Patent Grant
10141882
Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate generally to motor controls and related medical devices, and more particularly, embodiments of the subject matter relate to dynamic control of motors in fluid infusion devices using a modulated voltage.
Infusion pump devices and systems are relatively well-known in the medical arts, for use in delivering or dispensing an agent, such as insulin or another prescribed medication, to a patient. A typical infusion pump includes a pump drive system which typically includes a small motor and drive train components that convert rotational motor motion to a translational displacement of a stopper (or plunger) in a reservoir. The reservoir cooperates with tubing, a catheter and/or an infusion set to create a fluid path for carrying medication from the reservoir to the body of a user. Some fluid infusion devices also include a force sensor designed to detect and indicate a pump malfunction and/or non-delivery of the medication to the patient due to a fluid path occlusion.
Stepper motors may be used to displace the stopper by a precise amount, and thereby control the dosage administered to a user. Traditionally, a stepper motor is supplied with a direct current (DC) voltage to control and/or maintain position, and thus, the stepper motor continuously consumes power during use. Additionally, stepper motors are frequently controlled using an open-loop control scheme, where the voltage applied to the stepper motor is chosen to be large enough to ensure the stepper motor provides torque that meets or exceeds the likely maximum requirements of the system, thereby ensuring that the stepper motor achieves a number of commanded steps and obviating the need for feedback mechanisms to monitor the position. However, most infusion pump devices and other portable medical devices are battery powered, and accordingly, it is desirable to reduce the power consumption of the stepper motor and prolong battery life.
An embodiment of a motor control system is provided. The system includes a motor having a rotor, a modulation module coupled to the motor, and a control module coupled to the motor and the modulation module. The modulation module generates a modulated voltage that is applied to the motor, and the control module adjusts a duty cycle of the modulated voltage to achieve a commanded rotation of the rotor and detects a degradation condition based on the duty cycle.
Also provided is an embodiment of an infusion device. The infusion device includes a motor having a rotor and a shaft mechanically coupled to the rotor that is displaced to deliver fluid in response to rotation of the rotor. A modulation module is coupled to the motor and generates a modulated voltage that is applied to the motor. A control module is coupled to the modulation module to adjust a duty cycle of the modulated voltage to achieve a commanded rotation of the rotor and identify a degradation condition based on the duty cycle.
In another embodiment, a method for detecting degradation in a drive system is provided. The method involves applying a modulated voltage to a motor, adjusting a duty cycle of the modulated voltage to achieve a commanded rotation of a rotor of the motor, and identifying a degradation condition based on the duty cycle.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A more complete understanding of the subject matter may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in conjunction with the following figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar elements throughout the figures.
The following detailed description is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the subject matter or the application and uses of such embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as exemplary is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description.
Embodiments of the subject matter described herein generally relate to controlling the displacement (or rotational position) of a motor by dynamically adjusting the duty cycle of a modulated voltage, such as a pulse-width modulated voltage, that is applied the motor. In exemplary embodiments, a pulse-width modulated voltage is applied to the motor and the motor is operated to produce a commanded amount of rotation (or displacement). Based on the commanded amount of rotation, an expected displacement, either of the rotor or another element mechanically coupled to the rotor, that is expected to result from the commanded amount of rotation is determined and compared to a measured displacement obtained from a sensor after the motor is operated to produce the commanded amount of rotation. In response to a difference between the expected displacement and the measured displacement, the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated voltage is increased and the motor is operated to compensate for the difference between the expected displacement and the measured displacement while a pulse-width modulated voltage having the increased duty cycle is applied.
In exemplary embodiments, the motor is a stepper motor or another direct current (DC) motor that is commanded to produce a particular number of motor steps, and the sensor is an incremental position sensor (e.g., a rotary encoder) that measures or otherwise detects incremental rotations of the rotor, wherein the expected displacement is the number of incremental rotations of the rotor that are expected to be detected by the incremental position sensor when the stepper motor achieves the commanded number of motor steps and the measured displacement is the actual measured number of incremental rotations identified via the incremental position sensor. However, it should be noted that the subject matter is not limited to stepper motors or incremental position sensors that detect motor rotation. For example, in some embodiments, the sensor may measure or otherwise detect the position or displacement of the shaft of a stopper (or plunger) that is mechanically coupled to the rotor of the motor, wherein the expected displacement is the displacement (or position) of the shaft (or stopper) that should result from the commanded amount of rotation of the rotor and the measured displacement (or position) is the actual measured displacement (or position) of the shaft via the sensor. As described in greater detail below, in exemplary embodiments, the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated voltage is monitored during operation of the motor to detect an anomalous condition, such as an occlusion condition or a degradation condition, based on the duty cycle. In this regard, when changes in the duty cycle are indicative of an anomalous condition, a notification is generated to alert a user or a supervisory control system of the potential anomaly.
