Extensible infusion devices and related methods

• US 10,307,528 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2015
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Lau, Belinda L., Seyed-Bolorforosh, Mirsaid, Keenan, Desmond Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, Nathan R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Anh
• Application Number:
  US14/642,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20160263315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 604 65- 67, 604131-155, 604506
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14208 with a programmable infusion control system, characterised by the infusion program
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14296 Pharmacokinetic models
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1587 suitable for being connected to an infusion line after insertion into a patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0007 introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3303 Using a biosensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/332 Force measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00

Abstract

Infusion systems, infusion devices, and related operating methods are provided. An exemplary method of operating an infusion device to deliver fluid to a user in accordance with an operating mode involves identifying a fluid type associated with the fluid currently onboard the infusion device from among a plurality of possible fluid types that is different from a previous type of fluid previously onboard the infusion device. The identified fluid type has pharmacokinetics characteristics that are different from pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the previous fluid type. The method continues by updating one or more parameters referenced by a control module of the infusion device implementing the operating mode to reflect the pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the identified fluid type and autonomously operating the infusion device to deliver the fluid of the identified fluid type to the user in accordance with the operating mode and the one or more updated control parameters.

Claims

1. A method of operating an infusion device to deliver fluid to a user in accordance with a closed-loop operating mode including a proportional-integral-derivative control system, the method comprising:

identifying, by a control module of the infusion device, a type associated with the fluid currently onboard the infusion device from among a plurality of possible fluid types, resulting in an identified fluid type different from a previous fluid type onboard the infusion device, the identified fluid type having first pharmacokinetics characteristics different from second pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the previous fluid type;

updating, by the control module, a gain coefficient value of the proportional-integral-derivative control system to an updated gain coefficient value associated with the identified fluid type to reflect the first pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the identified fluid type; and

autonomously operating the infusion device to deliver the fluid of the identified fluid type to the user in accordance with the closed-loop operating mode by generating dosage commands to deliver the fluid to regulate a physiological condition of the user to a target value in accordance with the proportional-integral-derivative control system using the updated gain coefficient value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying the type comprises identifying the type based on a feature of a reservoir containing the fluid.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the type comprises:

generating, on a display device associated with the infusion device, a graphical user interface including a list of the plurality of possible fluid types; and

identifying user selection of the identified fluid type from the list.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the gain coefficient value comprises:

determining, by the control module, the updated gain coefficient value based on the first pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the identified fluid type; and

updating a register coupled to the control module to include the updated gain coefficient value.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, prior to determining the updated gain coefficient value, downloading the first pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the identified fluid type from another device in response to identifying the type.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising obtaining the first pharmacokinetics characteristics from a memory of the infusion device, wherein the memory stores respective pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with each of the plurality of possible fluid types, each of the plurality of possible fluid types having respective pharmacokinetics characteristics different from respective pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with other fluid types of the plurality of possible fluid types.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the updated gain coefficient value comprises converting the gain coefficient value to the updated gain coefficient value based on a relationship between the first pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the identified fluid type and the second pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the previous fluid type.

14. The method of claim 1, the infusion device comprising a data storage element to maintain initial values for control parameters of the closed-loop operating mode, the control module being coupled to the data storage element, wherein:

updating the gain coefficient value referenced by the control module of the infusion device implementing the closed-loop operating mode comprises updating the gain coefficient value maintained by the data storage element to the updated gain coefficient value;

the updated gain coefficient value is different from the gain coefficient value;

the updated gain coefficient value reflects the first pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the identified fluid type; and

autonomously operating the infusion device comprises autonomously operating a motor of the infusion device to deliver the fluid to the user in accordance with the closed-loop operating mode using the updated gain coefficient value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the type associated with the fluid currently onboard the infusion device comprises detecting, by a sensing arrangement of the infusion device, a feature of a reservoir inserted into a housing of the infusion device, wherein the control module is coupled to the sensing arrangement to identify the type based on the feature detected by the sensing arrangement.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

downloading, by the control module via a communications interface coupled to the control module, the first pharmacokinetics characteristics from another device; and

converting, by the control module, the initial values to the updated values based on a relationship between the first pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the identified fluid type and the second pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the previous fluid type.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

downloading, by the control module via a communications interface coupled to the control module, the first pharmacokinetics characteristics from another device; and

converting, by the control module, the gain coefficient value to the updated values based on a relationship between the first pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the identified fluid type and the second pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the previous fluid type.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

autonomously operating the motor comprises the control module operating the motor to deliver the fluid of the identified fluid type using the updated gain coefficient value by generating a command for operating the motor based on a difference between a measurement value for the physiological condition of the user and the target value for the physiological condition of the user using the updated gain coefficient value.

