Method and apparatus for providing hydration fluid

• US 9,522,261 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hugh E. Montgomery, Michael Mythen
• Original Assignee: Hugh E. Montgomery, Michael Mythen
• Inventors: Montgomery, Hugh E, Mythen, Michael, Thorne, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayman, Imani
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Nilay
• Application Number:
  US13/574,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20130150823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/20 Arrangements for transferring or mixing fluids, e.g. from vial to syringe
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/22 with means for metering the amount of fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0409 with timers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1407 Infusion of two or more substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14232 Roller pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16877 Adjusting flow; Devices for setting a flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16895 by monitoring weight change, e.g. of infusion container
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing hydration fluids. The invention allows for a ‘background’ rate of providing a hydration fluid to be automatically supplied by an apparatus to a patient, for example intravenously, and for the patient to receive an extra amount of hydration fluid, or ‘bolus dose’, to be provided when the patient sends a signal to the apparatus. In preferred embodiments the background supply rate, the volume and rate of supply of the bolus dose and the maximum extra volume that can be provided as bolus doses in a given time can be set, for example, by a nurse.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to dispense hydration fluid, the apparatus comprising:

a signal input device configured to receive a signal from a user,

a control unit configured to determine, in response to the signal input device receiving the signal from the user, if first dispensing criteria are met, the first dispensing criteria being based on a dispensing history of a hydration fluid for oral ingestion,

the apparatus being configured such that a predetermined metered amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion is dispensed if it is determined by the control unit that the first dispensing criteria are met,

wherein the control unit is further configured, in response to the signal input device receiving the signal from the user, to determine if second dispensing criteria are met;

the second dispensing criteria being based on a dispensing history of a hydration fluid for intravenous delivery, and

wherein the apparatus is further configured such that a predetermined metered amount of the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery is dispensed, if it is determined that the second dispensing criteria are met.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control unit is further configured to determine how many times the predetermined metered amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion has been dispensed in a first predetermined period, and

wherein the control unit is configured to determine that the first dispensing criteria are met if it determines that the number of times the hydration fluid for oral ingestion has been dispensed in the first predetermined period is less than a first predetermined number of times.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined metered amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion is not more than 20 ml.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control unit is further configured to determine how many times the predetermined metered amount of the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery has been dispensed in a second predetermined period, and

wherein the control unit is configured to determine that the second dispensing criteria are met if it determines that the number of times the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery has been dispensed in the second predetermined period is less than a second predetermined number of times.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control unit is further configured, in response to the signal input device receiving the signal from the user, to determine a length of time since a predetermined metered amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion was dispensed, and

wherein the control unit is configured to determine that the first dispensing criteria are not met if the determined length of time is less than a predefined length of time.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control unit is further configured, in response to the signal input device receiving the signal from the user, to determine a total amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion and the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery dispensed in a third predetermined period, and

when the control unit is configured to determine that the first dispensing criteria are not met if the total amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion and the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery dispensed in the third predetermined period is greater than a predetermined amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion and the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to dispense a background flow of the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, the apparatus further comprising:

a mouth assembly comprising a switch, operable by the user to send the signal.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the switch is mouth operable.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the switch is a pressure switch.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined metered amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion is not more than 10 ml.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined metered amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion is not more than 5 ml.

13. A method for dispensing hydration fluid, the method comprising:

in response to a signal from a user, determining if first dispensing criteria are met, the first dispensing criteria being based on a dispensing history of a hydration fluid for oral ingestion,

if it is determined that the first dispensing criteria are met, dispensing a predetermined metered amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion,

in response to said signal from said user, determining if second dispensing criteria are met, the second dispensing criteria being based on a dispensing history of a hydration fluid for intravenous delivery, and

if it is determined that the second dispensing criteria are met, the method further comprises dispensing a predetermined metered amount of the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein:

determining if the first dispensing criteria are met further comprises determining a total amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion and the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery dispensed in a predetermined period, and

wherein the first dispensing criteria are not met if the total amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion and the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery dispensed in the predetermined period is greater than a predetermined amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion and the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery.

15. The method according to claim 13, the method further comprising dispensing a background flow of the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery.

16. The method according to claim 13, the method comprising:

wherein the signal from the user is provided via a switch forming part of a mouth assembly, and the hydration fluid for oral ingestion is dispensed through the mouth assembly.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the switch is mouth operable.

18. A method of treating dehydration, the method comprising:

in response to a signal from a patient, determining if first dispensing criteria are met, the first dispensing criteria being based on a dispensing history of a hydration fluid for oral ingestion,

if it is determined that the first dispensing criteria are met, orally dispensing a predetermined metered amount of the hydration fluid for oral ingestion, to the patient

in response to the signal from the patient, determining if second dispensing criteria are met, the second dispensing criteria being based on a dispensing history of a hydration fluid for intravenous delivery, and

if it is determined that the second dispensing criteria are met, the method further comprises intravenously dispensing a predetermined metered amount of the hydration fluid for intravenous delivery to the patient.