While the subject matter described herein can be implemented in any electronic device that includes a motor, exemplary embodiments described below are implemented in the form of medical devices, such as portable electronic medical devices. Although many different applications are possible, the following description focuses on a fluid infusion device (or infusion pump) as part of an infusion system deployment. For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to infusion system operation, insulin pump and/or infusion set operation, and other functional aspects of the systems (and the individual operating components of the systems) may not be described in detail here. Examples of infusion pumps may be of the type described in, but not limited to, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,562,751; 4,685,903; 5,080,653; 5,505,709; 5,097,122; 6,485,465; 6,554,798; 6,558,320; 6,558,351; 6,641,533; 6,659,980; 6,752,787; 6,817,990; 6,932,584; and 7,621,893 which are herein incorporated by reference.
Turning now to
In the illustrated embodiment of
As described above, in various embodiments, the CCD 106 and/or the computer 108 include electronics and other components configured to perform processing, delivery routine storage, and to control the infusion device 102 in a manner that is influenced by sensor data measured by and/or received from the sensing arrangement 104. By including control functions in the CCD 106 and/or the computer 108, the infusion device 102 may be made with more simplified electronics. However, in other embodiments, the infusion device 102 may include all control functions, and may operate without the CCD 106 and/or the computer 108. In various embodiments, the CCD 106 may be a portable electronic device. In addition, in various embodiments, the infusion device 102 and/or the sensing arrangement 104 may be configured to transmit data to the CCD 106 and/or the computer 108 for display or processing of the data by the CCD 106 and/or the computer 108.
In some embodiments, the CCD 106 and/or the computer 108 may provide information to the user that facilitates the user's subsequent use of the infusion device 102. For example, the CCD 106 may provide information to the user to allow the user to determine the rate or dose of medication to be administered into the user's body. In other embodiments, the CCD 106 may provide information to the infusion device 102 to autonomously control the rate or dose of medication administered into the body of the user. In some embodiments, the sensing arrangement 104 may be integrated into the CCD 106. Such embodiments may allow the user to monitor a condition by providing, for example, a sample of his or her blood to the sensing arrangement 104 to assess his or her condition. In some embodiments, the sensing arrangement 104 and the CCD 106 may be for determining glucose levels in the blood and/or body fluids of the user without the use of, or necessity of, a wire or cable connection between the infusion device 102 and the sensing arrangement 104 and/or the CCD 106.
In some embodiments, the sensing arrangement 104 and/or the infusion device 102 may utilize a closed-loop system for delivering fluid to the user. Examples of sensing devices and/or infusion pumps utilizing closed-loop systems may be found at, but are not limited to, the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,088,608, 6,119,028, 6,589,229, 6,740,072, 6,827,702, and 7,323,142, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In such embodiments, the sensing arrangement 104 is configured to sense a condition of the user, such as, blood glucose level or the like. The infusion device 102 may be configured to deliver fluid in response to the condition sensed by the sensing arrangement 104. In turn, the sensing arrangement 104 may continue to sense a new condition of the user, allowing the infusion device 102 to deliver fluid continuously in response to the new condition sensed by the sensing arrangement 104 indefinitely. In some embodiments, the sensing arrangement 104 and/or the infusion device 102 may be configured to utilize the closed-loop system only for a portion of the day, for example only when the user is asleep or awake.
Referring now to
In exemplary embodiments, the base plate 204 is temporarily adhered to the skin of the user, as illustrated in
In exemplary embodiments, the fluid reservoir 206 includes a fluid delivery port 210 that cooperates with the reservoir port receptacle. The fluid delivery port 210 may include a pierceable septum if the fluid reservoir 206 is a prefilled unit. Alternatively, the fluid delivery port 210 may include a vented opening to accommodate filling of the fluid reservoir 206 by the patient, a doctor, a caregiver, or the like. The fluid delivery port 210 has an interior 211 defined therein that is shaped, sized, and otherwise configured to receive a sealing element when the fluid reservoir 206 is engaged with the reservoir port receptacle. The sealing element forms part of a sealing assembly for the fluid infusion device 200. In this regard, the sealing assembly includes one or more sealing elements and/or fluid delivery needles configured to establish fluid communication from the interior of the reservoir 206 to the cannula 208 via the fluid delivery port 210 and a mounting cap 212, and thereby establish a fluid delivery path from the reservoir 206 to the user via the cannula 208.
