the medicinal fluid based on the electro-transmissive quality.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

transmitting a fragmenting signal from the first electrode to the second electrode; and

reducing the fluidic effervescence of the medicinal fluid.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

agitating the medicinal fluid; and

reducing the fluidic effervescence of the medicinal fluid.