Infusion pump system and method

• US 10,232,108 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insulet Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bigfoot Biomedical, Inc.
• Inventors: Qi, Wenkang, Thrower, David, Brewer, Tracy
• Primary Examiner(s): Stiles, Amber
• Application Number:
  US15/217,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20160346465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14208 with a programmable infusion control system, characterised by the infusion program
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14268 with a reusable and a disposable component
• 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 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/33 Controlling, regulating or measuring
• 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 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/582 by tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• 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

Abstract

Some embodiments of an infusion pump system may be configured to detect when at least one component of the pump system is exposed to an impact above a threshold level. In particular embodiments, the infusion pump system can be equipped with a drive system detection system configured to detect when one or more components of the drive system are damaged or inoperable.

Claims

1. A medical infusion pump system, comprising:

a portable housing defining a space to receive a medicine;

a pump drive system to dispense medicine from the portable housing when the medicine is received in the space;

control circuitry that electrically communicates with the pump drive system to control dispensation of the medicine from the portable housing when the medicine is received in the space; and

a drive system detector comprising at least one electrically conductive element coupled to a component of the pump drive system, wherein the control circuitry disables the pump drive system in response to the drive system detector indicating damage to one or more components of the pump drive system.

2. The medical infusion pump system of claim 1, wherein the drive system detector is configured to detect a change in an electrical characteristic of said at least one electrically conductive element, and wherein the control circuitry is in electrical communication with the drive system detector so that the control circuitry initiates an alarm when the drive system detector detects that the electrical characteristic is substantially greater than zero.

3. The medical infusion pump system of claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive element of the drive system detector is mounted to a piston rod of the pump drive system and is in electrical communication with the control circuitry that includes computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium housed in the controller device that, when executed by a processor of the control circuitry, measures an electrical characteristic of the electrically conductive element mounted to the piston rod, and wherein the drive system detector shifts indicates damage to one or more components of the pump drive system when the electrical characteristic is substantially greater than zero.

4. The medical infusion pump system of claim 3, wherein the electrically conductive element mounted to the piston rod includes at least one of (i) an electrically conductive strip applied to the surface of the piston rod, (ii) an electrically conductive wire attached to the surface of the piston rod, and (iii) an electrically conductive wire embedded into the piston rod.

5. The medical infusion pump system of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive element comprises a conductive paint strip applied to a surface of a piston rod of the pump drive system and arranged in two substantially parallel lines that connect at a loop back proximate to a leading end of the piston rod to form a continuous U-shaped electrical path.

6. The medical infusion pump system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is housed in a controller housing that is removably attachable to the portable housing.

7. The medical infusion pump system of claim 6, wherein the pump drive system is housed in the portable housing, and one or more electrical contacts disposed on the controller housing are engageable with corresponding electrical contacts disposed on the portable housing when the controller housing is removably attached to the portable housing.

8. The medical infusion pump system of claim 1, wherein the drive system detector further comprises computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium of the control circuitry that, when executed by a processor of the control circuitry, measure an electrical characteristic of the electrically conductive element coupled to a component of the pump drive system.