As illustrated in
Referring now to
Referring to
In exemplary embodiments, the sensor 500 is realized as an incremental position sensor configured to measure, sense, or otherwise detect incremental rotations of the rotary shaft 404 and/or the rotor 501 of the motor 402. For example, in accordance with one or more embodiments, the sensor 500 is realized as a rotary encoder. In alternative embodiments, the sensor 500 may be realized using any other suitable sensor, such as (but not limited to) a magnetic sensor, optical sensor (or other light detector), tactile sensor, capacitive sensor, inductive sensor, and/or the like. In exemplary embodiments, the incremental position sensor 500 may be configured to count or otherwise sense incremental rotations of the motor 402 via the wheel 502, for example, by counting each time a protruding feature 504 passes by the sensor 500. In this regard, when the number of protruding features 504 equals or otherwise corresponds to the number of discrete motor steps of the stepper motor 402, the incremental position sensor 500 counts or otherwise senses the number of motor steps traversed by the rotary shaft 404 and/or rotor of the motor 402. In some embodiments, the sensor 500 includes an emitter 510 and a detector 512 disposed on opposite sides of the wheel 502 such that at least a portion of the protruding features 504 passes between the emitter 510 and the detector 512 as the wheel 502 rotates. In this regard, the sensor 500 may detect or otherwise count each instance when a protruding feature 504 interrupts a transmission from the emitter 510 to the detector 512. Alternatively, the sensor 500 may detect or otherwise count each instance a transmission from the emitter 510 to the detector 512 is uninterrupted or otherwise completed (e.g., via gaps between protruding features 504).
In the illustrated embodiment, the PWM module 704 generally represents the combination of circuitry, hardware and/or other electrical components configured to generate a pulse-width modulated voltage output applied to the motor 708 via the motor driver module 706. In an exemplary embodiment, the PWM module 704 is coupled to an energy source 730, such as a battery housed within the infusion device 200 (e.g., in the housing 202), to receive a supply voltage. Based on a duty cycle setting for the PWM module 704, the PWM module 704 generates or otherwise produces a pulse-width modulated voltage output that oscillates between the supply voltage provided by the energy source 730 and a ground (or reference) voltage over a time interval (e.g., the PWM period), wherein the pulse-width modulated voltage output is equal to the supply voltage for a percentage of the time interval corresponding to the duty cycle setting. For example, if the supply voltage provided by the energy source 730 is equal to five volts and the duty cycle setting is equal to 30%, then the pulse-width modulated voltage output generated by the PWM module 704 may be a square wave having a magnitude equal to five volts for 30% of the time interval and zero volts for the remaining 70% of the time interval. In this regard, the duty cycle setting corresponds to the width of a portion of the square wave (e.g., the portion corresponding the supply voltage), and accordingly, the duty cycle setting may alternatively be referred to herein as the PWM width setting. In an exemplary embodiment, the frequency of the pulse-width modulated voltage output (e.g., the inverse of the PWM period) is greater than the frequency of the motor driver module 706, as described in greater detail below, and the frequency of the pulse-width modulated voltage output is typically greater than the electrical time constant of the motor coils. As described in greater detail below, in exemplary embodiments, the PWM module 704 is coupled to the motor control module 702 which is configured to adjust, modify, or otherwise control the duty cycle setting of the PWM module 704.
In an exemplary embodiment, the motor 708 is a stepper motor or brushless DC motor having a toothed rotor and a number of sets of windings, wherein the number of teeth on the rotor along with the number of winding sets and the physical arrangement of the winding sets with respect to the rotor teeth provides a finite number of motor steps within a revolution of the rotor. In this regard, as used herein, a “motor step” or any variant thereof should be understood as referring to an incremental rotation of the rotor of the motor 708 that is dictated by the number of teeth of the rotor along with the number and/or arrangement of the winding sets. As described above, in an exemplary infusion pump embodiment, the rotor of the motor 708 is mechanically coupled to a gear assembly 740 (e.g., gear assembly 236, 406) that includes the gears or other drive train components of the infusion device, such that an incremental rotation of the rotor by one motor step produces a corresponding amount of displacement of a stopper 750 (e.g., stopper 222) into a reservoir (e.g., reservoir 206) to deliver fluid (e.g., insulin) to the body of a user.