8. A method of operating an infusion device to deliver fluid to a user in accordance with an operating mode, the method comprising:

identifying, by a control module of the infusion device, a type associated with the fluid currently onboard the infusion device from among a plurality of possible fluid types, resulting in an identified fluid type different from a previous fluid type onboard the infusion device, the identified fluid type having first pharmacokinetics characteristics different from second pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the previous fluid type;

updating, by the control module, a first value of a patient-specific parameter referenced by the control module when implementing the operating mode to reflect the first pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the identified fluid type, resulting in an updated value associated with the identified fluid type; and

autonomously operating the infusion device to deliver the fluid of the identified fluid type to the user by generating dosage commands to deliver the fluid in accordance with the operating mode in a manner that is influenced by the updated value.

9. A method of operating an infusion device to deliver fluid to a user in accordance with an operating mode, the method comprising:

identifying, by a control module of the infusion device, a type associated with the fluid currently onboard the infusion device from among a plurality of possible fluid types, resulting in an identified fluid type different from a previous fluid type onboard the infusion device, the identified fluid type having first pharmacokinetics characteristics different from second pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the previous fluid type;

updating, by the control module, a prediction time referenced by the control module when implementing the operating mode to reflect the first pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the identified fluid type; and

autonomously operating the infusion device to deliver the fluid of the identified fluid type to the user in accordance with the operating mode, wherein autonomously operating the infusion device comprises;

determining a predicted value for a physiological condition of the user, the predicted value corresponding to the prediction time into the future; and

automatically adjusting dosage commands for delivering the fluid in accordance with the operating mode in a manner that is influenced by the predicted value.

10. A method of operating an infusion device to deliver fluid to a user in accordance with an operating mode, the method comprising:

identifying, by a control module of the infusion device, a type associated with the fluid currently onboard the infusion device from among a plurality of possible fluid types, resulting in an identified fluid type different from a previous fluid type onboard the infusion device, the identified fluid type having first pharmacokinetics characteristics different from second pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the previous fluid type;

updating, by the control module, a value for a patient-specific notification threshold referenced by the control module when implementing the operating mode to reflect the first pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the identified fluid type, resulting in an updated patient-specific notification threshold value; and

autonomously operating the infusion device to deliver the fluid of the identified fluid type to the user in accordance with the operating mode, wherein autonomously operating the infusion device comprises automatically generating a user notification on a display device associated with the infusion device based on the updated patient-specific notification threshold value while operating the infusion device to deliver the fluid of the identified fluid type to the user in accordance with the operating mode.

11. A method of operating an infusion device in accordance with an operating mode, the method comprising:

autonomously operating the infusion device to deliver a first fluid to a user in accordance with the operating mode and first values for one or more parameters of the operating mode referenced by a control module of the infusion device implementing the operating mode, the first values being associated with a first fluid type of the first fluid;

identifying, by the control module, a second fluid type associated with a second fluid onboard the infusion device, the second fluid type having pharmacokinetics characteristics different from the first fluid type;

in response to identifying the second fluid type, automatically updating, by the control module, the one or more parameters referenced by the control module to second values associated with the second fluid type of the second fluid, the second values reflecting the pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the second fluid type; and

after updating the one or more parameters, autonomously operating the infusion device to deliver the second fluid to the user in accordance with the operating mode and the second values for the one or more parameters, wherein;

the one or more parameters include gain coefficients for a closed-loop control system;

the first values comprise first gain coefficient values;

the second values comprise second gain coefficient values;

autonomously operating the infusion device to deliver the first fluid comprises generating a first dosage command for operating a motor of the infusion device based on a first difference between a first measurement value for a physiological condition of the user and a target value for the physiological condition of the user using the first gain coefficient values; and

autonomously operating the infusion device to deliver the second fluid comprises generating a second dosage command for operating the motor of the infusion device based on a second difference between a second measurement value for the physiological condition of the user and the target value for the physiological condition of the user using the second gain coefficient values.

12. The method of claim 11, the first fluid being provided in a first reservoir inserted in the infusion device and the second fluid being provided in a second reservoir inserted in the infusion device after the first reservoir, wherein identifying the second fluid type comprises:

automatically detecting a feature of the second reservoir in response to the second reservoir being inserted in the infusion device; and

identifying the second fluid type based on the feature.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein automatically updating the one or more parameters comprises converting the first values to the second values based on a relationship between the pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the second fluid type and second pharmacokinetics characteristics associated with the first fluid type.