Air detection system and method for detecting air in a pump of an infusion system

• US 9,995,611 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Inventors: Ruchti, Timothy L., Markey, Brian G., Belkin, Anatoly S., Kotnik, Paul T., Khair, Mohammad M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Satanovsky, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cordero, Lina
• Application Number:
  US13/851,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20130261993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 702 50
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/331 used as turbidity change detectors, e.g. for priming-blood or plasma-hemoglubine-interface detection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/0081 systems, control, safety measures
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 51/00 Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/74 Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid

Abstract

Various systems and methods for detecting air in a chamber of an infusion system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a determination is made that air is contained in the chamber on the basis of a change in the average force exerted against the plunger utilizing a derivative spike for event detection and a systematic reduction in the average force to confirm the nature of the change. In another embodiment, a determination is made that the chamber contains air when a difference between the current force profile and a baseline force profile crosses a threshold. In an additional embodiment, a force profile is classified as being an air force profile or a liquid force profile based on extracted features of the force profile.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an infusion system based on detecting air in a chamber of the infusion system, the infusion system comprising a pump and a plunger moveably disposed against the chamber, the chamber configured to hold fluid, the electronic method comprising:

controlling an actuator device configured to move the plunger against the chamber;

detecting, with a sensor, a measurement of force acting on the plunger as it moves against the chamber;

determining a change in force per unit volume of the fluid at a first time during infusion;

determining the change in force per unit volume satisfies a threshold at the first time;

determining a difference between a first average force acting on the plunger prior to the first time and a second average force acting on the plunger after a delay time from the first time;

determining the difference satisfies a force differential;

detecting a presence of air in the chamber based on the determination of the difference satisfying the force differential and the determination of the change in force satisfying the threshold; and

shutting down the pump based on the detection of the presence of air.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the change in force per unit volume comprises a derivative of the force acting on the plunger per delivered volume of the fluid.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the delay time corresponds to one or more cycles of the plunger against the chamber.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first average force comprises an average of force acting on the plunger over a defined baseline range occurring before the first time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first average force represents force acting on the plunger when the chamber comprises fluid at a particular level.

6. A system for controlling an infusion system based on detecting air in a chamber of the infusion system, the infusion system comprising a pump and a plunger moveably disposed against the chamber, the chamber configured to hold fluid, the system comprising:

an actuator device configured to move the plunger against the chamber;

a sensor configured to detect a force acting on the plunger as it moves against the chamber; and

one or more hardware processors configured to;

determine a change in force per unit volume of the fluid at a first time during infusion;

determine the change in force per unit volume satisfies a threshold at the first time;

determine a difference between a first average force acting on the plunger prior to the first time and a second average force acting on the plunger after a delay time from the first time;

determine the difference satisfies a force differential;

detect a presence of air in the chamber based on the determination of the difference satisfying the force differential and the determination of the change in force satisfying the threshold; and

shutting down the pump based on the detection of the presence of air.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the determination of the change in force per unit volume satisfying the threshold further comprises determining the change in force per unit volume crosses the threshold more than once in a time period after the first time, wherein the time period is less than or equal to the delay time.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the change in force per unit volume comprises a change in derivative of force with respect to per unit volume.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the delay time is measured with respect to volume of fluid delivered.

10. A system for controlling an infusion system based on detecting air in a chamber of the infusion system, the infusion system comprising a pump and a plunger moveably disposed against the chamber, the chamber configured to hold fluid, the system comprising one or more hardware processors configured to:

receive a measurement of force acting on the plunger as it moves against the chamber;

determine a change in force per unit volume of the fluid at a first time during infusion;

determine the change in force per unit volume satisfies a threshold at the first time;

determine a difference between a first average force acting on the plunger prior to the first time and a second average force acting on the plunger after a delay time from the first time;

determine the difference satisfies a force differential;

detect a presence of air in the chamber based on the determination of the difference satisfying the force differential and the determination of the change in force satisfying the threshold; and

shutting down the pump based on the detection of the presence of air.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the determination of the change in force per unit volume satisfying the threshold further comprises determining the change in force per unit volume crosses the threshold more than once in a time period after the first time, wherein the time period is less than or equal to the delay time.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the change in force per unit volume comprises a change in derivative of force with respect to per unit volume.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the delay time is measured with respect to volume of fluid delivered.