Retrofittable aspiration prevention mechanism for patients
First Claim
1. A device to prevent aspiration of gastric fluids by a patient being fed or medicated through a gastric tube connected to a feeding pump, said device comprising:
- an angle sensor capable of being affixed to an external portion of a chest of the patient, said sensor providing an angular electrical signal indicative of the sensor'"'"'s angular position;
an electrical control circuit that receives said angular signal and compares it to a threshold angle, said electrical control circuit generating a wireless control signal when the angular signal indicates a position of the sensor lower than the threshold; and
a power switch that controllably supplies power to the feeding pump, said power switch receiving said wireless control signal and turning off power to the feeding pump in response to receipt of the wireless control signal, whereby material in the gastric tube is caused to stop flowing.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device is employed that can be retrofit onto existing feed pumps to remediate the problem of fluid aspiration in patients being fed through a feeding tube from the pump. In one embodiment the feeding pump is plugged into the device which is plugged into a power outlet. A patient angle sensor triggers power cutoff to the pump and stoppage of fluid flow. The angle sensor and operating program may be part of a smart phone. Power to the pump may be shut off due to a BLUETOOTH® signal from the smart phone to a BLUETOOTH® controlled power strip into which the pump is plugged to receive power.
24 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A device to prevent aspiration of gastric fluids by a patient being fed or medicated through a gastric tube connected to a feeding pump, said device comprising:
-
an angle sensor capable of being affixed to an external portion of a chest of the patient, said sensor providing an angular electrical signal indicative of the sensor'"'"'s angular position; an electrical control circuit that receives said angular signal and compares it to a threshold angle, said electrical control circuit generating a wireless control signal when the angular signal indicates a position of the sensor lower than the threshold; and a power switch that controllably supplies power to the feeding pump, said power switch receiving said wireless control signal and turning off power to the feeding pump in response to receipt of the wireless control signal, whereby material in the gastric tube is caused to stop flowing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A device to prevent aspiration of gastric fluids by a patient being fed or medicated through a gastric tube connected to a feeding pump, said device comprising:
-
a smart phone that includes a microprocessor and an accelerometer/inclinometer device, said smart phone running an inclinometer application on its microprocessor that provides an angular electrical signal indicative of the phone'"'"'s angular position, said smart phone being attachable to an external portion of a chest of the patient, said smart phone further running an electrical control application on its microprocessor that receives said angular signal and compares it to a threshold angle, said electrical control application invoking a wireless control signal when the angular signal indicates a position of the sensor lower than the threshold angle; and a power switch that controllably supplies power to the feeding pump, said power switch receiving said wireless control signal and turning off power to the feeding pump in response to receipt of the wireless control signal, whereby material in the gastric tube is caused to stop flowing. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
Specification