The motor driver module 706 generally represents the combination of circuitry, hardware and/or other electrical components configured to sequentially apply a voltage provided at a supply voltage input of the motor driver module 706 to one or more sets of windings of the motor 708 in a particular order to produce a corresponding number of commanded motor steps of rotation by the motor 708. In the illustrated embodiment, the supply voltage input of the motor driver module 706 is coupled to the output of the PWM module 704, such that the motor driver module 706 provides the pulse-width modulated voltage from the PWM module 704 to the one or more sets of windings of the motor 708 in a particular order under control of the motor control module 702. In this regard, in some embodiments, the motor driver module 706 is coupled to the motor control module 702 to receive a commanded number of motor steps from the motor control module 702, wherein in response to the commanded number of motor steps, the motor driver module 706 sequentially applies the pulse-width modulated voltage from the PWM module 704 to the sets of windings of the motor 708 in the appropriate order to produce the commanded number of motor steps. In other embodiments, the motor control module 702 may operate the switches and/or other circuitry of the motor driver module 706 to produce the commanded number of motor steps. The frequency at which the motor driver module 706 is operated (e.g., the frequency at which the pulse-width modulated voltage is changed from being applied to one winding set to another winding set) is less than the frequency of the pulse-width modulated voltage output from the PWM module 704, such that the pulse-width modulated voltage output oscillates between the supply voltage and the ground voltage multiple times over the time period (e.g., the inverse of the motor driver frequency) during which the pulse-width modulated voltage output is applied to a particular set of windings of the motor 708.
In an exemplary embodiment, the position sensor 710 is realized as an incremental position sensor, such as a rotary encoder, that is configured to sense, measure, or otherwise detect an incremental rotation of the rotor of the motor 708, in a similar manner as described above in the context of
Still referring to
Referring to
After configuring the PWM module with an initial duty cycle setting, the motor control process 800 continues by receiving or otherwise obtaining a motor command corresponding to a desired displacement of a stopper or a desired amount of rotation to be provided by the motor (task 804). For example, the pump control module 720 may determine or otherwise receive (e.g., from the CCD 106 and/or the computer 108) a dose (or bolus) of fluid to be provided to the user based on a sensed condition of the user (e.g., a blood glucose level). In some embodiments, the pump control module 720 converts the amount of fluid to be provided to the user into a commanded displacement of the stopper 750, converts the commanded displacement of the stopper 750 to a corresponding number of motor steps, and provides that commanded number of motor steps to the motor control module 702. In other embodiments, the pump control module 720 provides the amount of fluid to be provided to the user to the motor control module 702, wherein the motor control module 702 converts the commanded dosage into a corresponding number of commanded motor steps based on the amount of displacement of the stopper 750 corresponding to that amount of fluid.
In accordance with one or more embodiments, the motor control process 800 continues by dividing or otherwise converting the number of commanded motor steps into a number of step command blocks (task 806). In this regard, in some embodiments, the step command blocks have a fixed number of steps, wherein when the number of commanded motor steps is greater than the fixed number of steps, the motor step command is broken up into smaller command blocks to decrease the response time when the motor 708 fails to achieve a commanded number of motor steps, as described in greater detail below. For example, if the total number of commanded motor steps corresponding to the desired dosage is equal to one hundred motor steps, the motor control module 702 may divide the commanded motor steps into ten different step command blocks of ten motor steps.
In an exemplary embodiment, the motor control process 800 continues by commanding or otherwise signaling the motor driver module to operate the motor in a manner intended to produce the commanded number of motor steps in a step command block with the current PWM width setting (task 808). In this regard, the motor control module 702 signals, commands, instructs, or otherwise operates the motor driver module 706 to sequentially apply the pulse-width modulated voltage output of the PWM module 704 to the various sets of windings of the motor 708 in the appropriate order to cause rotor of the motor 708 rotate by the number of motor steps in the step command block. For example, the motor control module 702 may command the motor driver module 706 to implement ten motor steps, wherein in response, the motor driver module 706 changes which set of windings of the motor 708 that the pulse-width modulated voltage output of the PWM module 704 is applied to ten different times in an order or sequence intended to produce ten motor steps of rotation from the current position of the rotor. As described above, the motor driver module 706 applies the pulse-width modulated voltage output from the PWM module 704 to a first set of windings of the motor 708 for a first time period substantially equal to the inverse of the motor driver module frequency to produce a first motor step of rotation from a current position of the rotor of the motor 708, then applies the pulse-width modulated voltage output from the PWM module 704 to a second set of windings of the motor 708 for another time period substantially equal to the inverse of the motor driver module frequency to produce another motor step of rotation from the updated position of the rotor, and so on until reaching the commanded number of steps in the step command block.
