Power management techniques for an infusion pump system

• US 8,287,514 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insulet Corporation, M2 Medical Group Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Asante Solutions, Inc
• Inventors: Miller, Steve, Mochel, Ken, Rich, David
• Primary Examiner(s): STIGELL, THEODORE J
• Application Number:
  US11/852,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20090069749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 604/890.1, 604151-154, 604/500, 417/411, 417/18
• US Class Current: 604/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1402 Priming
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14268 with a reusable and a disposable component
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/16863 Occlusion detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31518 designed to reduce the overall size of an injection device, e.g. using flexible or pivotally connected chain-like rod members
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/276 preventing unwanted use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• 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: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8237 Charging means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8262 connectable to external power source, e.g. connecting to automobile battery through the cigarette lighter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1413 Modular systems comprising interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump
• 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 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0066 : by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 : The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 : Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 : The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034

Abstract

Some embodiments of an infusion pump system can employ a number of power management techniques to avoid using substantially excessive power during operation of the pump drive system. Thus, the infusion pump system can draw upon the energy supply in an efficient manner that extends the useful life on the power supply. Furthermore, the infusion pump system can be configured estimate an amount of power remaining to operate the pump system without the requirement of directly detecting the remaining charge on power supply device (e.g., without detecting the remaining charge on a battery). As such, the infusion pump system can readily inform a user of a particular estimated amount of time remaining for medicine dispensing operations.

Claims

1. A method of administering medicinal fluid to a patient, the method comprising:

supplying a pattern of multiple voltage pulses from a rechargeable energy source to a drive system of a pump device to activate the drive system during a predetermined actuation time and dispense medicinal fluid from the pump device, a controller device changing a width or frequency of the multiple pulses in the pattern to apply during the predetermined actuation time in response to detecting that the drive system completed a medicine dispensing operation in less time or more time than the predetermined actuation time;

charging the rechargeable energy source with energy from a replaceable battery to maintain the rechargeable energy source at a charge level greater than a threshold charge level when the replaceable battery is in a non-depleted state;

adjusting the pattern of multiple voltage pulses to apply during the predetermined actuation time based on a voltage of the rechargeable energy source; and

outputting a user alert indicative of a remaining power supply based at least partially on the threshold charge level when the replaceable battery is in a depleted state or disconnected from electrical communication with the rechargeable energy source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern of multiple voltage pulses during the predetermined actuation time corresponds to an incremental dispensing from a series of incremental dispensings of the medicinal fluid.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pump device comprises a disposable and non-reusable instrument that houses the replaceable battery.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user alert indicative of the remaining power supply indicates an estimated amount of medicine dispensing time remaining.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the estimated amount of medicine dispensing time remaining is about 4 hours or greater from the time when the replaceable battery transitions to the depleted state or is disconnected from electrical communication with the rechargeable energy source.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the estimated amount of medicine dispensing time remaining is about 12 hours or greater from the time when the replaceable battery transitions to the depleted state or is disconnected from electrical communication with the rechargeable energy source.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the estimated amount of medicine dispensing time remaining comprises a predetermined amount of medicine dispensing time reduced by an amount of time indicated by an internal timer.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising detecting a rate of use of the infusion pump system and estimating the estimated amount of medicine dispensing time remaining based on the rate of use of the infusion pump system and the threshold charge level.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising maintaining the rechargeable energy source at a charge level greater than the threshold charge level by monitoring a voltage output level of the rechargeable energy source and charging the rechargeable energy storage module with energy from the replaceable battery when the voltage output level falls below a threshold voltage level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable energy source is housed in a reusable controller device having a user interface to display the user alert, the controller device being removably attached to the pump device, the controller device including control circuitry communicating signals to the drive system of the pump device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of supplying comprises delivering a pattern of voltage pulses from the rechargeable energy source to the drive system, the pattern of voltage pulses being correlated to an energy requirement profile defined by the drive system, and wherein one or more components of the drive system are actuated in response to the delivery of the pattern of voltage pulses so as to dispense the medicinal fluid from the pump device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises adjusting the pattern of voltage pulses based on a detected voltage output of the rechargeable energy source.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a time interval for the drive system to complete a medicine dispensing operation;

adjusting the energy requirement profile defined by the drive system based on the detected time interval and a predetermined actuation time; and

delivering a pattern of voltage pulses from the rechargeable energy source to the drive system of the pump device that correlates to the adjusted energy requirement profile defined by the drive system.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing the adjusted energy requirement profile in computer-readable memory in the pump device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of supplying comprises:

detecting a voltage output of the rechargeable energy source electrically connected to a drive system of the pump device;

determining a pattern of voltage pulses to be supplied to the drive system based on the detected voltage output; and

delivering the determined pattern of voltage pulses from the rechargeable energy source to the drive system of the pump device to actuate one or more components of the drive system to dispense the medicinal fluid from the pump device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the drive system defines an energy requirement profile to perform a medicine dispensing operation and the determined pattern of voltage pulses is correlated to the energy requirement profile of the drive system.

17. A method of administering medicinal fluid to a patient, the method comprising:

supplying a pattern of multiple voltage pulses from a rechargeable energy source to a drive system of a pump device to activate the drive system during a predetermined actuation time and dispense medicinal fluid from the pump device, a controller device changing a width or frequency of the multiple pulses in the pattern to apply during the predetermined actuation time in response to detecting that the drive system completed a medicine dispensing operation in less time or more time than the predetermined actuation time;

charging the rechargeable energy source with energy from a replaceable battery to maintain the rechargeable energy source at a charge level greater than a threshold charge level when the replaceable battery is in a non-depleted state; and

outputting a user alert indicative of a remaining power supply based at least partially on the threshold charge level when the replaceable battery is in a depleted state or disconnected from electrical communication with the rechargeable energy source.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pump device comprises a disposable and non-reusable instrument that houses the replaceable battery.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the user alert indicative of the remaining power supply indicates an estimated amount of medicine dispensing time remaining.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the estimated amount of medicine dispensing time remaining is about 4 hours or greater from the time when the replaceable battery transitions to the depleted state or is disconnected from electrical communication with the rechargeable energy source.