Subject matter hereof relates generally to infusion pumps, and more particularly, to infusate tubing clamp systems for infusion pumps.
Infusion pumps are useful medical devices for managing the delivery and dispensation of many types of therapeutic infusates. Infusion pumps provide significant advantages over manual administration by accurately delivering infusates over an extended period of time. Infusion pumps are particularly useful for treating diseases and disorders that require regular pharmacological intervention, including cancer, diabetes, and vascular, neurological, and metabolic disorders. They also enhance the ability of healthcare providers to deliver anesthesia and manage pain. Infusion pumps are used in various settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and other short-term and long-term medical facilities, as well as in residential care settings. There are many types of infusion pumps, including ambulatory, large volume, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), elastomeric, syringe, enteral, and insulin pumps. Infusion pumps can be used to administer medication through various delivery methods, including intravenously, intraperitoneally, intra-arterially, intradermally, subcutaneously, in close proximity to nerves, and into an intraoperative site, epidural space or subarachnoid space.
Typically, when deploying an infusion pump for initial use with a particular patient or during various other procedures such as, for example, replacing a syringe in the pump, a hemostat or other separate mechanical clamping device can be employed to clamp or otherwise pinch and occlude the infusate tubing in a portion where the infusate exits the pump and leads to the patient. This separate task is typically performed so that, for example, infusate in the tubing does not leak out of tubing not yet connected to a patient or cause an unintended bolus delivery of infusate to a patient who is connected to the tubing. Such manual and rather disruptive, inefficient, and cumbersome tasks can cause difficulties in infusion protocols due to, for example, time needed to find hemostats or other clamping devices, manipulate them for placement on and occlusion of proper portions of infusate tubing, and then remove them after the intended occlusions are no longer needed. Furthermore, if the hemostat or other separate mechanical clamping device is inadvertently not removed after starting the infusion pump, an alarm may be triggered causing disruption and inefficiency in the patient's treatment or other procedure involving the pump as well.
Therefore it would be advantageous to provide integrated clamping and occlusion functionality with infusion pumps, to obviate a need for hemostats or other separate mechanical clamping devices and thereby minimize disruptions and inefficiencies in infusion protocols.
Embodiments described or otherwise contemplated herein substantially meet the aforementioned needs. For example, an infusate tubing clamp system for an infusion pump includes at least one movable tubing holder for removably securing a portion of infusate tubing. An actuator is operatively coupled to the at least one movable tubing holder. When the actuator is activated, the at least one movable tubing holder responsively and reversibly moves to a position that compressively clamps the portion of infusate tubing with sufficient force to temporarily and reversibly occlude the infusate tubing. In a feature and advantage of embodiments, the infusate tubing clamp system includes an infusion pump that is selected from a group consisting of a syringe pump, an ambulatory pump, a large volume pump, a peristaltic pump, and an elastomeric pump. In a feature and advantage of embodiments, the actuator is an electromechanical solenoid.
In an embodiment, an infusate tubing clamp system for an infusion pump includes at least one movable tubing holder for removably securing a portion of infusate tubing. An actuator is operatively coupled to the at least one movable tubing holder. An accelerometer is operatively coupled to the actuator. When the actuator is activated in response to a signal from the accelerometer, the at least one movable tubing holder responsively and reversibly moves to a position that compressively clamps the portion of infusate tubing with sufficient force to temporarily and reversibly occlude the infusate tubing. In a feature and advantage of embodiments, the infusate tubing clamp system includes an infusion pump that is selected from a group consisting of a syringe pump, an ambulatory pump, a large volume pump, a peristaltic pump, and an elastomeric pump. In a feature and advantage of embodiments, the actuator is an electromechanical solenoid.