In an exemplary embodiment, the motor control process 800 continues by calculating or otherwise determining an expected displacement of the rotor of the motor or another element mechanically coupled to the rotor (e.g., the stopper) after execution of the step command block based on the commanded number of motor steps in the step command block (task 810). The expected displacement is the amount by which the rotor of the motor 708 is expected to have rotated when the commanded rotation is achieved. To put it another way, the expected displacement corresponds to the amount of displacement of the rotor of the motor 708 that is expected to be measured or detected by the position sensor 710 in response to the commanded rotation. For example, when the position sensor 710 is a rotary encoder or another incremental position sensor, the motor control module 702 calculates or otherwise determines a number of rotational increments that would be expected to be measured or otherwise detected by the position sensor 710 after execution of the step command block based on the number of motor steps in the step command block and the relationship between the resolution of the position sensor 710 with respect to the resolution of the motor 708. In this regard, the expected number of measured rotational increments after execution of a step command block, nE, is equal to
where nC is the number of motor steps in the step command block, rP is the number of discrete rotational increments detectable by the position sensor 710 over a revolution of the rotor of the motor 708, and rM is the number of discrete motor steps (or discrete rotational increments) for the rotor of the motor 708 over one revolution. Thus, when the number of discrete rotational increments detectable by the position sensor 710 is equal to the number of possible motor steps over a revolution of the motor 708, the expected number of measured rotational increments is equal to the commanded number of motor steps in the step command block.
Still referring to
In exemplary embodiments, the motor control process 800 identifies or otherwise determines whether the motor has achieved the commanded amount of rotation (task 814). In some embodiments, the motor control module 702 determines that the motor has failed to achieve the commanded amount of rotation when a difference between the expected displacement and the measured displacement exceeds a threshold value. The threshold value is indicative of the number of motor steps of rotation actually achieved by the motor 708 being less than the commanded number of motor steps in the step command block. For example, when the number of discrete rotational increments detectable by the position sensor 710 is equal to the number of possible motor steps over a revolution of the motor 708, the threshold value may be equal to zero. Thus, in such an embodiment, when the expected number of measured rotational increments is greater than the measured number of rotational increments, the motor control module 702 identifies that the motor 708 did not achieve the commanded number of motor steps. In other embodiments where the resolution of the position sensor 710 is greater than the resolution of the stepper motor, the threshold value is chosen to be greater than zero to account for differences between the expected number and the measured number of rotational increments that could be attributable to noise, vibration, or other physical variations and/or misalignment between the position sensor 710 and the rotor teeth and/or positions of the windings sets of the motor 708. For example, if the number of discrete rotational increments detectable by the position sensor 710 over a revolution of the motor 708 is equal to five times the number of motor steps over one revolution, the threshold value may be chosen to be equal to two, such that when the expected number of measured rotational increments is greater than the measured number of rotational increments by more than two, the motor control module 702 identifies that the motor 708 did not achieve the commanded number of motor steps.
In response to identifying that the motor did not achieve the commanded rotation, the motor control process 800 continues by calculating or otherwise determining an amount by which the duty cycle of the PWM module should be increased and increasing or otherwise adjusting the duty cycle setting for the PWM module (tasks 816, 818). In some embodiments, the motor control module 702 calculates an amount by which to increase the PWM width setting based on the difference between the expected displacement and the measured displacement of the motor 708. For example, the motor control module 702 may increase the duty cycle setting of the PWM module 704 by a first amount if the difference between the expected displacement and the measured displacement of the motor 708 corresponds to one missed motor step, increase the duty cycle setting by a greater amount if the difference between the expected displacement and the measured displacement of the motor 708 corresponds to two missed motor steps, and so on. In this regard, the amount of increase to the PWM width setting may correspond to the difference between the expected displacement and the measured displacement of the motor 708. In other embodiments, the motor control module 702 may increase the duty cycle setting by a fixed amount (e.g., a fixed percentage or a percentage of the current duty cycle) regardless of the difference between the expected displacement and the measured displacement of the motor 708. For example, the motor control module 702 may increase the duty cycle setting of the PWM module 704 by 5% each time the motor achieves a number of motor steps that was less than the commanded number of motor steps. After the motor control module 702 identifies or otherwise determines the amount by which to increase the PWM width setting for the PWM module 704, the motor control module 702 determines an updated PWM width setting (e.g., a sum of the previous duty cycle and the amount of increase) for the PWM module 704 and configures the PWM module 704 to implement the updated PWM width setting. For example, if the initial PWM width setting corresponds to a 30% duty cycle and the motor control module 702 determines that the PWM width setting should be increased by 5% based on the difference between the expected number of measured rotational increments and the actual measured number of rotational increments, the motor control module 702 configures or otherwise instructs the PWM module 704 to implement a 35% duty cycle.
