Automated pressure limit setting method and apparatus

• US 9,162,023 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Barnes, Erik, Butterfield, Robert Dwaine
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall, Deanna K
• Application Number:
  US13/101,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20120283691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 604/65, 604/67, 604/151
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/16863 Occlusion detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/16868 Downstream occlusion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3334 Measuring or controlling the flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3355 Controlling downstream pump pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3362 with minimised length of fluid lines; Taking into account the elastic expansion of fluid lines to increase accuracy
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3372 Temperature compensation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/00 Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests vaccination appliances for veterinary use A61D1/025 ; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; combinations of vial and syringe for mixing or transferring their contents A61J1/20; holders for containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1407 Infusion of two or more substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16854 by monitoring line pressure

Abstract

A method of infusing a fluid includes receiving values of one or more infusion parameters for an infusion of a fluid. Based on the received infusion parameter values, an occlusion pressure threshold for the infusion of the fluid is automatically calculated. During the infusion, a fluid pressure value is sensed. An indication is provided responsive to whether a value of the sensed fluid pressure is greater than the occlusion pressure threshold.

Claims

1. A method of infusing a fluid, comprising:

selecting an identity of an infusion tubing connector or an infusion vascular access device used for the infusion of the fluid via a processor;

receiving values of one or more infusion parameters for an infusion of a fluid, wherein at least one of the one or more infusion parameters corresponds to a characteristic of an infusion tubing used for the infusion of the fluid or fluid viscosity;

calculating an occlusion pressure threshold for the infusion of the fluid;

sensing, during the infusion, fluid pressure; and

providing an indication responsive to whether a value of the sensed fluid pressure contravenes the occlusion pressure threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating the occlusion pressure threshold includes:

calculating a theoretical working pressure value; and

adding a noise margin pressure value to the theoretical working pressure value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

at least one received value associated with the receiving values of one or more infusion parameters is received via the processor from a database.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving patient dependent information, and wherein the noise margin pressure value is calculated using patient dependent information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving values of one or more infusion parameters comprises:

receiving, over a communication network, the one or more infusion parameters from a server.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the patient dependent information is received over a communication network from a server.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the calculating the theoretical working pressure includes calculating the theoretical working pressure based on an amount of total flow infusing through a common infusion pathway, a flow resistance value of the common infusion pathway and flow resistance values of any separate portions of the infusion pathway specific to a given pump.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reporting an estimated time to alarm (TTA) value to a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicating includes one of:

alerting a caregiver, stopping the infusion or pausing the infusion for a predetermined amount of time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the value of the fluid pressure is calculating by processing the sensed fluid pressure value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the processing comprises lowpass filtering the sensed fluid pressure value.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the occlusion pressure threshold responsive to a static operational parameter and a dynamic operational parameter.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the static operational parameter comprises patient medical information.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the dynamic operational parameter comprises statistical characteristics of the value of the sensed fluid pressure.

15. A machine-readable medium encoded with instructions for performing an infusion of a fluid, the instructions comprising code for:

receiving values of one or more infusion parameters, wherein at least one of the one or more infusion parameters is selected by a user via a processor and corresponds to a characteristic of an infusion tubing connector or an infusion vascular access device;

receiving values of one or more infusion parameters, wherein at least one of the one or more infusion parameters is a characteristic of an infusion tubing used for the infusion of the fluid, or fluid viscosity;

calculating an occlusion pressure threshold for the infusion of the fluid;

receiving, during the fluid infusion, a fluid pressure signal from a pressure sensor; and

providing an indication responsive to whether a value of the received fluid pressure signal contravenes the pressure threshold.