In an embodiment, an infusate tubing clamp system for an infusion pump includes at least one tubing holder for removably securing a portion of infusate tubing. A tubing post is provided proximate to the at least one tubing holder. A rotatable clamp post is provided proximate to the tubing post; and an actuator is operatively coupled to the rotatable clamp post. When the actuator is activated, the rotatable clamp post responsively and reversibly rotates to a position that compressively clamps the portion of infusate tubing against the tubing post with sufficient force to temporarily and reversibly occlude the infusate tubing. In a feature and advantage of embodiments, the infusate tubing clamp system includes an infusion pump that is selected from a group consisting of a syringe pump, an ambulatory pump, a large volume pump, a peristaltic pump, and an elastomeric pump. In a feature and advantage of embodiments, the actuator is an electromechanical solenoid.
In an embodiment, an infusate tubing clamp system for an infusion pump includes at least one tubing holder for removably securing a portion of infusate tubing. A tubing post is provided proximate to the at least one tubing holder. A rotatable clamp post is provided proximate to the tubing post. An actuator is operatively coupled to the rotatable clamp post; and an accelerometer is operatively coupled to the actuator. When the actuator is activated in response to a signal from the accelerometer, the rotatable clamp post responsively and reversibly rotates to a position that compressively clamps the portion of infusate tubing against the tubing post with sufficient force to temporarily and reversibly occlude the infusate tubing. In a feature and advantage of embodiments, the infusate tubing clamp system includes an infusion pump that is selected from a group consisting of a syringe pump, an ambulatory pump, a large volume pump, a peristaltic pump, and an elastomeric pump. In a feature and advantage of embodiments, the actuator is an electromechanical solenoid.
In an embodiment, an infusate tubing clamp system for an infusion pump includes a first tubing guide member and a second tubing guide member, for removably guiding a portion of infusate tubing. The first tubing guide member is movable toward the second tubing guide member; and an actuator is operatively coupled to the first tubing guide member. When the actuator is activated, the first tubing guide member responsively and reversibly moves to a position that compressively clamps the portion of infusate tubing against the second tubing guide member with sufficient force to temporarily and reversibly occlude the infusate tubing. In a feature and advantage of embodiments, the infusate tubing clamp system includes an infusion pump that is selected from a group consisting of a syringe pump, an ambulatory pump, a large volume pump, a peristaltic pump, and an elastomeric pump. In a feature and advantage of embodiments, the actuator is an electromechanical solenoid.
In an embodiment, operation of an infusion pump includes an infusate tubing clamp system for the infusion pump. A method of the operation is selected from a group of preventing “crosstalk”, improving startup performance, running a pump motor in reverse to pull backwardly on a syringe plunger and thereby mitigate any unintended bolus of infusate that would otherwise be delivered from the syringe, providing a test of the pump motor, providing a test of a downstream occlusion sensor, providing a test of motor health, providing a test of motor rate error prevention, determining a presence and amount of air in infusate tubing, determining whether there may be a leak or a misconnection somewhere in the infusate's flow path, estimating an internal diameter of a syringe, and estimating a fluid volume capacity of a syringe.
Regardless of a particular infusate tubing clamp system as described by example or otherwise contemplated herein, embodiments herein are not limited to the examples explicitly provided. The above summary is not necessarily intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the subject matter hereof. The figures and the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.
Subject matter hereof may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the subject matter in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
While embodiments are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit subject matter hereof to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of subject matter hereof in accordance with the appended claims.
Actuation of moveable tubing holder 270b may be desired when, for example, a syringe is being replaced in the pump. In an embodiment, such actuation may be initiated by a user of the pump via a suitable control interface (such as, e.g., a user interface 180 as shown in
It is to be appreciated and understood that actuator 290 can also reversibly drive tubing holder 270b, to remove compressive force from tubing 250 (upwardly in
Actuation of rotatable clamp post 376 may be desired when, for example, a syringe is being replaced in the pump. In an embodiment, such actuation may be initiated by a user of the pump via a suitable control interface (such as, e.g., a user interface 180 as shown in
It is to be appreciated and understood that actuator 390 can also reversibly drive rotatable clamp post 376, to remove compressive force from tubing 350 (clockwise with reference to
In another embodiment, although not illustrated, an infusate tubing clamp system for an infusion pump includes two infusate tubing guide members which face each other. The tubing guide members can be characterized as being similar to holders 270 and 370 of
Actuation of the first tubing guide member may be desired when, for example, a syringe is being replaced in the pump as aforedescribed relative to the example embodiments of
Also as aforedescribed with reference to the example embodiments of
Although not specifically illustrated herein, it is also to be appreciated and understood that infusate tubing clamp systems for infusion pumps—as described by example or otherwise contemplated herein—could be useful for prevention of so-called “crosstalk” between separate infusates being delivered to a patient. For example, when two drugs are highly incompatible but are both being delivered to a patient in a “piggybacking” infusion protocol, there may be a risk of migration of one drug to the other. To mitigate this risk an infusate tubing clamp system could be activated manually, or even automatically by the system upon potential occurrence of such crosstalk by way of a suitable sensor and control technique (not illustrated).