In an exemplary embodiment, the motor control process 800 determines the number of missed motor steps based on the measured displacement and modifies the number of motor steps in a subsequent step command block to compensate for the number of missed motor steps (tasks 820, 822). In accordance with one or more embodiments, the motor control module 702 adds a number of motor steps that corresponds to the difference between the expected displacement and the measured displacement to the commanded number of motor steps in the next step command block. In some embodiments, the motor control module 702 may calculate or otherwise determine the actual number of motor steps produced by the motor 708 based on the measured displacement of the rotor and determine the missed motor steps as the difference between the commanded number of motor steps and the actual number of motor steps. For example, when the position sensor 710 is a rotary encoder or another incremental position sensor, the motor control module 702 may convert the measured number of incremental rotations to a number of motor steps and subtract that number of motor steps from the commanded number of motor steps to obtain the missed motor steps. The measured number of incremental rotations may be converted motor steps by multiplying the measured number incremental rotations by
where rP is the number of discrete rotational increments per revolution detectable by the position sensor 710 and rM is the number of motor steps per revolution. Alternatively, the motor control module 702 may determine the missed motor steps by converting the difference between the expected number of measured incremental rotations and the actual measured number of incremental rotations to a number of motor steps (e.g., by multiplying the difference by
After determining a modified step command block that compensates for missed motor steps, the motor control process 800 continues by commanding or otherwise signaling the motor driver module to operate the motor in a manner intended to produce the number of motor steps in the modified step command block with the updated PWM width setting (task 808). For example, as described above, if the preceding step command block of ten motor steps resulted in two missed motor steps when executed at a PWM width setting of 30%, and the motor control module 702 determines that the PWM width setting should be increased to 35%, the motor control module 702 configures the PWM module 704 to implement a 35% duty cycle while commanding the motor driver module 706 to execute a step command block of twelve motor steps to compensate for the missed motor steps of the previous step command block. While the motor driver module 706 is implementing the modified step command block, the pulse-width modulated voltage oscillates between the supply voltage for 35% of the PWM period and the ground voltage for 65% of the PWM period, rather than oscillating between the supply voltage for 30% of the PWM period and the ground voltage for 70% of the PWM period as was done during the preceding step command block. As described above, the motor control module 702 determines an expected displacement of the rotor of the motor 708 after execution of the modified step command block, obtains a measured displacement of the rotor of the motor 708 after execution of the modified step command block, and determines whether the motor 708 achieved the commanded number of motor steps based on the measured displacement (tasks 810, 812, 814). If the motor 708 did not achieve the number of motor steps commanded during the modified step command block with the updated PWM width setting, the motor control module 702 further increases the PWM width setting for the PWM module and modifies a subsequent step command block to compensate for the missed motor steps during the modified step command block (tasks 816, 818, 820, 822), as described above.
Still referring to
In response to determining the PWM width setting should be decreased, the motor control process 800 continues by decreasing the duty cycle setting for the PWM module (task 826). In some embodiments, the motor control module 702 may decrease the PWM width setting of the PWM module 704 by a fixed amount (e.g., a fixed percentage or a certain percentage of the current duty cycle). In other embodiments, the motor control module 702 may store a previous duty cycle prior to increasing the duty cycle setting, wherein the motor control module 702 decreases the PWM width setting to that previous duty cycle. For example, if the PWM width setting was at a 30% duty cycle prior to increasing to 35%, and the motor 708 has achieved the commanded number of motor steps over a particular amount of time and/or achieved a particular number of commanded motor steps with the 35% duty cycle, the motor control module 702 may revert the PWM width setting of the PWM module 704 back to the 30% duty cycle for subsequent step command blocks.
In an exemplary embodiment, the motor control process 800 continues by determining whether the entire motor command has been completed (task 828). In this regard, the motor control module 702 verifies or otherwise determines whether the rotor of the motor 708 has rotated by the total number of motor steps corresponding to the dose (or bolus) of fluid to be provided to the user. When the motor 708 has not achieved the total number of motor steps corresponding to the desired dosage, the motor control module 702 continues operating the PWM module 704 and the motor driver module 706 until the motor 708 achieves the desired number of motor steps. For example, if not all of the step command blocks corresponding to the motor command have been executed, the motor control module 702 commands or otherwise operates the motor driver module 706 in accordance with the next step command block (task 808), as described above. Once the motor control module 702 determines that the motor 708 has achieved the desired number of motor steps to provide the desired dose of fluid to the user, in an exemplary embodiment, the motor control module 702 turns off the motor driver module 706 until receiving a subsequent motor command.
In response to a subsequent motor command from the pump control module 720 (task 804), the motor control module 702 repeats the steps of operating the motor driver module 706 and dynamically increasing and/or decreasing the PWM width setting of the PWM module 704 based on whether or not the motor 708 achieves a commanded number of motor steps, as described above. The motor 708 consumes power from the energy source 730 only during the times when the pulse-width modulated voltage output of the PWM module 704 is equal to the supply voltage provided by the energy source 730, and thus, by dynamically adjusting the PWM width setting, the power consumed by the motor 708 to achieve a desired number of motor steps may be reduced by keeping the duty cycle setting for the PWM module 704 relatively low and increasing the duty cycle on an as needed basis. As described in greater detail below, in exemplary embodiments, the motor control module 702 monitors the duty cycles provided by the PWM module 704 during operation of the motor control system 700 and detects or otherwise identifies anomalies in the motor control system 700 based on changes to the duty cycle provided by the PWM module 704 that are indicative of an anomalous condition, such as, for example, a degradation condition in the motor 708 and/or the gear assembly 740 or an occlusion condition in a fluid path from the fluid reservoir. In response to identifying an anomalous condition, the motor control module 702 generates a notification that is provided to the pump control module 720 or another supervisory system, which, in turns, notifies the user or initiates remedial action to address the potential anomaly.
