Systems and methods for controlled substance delivery network

• US 8,425,469 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Instech Laboratories, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jacobson Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Jacobson, Andrew D., Sommers, Jeff, Rose, Kenneth R., Klln, Rasmus T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, PRITESH ASHOK
• Application Number:
  US12/107,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20080306437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 604131-157, 604/67, 604/19, 604/246, 119/174, 119/158, 119/159, 119/656, 459/7, 460/4, 600/365, 370/351, 128/200.11
• US Class Current: 604/246
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2250/00 Specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps

Abstract

In various embodiments, multiple pumps may be used to deliver substances to multiple respective animals. A computer system may send/receive information to/from the pumps (e.g., to control and monitor various aspects of the pumps and/or store information associated with the pump). In some embodiments, the computer system may determine respective controlled delivery rates for the pumps (e.g., based in part on a weight of an animal receiving the substance from the respective pump) and send the determined controlled delivery rates to the respective pumps. The computer system may also receive user identifications from operators controlling a pump (e.g., in response to a pump alarm) and documentation indicators entered by the operator and/or pump to use in documenting pump activity.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of pumps operable to deliver a substance to a respective animal at a respective controlled delivery rate; and

a computer system communicatively coupled to at least two of the plurality of pumps;

wherein the computer system is operable to determine the respective controlled delivery rates of substance delivery based at least partially on a weight of the respective animal;

wherein the computer system is operable to communicate the determined respective controlled delivery rates to the at least two respective pumps of the plurality of pumps;

wherein the computer system is operable to receive a user identifier and a documentation indicator associated with a pump of the plurality of pumps; and

wherein the computer system is operable to store the user identifier and the documentation indicator.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one weight scale communicatively coupled to the computer system, wherein the at least one weight scale is operable to weigh at least one respective animal associated with at least one pump of the plurality of pumps;

and wherein weighing the at least one respective animal comprises weighing a cage containing the at least one respective animal.

3. The system of claim 1,

wherein the at least two of the plurality of pumps are operable to communicate with at least one of:

a personal digital assistant, a cell phone, or a smart card; and

wherein the computer system is operable to communicate with at least one of;

a personal digital assistant, a cell phone, or a smart card.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is further operable to generate a list of future substance amounts for syringes for at least two of the plurality of pumps of the plurality of pumps.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is further operable to receive a separate user identifier for each of at least two separate documentation indicators, and to store the separate user identifiers and separate documentation indicators.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is further operable to authenticate an operator using the received user identifier.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user identifier is an electronic signature stamp.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user identifier is a personal identification number (PIN) typed into the pump by an operator.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user identifier is electronically scanned or electronically transmitted into the pump.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the user identifier is a scanned user biometric comprising a scanned thumbprint or a scanned retina.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the documentation indicator is operable to indicate an alarm and an action taken to clear the alarm.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the documentation indicator is operable to indicate an observation of an operator.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the documentation indicator is received from a personal digital assistant communicating with a pump of the plurality of pumps or the computer system.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the computer system is operable to provide an interface to an operator for generating a menu; and

wherein the pump is operable to provide the menu to the operator, wherein a response to the menu from the operator is received as a documentation indicator.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system or a pump of the plurality of pumps comprises:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a beginning syringe weight, wherein the beginning syringe weight comprises a weight of a syringe with a substance for delivery to an animal;

receive an ending syringe weight, wherein the ending syringe weight is determined after delivering a portion of the substance in the syringe;

determine an actual volume output, wherein the actual volume output is at least partially determined using the beginning syringe weight and the ending syringe weight;

compare the actual volume output to an expected volume output, wherein the expected volume output is determined from a calculated controlled delivery rate delivered to a pump configured to pump the substance from the syringe; and

determine if the comparison of the actual volume output to the expected volume output is approximately within an acceptable validation deviation.

16. The system of claim 1,

wherein the computer system is operable to access respective calibration information for the at least two of the plurality of pumps;

and

wherein the computer system is further operable to prevent operation of a pump of the at least two pumps that are outside of a calibration interval or will be outside of the calibration interval during a study period.

17. The system of claim 1,

wherein the computer system is operable to determine an amount of a substance to load into a syringe;

wherein a computer system communicatively coupled to a pump, of the plurality of pumps, coupled to the syringe calculates the amount based at least partially on a controlled delivery rate assigned to an animal to receive the substance from the syringe; and

wherein the pump is operable to fill the syringe with the determined substance amount, wherein the pump is operable to receive the determined substance amount from the computer system.

18. The system of claim 1,

wherein the computer system is operable to send and receive information to and from the plurality of pumps;

wherein at least one pump of the plurality of pumps is operable to provide input data, received from an operator at the at least one pump, to the computer system.

19. A system, comprising:

a plurality of pumps operable to deliver a substance to a respective animal at a respective controlled delivery rate; and

a computer system communicatively coupled to at least two of the plurality of pumps;

wherein the computer system is operable to determine the respective controlled delivery rates of substance delivery;

wherein the computer system is further operable to communicate the determined respective controlled delivery rates to the at least two respective pumps of the plurality of pumps;

wherein the computer system is further operable to assign or receive assignments of one or more respective animals to a group of a plurality of groups, wherein the respective animals associated with the same group receive controlled delivery rates determined using at least one common variable.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer system is operable to assign or receive assignments of one or more of the plurality of pumps to a group of a plurality of groups and wherein the respective animals associated with the same group are associated with respective pumps of the same group.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of groups includes at least one substance concentration group and at least one control group.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein one group of the plurality of groups includes a high substance concentration group and one group includes a low substance concentration group, and wherein the respective pumps of the respective animals in the high substance concentration group receive respective controlled delivery rates determined using a higher substance concentration to animal weight ratio than the respective pumps of the respective animals in the low substance concentration group.

23. A system, comprising:

a plurality of pumps operable to deliver a substance to a respective animal at a respective controlled delivery rate; and

a computer system communicatively coupled to at least two of the plurality of pumps;

wherein the computer system is operable to determine the respective controlled delivery rates of substance delivery based at least partially on a weight of the respective animal, and to communicate the determined respective controlled delivery rates to the at least two respective pumps of the plurality of pumps;

wherein the computer system or a pump of the plurality of pumps comprises;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a beginning syringe weight, wherein the beginning syringe weight comprises a weight of a syringe with a substance for delivery to an animal;

receive an ending syringe weight, wherein the ending syringe weight is determined after delivering a portion of the substance in the syringe;

determine an actual volume output, wherein the actual volume output is at least partially determined using the beginning syringe weight and the ending syringe weight;

compare the actual volume output to an expected volume output, wherein the expected volume output is determined from a calculated controlled delivery rate delivered to a pump configured to pump the substance from the syringe; and

determine if the comparison of the actual volume output to the expected volume output is approximately within an acceptable validation deviation.

24. A system, comprising:

a plurality of pumps operable to deliver a substance to a respective animal at a respective controlled delivery rate; and

a computer system communicatively coupled to at least two of the plurality of pumps;

wherein the computer system is operable to determine the respective controlled delivery rates of substance delivery based at least partially on a weight of the respective animal, and to communicate the determined respective controlled delivery rates to the at least two respective pumps of the plurality of pumps; and

wherein the computer system is operable to access respective calibration information for the at least two of the plurality of pumps, and to prevent operation of a pump of the at least two pumps that are outside of a calibration interval or will be outside of the calibration interval during a study period.