Also although not specifically illustrated herein, it is also to be appreciated and understood that infusate tubing clamp systems for infusion pumps—as described by example or otherwise contemplated herein—could be useful for improving startup performance. In such an embodiment, an infusate tubing clamp system could be activated with the syringe plunger driven by the pump until a known pressure is achieved. The clamp system could then be released therefore starting the infusion with no or minimal delay. For example, in an embodiment of improved startup performance provided by an infusate tubing clamp system for an infusion pump, the pump would use its occlusion pressure sensor to detect a first pressure. The infusate tubing clamp system would then be activated, to temporarily occlude the tubing. The pump's motor would then be run to advance the syringe plunger until the pump's occlusion pressure sensor detects a second pressure that is of a selected higher pressure than the first pressure. A suitable microprocessor would be employed by or in the pump, to calculate the second pressure for a particular use of improved startup performance provided by the infusate tubing clamp system. In an embodiment, such calculation could take into account selected physical parameters such as certain syringe and/or tubing characteristics and thereby infer that the syringe plunger has been advanced far enough to effectively remove mechanical “slack”, “play”, or “backlash” from the drive train of the pump. In an embodiment, it could be possible to simply infer with reference to a pressure sensor coupled to the syringe or tubing that such slack, play, or backlash has been satisfactorily accommodated. As such, irrespective of a particular embodiment, force placed on the syringe plunger could be advantageously increased in a significantly shorter amount of time than if the motor simply ran (i) at its intended rate, as described in WIPO Applic. No. PCT/US2015/013049, filed on 27 Jan. 2015, and titled “Pump Startup Algorithms and Related Systems and Methods” (with the disclosure of this PCT application being incorporated herein, by reference thereto) or perhaps (ii) at a nominal rate for a predetermined time interval without benefit of pressure feedback information. After a selected time following occurrence of sensing the second pressure, the motor would then be stopped and the infusate tubing clamp system would be de-activated/opened, to remove the temporary occlusion of the tubing. In an embodiment, the selected time and the actions of stopping the motor and de-activating/opening the clamp would be controlled by the aforementioned microprocessor. It is also to be appreciated and understood that in an embodiment of an infusate tubing clamp system for an infusion pump, the system could command the pump's motor to run in reverse to pull backwardly on the plunger and thereby mitigate, reduce, or eliminate any unintended bolus of infusate that would otherwise be delivered to the patient due to, for example, a pressure that exceeded an optimal pressure for improved startup performance.