In an exemplary embodiment, the occlusion detection process 900 characterizes the PWM width settings of the PWM module for an occlusion in the fluid path by determining a reference value for a duty cycle metric that is indicative of an occlusion in the fluid path (task 902). In this regard, the reference value for the duty cycle metric is representative of the changes to the duty cycle setting of the PWM module 704 that are likely to be exhibited by the motor control system 700 in response to an occlusion in the fluid delivery path that slows, prevents, or otherwise degrades fluid delivery from the reservoir to a user's body while the motor 708 is operated in accordance with the motor control process 800. In this regard, an occlusion in the fluid path increases the force opposing displacement of the stopper 750, which, in turn, will increase the amount of torque required to rotate the rotor of the motor 708 by a motor step. Depending on the embodiment, the duty cycle metric may be a rate of change (or derivative) of the PWM width setting over a preceding time interval, a moving average of the PWM width setting over a preceding time interval, a sequence of PWM width settings over a preceding time interval, a threshold PWM width value, a matched filter applied to a sequence of PWM width settings over a preceding time interval, or some other metric representative of an occlusion in the fluid path while operating the motor 708 in accordance with the motor control process 800.
In one embodiment, the reference value may be determined by creating or otherwise simulating an occlusion in the fluid path and operating the motor 708 in accordance with the motor control process 800 prior to providing the infusion pump to a user. For example, a component having a known occlusion (e.g., an occluded reservoir, needle, tubing, or the like) may be provided to the infusion pump to create a reference occlusion in the fluid path, and while the reference occlusion exists, the pump control module 720 signals, instructs, or otherwise commands the motor control module 702 to perform a calibration routine by operating the motor 708 for a particular number of motor steps in accordance with the motor control process 800 and monitoring the PWM width settings. In accordance with one embodiment, the number of motor steps used for the calibration routine is greater than the amount of motor steps that are achievable with the reference occlusion in the fluid path. As described above in the context of
Still referring to
In an exemplary embodiment, the occlusion detection process 900 continues by identifying, detecting, or otherwise determining whether an occlusion condition exists based on the observed value for the duty cycle metric, and in response to detecting an occlusion condition, generating or otherwise providing a notification of the fluid path occlusion (tasks 910, 912). In accordance with one or more embodiments, the motor control module 702 compares the observed value for the duty cycle metric with the reference value indicative of a fluid path occlusion and detects or otherwise identifies an occlusion condition when the observed value meets or exceeds the reference value for the duty cycle metric. For example, if the duty cycle metric is an amount or rate of change to the PWM width setting, the motor control module 702 detects an occlusion condition when the amount or rate of change of the observed PWM width settings is greater than or equal to the amount or rate of change to the PWM width setting during the calibration routine. When the motor control module 702 detects an occlusion condition, the motor control module 702 provides a notification of the fluid path occlusion to the pump control module 720 or another supervisory system or module (e.g., the CCD 106 and/or the computer 108). For example, the motor control module 702 may generate an interrupt signal that is handled by the pump control module 720. In practice, the pump control module 720 and/or the infusion pump may perform other occlusion detection techniques (e.g., using force sensors or the like), wherein the pump control module 720 and/or the infusion pump may utilize the occlusion notification generated by the motor control module 702 to verify, confirm, or otherwise augment the other occlusion detection algorithms and/or techniques performed by the pump control module 720 and/or the infusion pump. In other embodiments, the pump control module 720 and/or the infusion pump may utilize the occlusion notification generated by the motor control module 702 as the sole indicia of a fluid path occlusion when anomalies exist with respect to the other occlusion detection algorithms and/or techniques supported by the infusion device (e.g., damage to other sensors normally relied on for detecting an occlusion). In the absence of a fluid path occlusion, the loop defined by tasks 904, 906, 908 and 910 repeats during operation of the motor 708 in accordance with the motor control process 800 to continuously monitor the PWM width settings of the PWM module 704 for an occlusion condition.
