INFUSION SYSTEM WHICH UTILIZES ONE OR MORE SENSORS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO MAKE AN AIR DETERMINATION REGARDING THE INFUSION SYSTEM

• US 20140358077A1
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Anatoly S. Belkin, Meriyan Oruklu, Paul T. Kotnik, Timothy L Ruchti
• Inventors: RUCHTI, TIMOTHY L., ORUKLU, MERIYAN, KOTNIK, PAUL T., BELKIN, ANATOLY S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,166,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/111
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/332 Force measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3334 Measuring or controlling the flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1684 by detecting the amount of infusate remaining, e.g. signalling end of infusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/365 Air detectors A61M5/1684 takes precedence; in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3626

Abstract

In one step of a method for infusing an infusion fluid, the infusion fluid is pumped through a fluid delivery line of an infusion system. In another step, measurements are taken with at least one sensor connected to the infusion system. In an additional step, an air determination is determined with at least one processor. The air determination is related to air in the fluid delivery line. The air determination is based on the measurements taken by the at least one sensor. The air determination is further based on: (1) medication information regarding the infusion fluid or infusion information regarding the infusion of the infusion fluid; or (2) multi-channel filtering of the measurements from the at least one sensor or non-linear mapping of the measurements from the at least one sensor; and statistical process control charts applied to the multi-channel filtered measurements or applied to the non-linear mapped measurements.

Claims

1. An infusion system for being operatively connected to a fluid delivery line and to an infusion container containing an infusion fluid, the infusion system comprising:

a pump;

at least one sensor connected to the pump or the fluid delivery line, the at least one sensor configured to indicate whether air is in the fluid delivery line;

at least one processor in electronic communication with the pump and the at least one sensor; and

a memory in electronic communication with the at least one processor, wherein the memory comprises programming code for execution by the at least one processor, and the programming code is configured to determine an air determination related to the air in the fluid delivery line based on measurements taken by the at least one sensor and on;

(1) medication information regarding the infusion fluid or infusion information regarding the infusion of the infusion fluid;

or

(2) multi-channel filtering of the measurements from the at least one sensor or non-linear mapping of the measurements from the at least one sensor; and

statistical process control charts applied to the multi-channel filtered measurements or applied to the non-linear mapped measurements.

2. The infusion system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a pressure sensor, a force sensor, an air sensor, a rate sensor, or a temperature sensor.

3. The infusion system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of different types of sensors.

4. The infusion system of claim 1 wherein the air determination comprises determining an end-of-container event when the infusion container has been emptied of the infusion fluid, determining a confidence level that the infusion system contains the air, or determining whether the air is in the infusion system.

5. The infusion system of claim 4 wherein the programming code is configured to determine the end-of-container event when the infusion container has been emptied of the infusion fluid.

6. The infusion system of claim 4 wherein the programming code is configured to determine the confidence level that the infusion system contains the air with the confidence level comprising a probability that the infusion system contains the air.

7. The infusion system of claim 4 wherein the programming code is configured to determine whether the air is in the infusion system.

8. The infusion system of claim 4 wherein the programming code is configured to determine the end-of-container event or the confidence level based on the medication information regarding the infusion fluid, wherein the medication information comprises a formulation of the infusion fluid, a rate of the infusion fluid, a duration of the infusion fluid, a viscosity of the infusion fluid, a therapy type of the infusion fluid, or a property of the infusion fluid.

9. The infusion system of claim 4 wherein the programming code is configured to determine the end-of-container event or the confidence level based on the infusion information regarding the infusion of the infusion fluid, wherein the infusion information comprises a volume of the infusion fluid in the infusion container or another parameter regarding the infusion.

10. The infusion system of claim 1 wherein the programming code is configured to determine whether the air is in the infusion system or to predict or forecast future measurements of the at least one sensor based on the multi-channel filtering of the measurements from the at least one sensor.

11. The infusion system of claim 1 wherein the programming code is configured to determine whether the air is in the infusion system based on the non-linear mapping of the measurements from the at least one sensor.

12. A method for infusing an infusion fluid comprising:

pumping infusion fluid through a fluid delivery line of an infusion system;

taking measurements with at least one sensor connected to the infusion system;

determining, with at least one processor, an air determination related to air in the fluid delivery line based on the measurements taken by the at least one sensor and on;

(1) medication information regarding the infusion fluid or infusion information regarding the infusion of the infusion fluid;

or

(2) multi-channel filtering of the measurements from the at least one sensor or non-linear mapping of the measurements from the at least one sensor; and

statistical process control charts applied to the multi-channel filtered measurements or applied to the non-linear mapped measurements.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the air determination comprises determining an end-of-container event when an infusion container has been emptied of the infusion fluid, determining a confidence level that the infusion system contains the air, or determining whether the air is in the infusion system.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the air determination comprises determining the end-of-container event when the infusion container has been emptied of the infusion fluid.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the air determination comprises determining the confidence level that the infusion system contains the air.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the air determination comprises determining whether the air is in the infusion system.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the determining the air determination is based on the medication information or the infusion information.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the determining the air determination is based on the medication information comprising a formulation of the infusion fluid, a rate of the infusion fluid, a duration of the infusion fluid, a viscosity of the infusion fluid, a therapy type of the infusion fluid, or a property of the infusion fluid.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the determining the air determination is based on the infusion information comprising a volume of the infusion fluid in an infusion container or another parameter regarding the infusion.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the determining the air determination is based on the multi-channel filtering of the measurements from the at least one sensor or on the non-linear mapping of the measurements from the at least one sensor;

and on the statistical process control charts applied to the multi-channel filtered measurements or applied to the non-linear mapped measurements.