Also although not specifically illustrated herein, it is also to be appreciated and understood that infusate tubing clamp systems for infusion pumps—as described by example or otherwise contemplated herein—could provide several other internal features in addition to the aforedescribed user-facing features. For example, clamping the infusate tubing and increasing pressure within the tubing by activating the pump's motor to drive the pump could be used as a self-test of both the pump's motor and downstream occlusion sensor. Increasing the pressure even further could be used as a test of motor health or motor rate error prevention. Furthermore, a suitable embodiment of an infusate tubing clamp system could be used to determine a presence and amount of air in the infusate tubing. In this regard, the amount of air present in the infusate tubing could be roughly calculated by clamping the tubing and measuring how far the syringe has to travel before a specified pressure is reached. For example, in an embodiment of air detection provided by an infusate tubing clamp system for an infusion pump, the system could function analogously to the aforedescribed improved startup performance feature. In such an embodiment of air detection, the pump would use its occlusion pressure sensor to detect a first pressure. The infusate tubing clamp system would then be activated, to temporarily occlude the tubing. The pump's motor would then be run to advance the pump's syringe plunger driver until the occlusion pressure sensor detects a second pressure that is of a selected higher pressure than the first pressure. A suitable microprocessor would be employed by or in the pump, to calculate the second pressure versus forward displacement of the pump's syringe plunger driver for a particular use of air detection provided by the infusate tubing clamp system. In an embodiment, such calculation could take into account selected physical parameters such as certain syringe and/or tubing characteristics. A forward displacement of the syringe plunger driver that does not result in an increase of pressure to the second pressure that was expected or predicted by the microprocessor would thereby result in a conclusion that air may be present in the tubing, and/or there may be a leak or a misconnection somewhere in the infusate's flow path.
Also although not specifically illustrated herein, it is also to be appreciated and understood that infusate tubing clamp systems for infusion pumps—as described by example or otherwise contemplated herein—could provide yet another feature. For example, clamping the infusate tubing and increasing pressure within the syringe by activating the pump could be used to estimate the syringe's internal diameter and fluid volume capacity. Such estimate of the internal diameter could be used to reduce a number of possible syringes used in the pump, or to double-check or aid in verifying that a correct syringe has been selected for use in the pump. Such a feature could provide greater infusion safety by minimizing a chance of delivering an incorrect amount of medication to the patient. In this regard, a particular syringe pump may only be able to measure an external diameter of a syringe based on, e.g., travel or displacement of a syringe barrel holder or clamp in the pump when the syringe is installed in the pump; and various types and sizes of syringes may have similar diameters but dissimilar internal diameters. For example, some 3 mL and 1 mL syringes have similar external diameters but significantly different internal diameters. In an embodiment of this feature of syringe internal diameter detection provided by an infusate tubing clamp system as described by example or otherwise contemplated herein, the system could function analogously to the aforedescribed improved startup performance feature. In particular, the pump could use its occlusion pressure sensor to detect a first pressure. The infusate tubing clamp system could then be activated, to temporarily occlude the tubing. The pump's motor could then be run to advance the pump's syringe plunger driver until the occlusion pressure sensor detects a second pressure that is of a selected higher pressure than the first pressure. A suitable microprocessor could be employed by or in the pump, to calculate the second pressure versus forward displacement of the pump's syringe plunger driver for a particular syringe to approximately determine the internal diameter of the syringe. In an embodiment, such calculation could take into account selected physical parameters such as distance of travel of the plunger driver relative to the sensed occlusion pressure. A forward displacement of the syringe plunger driver that does not result in an increase of pressure to the second pressure that was expected or predicted by the microprocessor relative to selected physical syringe characteristics (e.g., outer diameter, length, etc.) could thereby result in a conclusion or alarm that an incorrect syringe may have been selected and installed in the pump.
Although described with particular reference to syringe pumps, it is to be appreciated and understood that the novel and inventive infusate tubing clamp systems that have been described by example or are otherwise contemplated herein may also be used with any suitable infusion pumps (such as, for example, so-called ambulatory pumps, large volume pumps, peristaltic pumps, and elastomeric pumps, etc.) provided that suitable components and systems thereof satisfactorily function in cooperation with the infusate tubing clamp systems according to subject matter hereof.
Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of subject matter hereof. It should be appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations and locations, etc. have been described for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may be utilized commensurate with the scope of subject matter hereof.
Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that subject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of subject matter hereof may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the subject matter hereof may comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, for example, it is to be appreciated and understood that a particular embodiment of subject matter hereof could have any number, more or fewer, of tubing holders 270a and 270c, and 370a and 370b, than shown in the example embodiments of
Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein.
For purposes of interpreting the claims of subject matter hereof, it is expressly intended that the provisions of Section 112, sixth paragraph of 35 U.S.C. are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US16/34015 | 5/25/2016 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62169115 | Jun 2015 | US |