In an exemplary embodiment, the degradation detection process 1000 characterizes the drive system by determining a reference value for a duty cycle metric based on the PWM width settings of the PWM module that is indicative of wear or degradation in the drive system (task 1002). The reference value duty cycle metric is representative of the PWM width setting(s) that are likely to be exhibited by the motor control system 700 while the motor 708 is operated in accordance with the motor control process 800 when the motor 708 and/or the gear assembly 740 have experienced sufficient wear or degradation to the point that the motor 708 and/or the gear assembly 740 should be inspected for maintenance, repair and/or replacement. In this regard, reference value is indicates that the motor 708 and/or the gear assembly 740 should be inspected for maintenance, repair and/or replacement. For example, over time, frictional forces in the drive system may accumulate (e.g., due to lubricant wearing out, rust or other surface effects, damage to the motor and/or one or more of the gears, and the like) and increase the force that opposes displacement of the gear assembly 740, the stopper 750 and/or the motor 708, which, in turn, will increase the amount of torque required to rotate the rotor of the motor 708 by a motor step. Thus, the reference value may be a duty cycle that is unlikely to be exceeded (e.g., an 80% duty cycle setting) unless the motor 708 and/or gear assembly 740 has degraded. The duty cycle metric may be a threshold PWM width setting, an average PWM width setting, a sequence of PWM width settings, a matched filter applied to a sequence of PWM width settings over a preceding time interval, or some other metric capable of indicating degradation to the motor 708 and/or the gear assembly 740. For example, the duty cycle metric may be a moving average of the PWM width settings of the PWM module 704 (e.g., an average of the PWM width settings over the previous 24 hours). In this regard, the reference value may be updated or otherwise determined dynamically during operation of the motor control system 700 and/or the infusion device. In some embodiments, the reference value may be the historical duty cycle average over the lifetime of the motor control system 700 and/or the infusion device. For example, the motor control module 702 may continuously obtain the PWM width settings of the PWM module 704 and recalculate the average PWM width setting over the lifetime of the motor control system 700 and/or the infusion pump (e.g., by averaging PWM width settings obtained after each step command block or each motor command), as described in greater detail below.
In an exemplary embodiment, the degradation detection process 1000 continues by operating the motor using dynamic PWM control, obtaining a current duty cycle setting for the PWM module, and determining an observed value for the duty cycle metric based on the current duty cycle setting and/or previously obtained duty cycle settings (tasks 1004, 1006, 1008). As described above, the motor control module 702 obtains motor commands from the pump control module 720 and operates the motor 708 using dynamic PWM control in accordance with the motor control process 800 of
In an exemplary embodiment, the degradation detection process 1000 continues by identifying or otherwise determining whether the drive system is exhibiting degradation based on the observed value for the duty cycle metric, and in response to detecting a degradation condition, generating or otherwise providing a notification of the degradation condition (tasks 1010, 1012). The motor control module 702 identifies a degradation condition by comparing the observed value for the duty cycle metric with the reference value indicative of a degradation condition and detecting when the observed value meets or exceeds the reference value. For example, if the reference value is an 80% duty cycle, the motor control module 702 detects a degradation condition when the observed value (e.g., the current PWM width setting of the PWM module 704 or an average of the current and previous PWM width settings) exceeds 80%. Thus, when the duty cycle metric is a moving average of the PWM width settings over a preceding time interval (e.g., the previous 24 hours), the motor control module 702 identifies a degradation condition when the moving average of the PWM width setting exceeds the 80% duty cycle reference value. In some embodiments, the motor control module 702 identifies a degradation condition when the observed value exceeds the reference value by some threshold amount, such as a fixed amount (e.g., a fixed duty cycle percentage) or a fixed percentage of the reference value. In this regard, if the reference value is the average PWM width setting over the lifetime of the motor control system 700 and/or the infusion device, the motor control module 702 may identify a degradation condition when a moving average of the PWM width settings over a shorter time interval exceeds the reference value by more than a threshold percentage of the reference value. For example, if the average PWM width setting over the lifetime of the motor control system 700 corresponds to 50% duty cycle, the motor control module 702 may identify a degradation condition when an average of the PWM width settings over the preceding 24 hours exceeds the reference value by more than fifty percent of the reference value, that is, when the average of the PWM width settings over the preceding 24 hours exceeds a 75% duty cycle. Alternatively, the motor control module 702 may identify a degradation condition when an average of the PWM width settings over the preceding time interval exceeds the reference value by a fixed amount (e.g., a 20% difference in duty cycle).
When the motor control module 702 detects or otherwise identifies a degradation condition, the motor control module 702 provides a notification of the potential degradation to the pump control module 720 or another supervisory system or module. For example, the motor control module 702 may generate an interrupt signal that is handled by the pump control module 720 or another supervisory system, which, in turn, generates an audio and/or visual alert to the user that the drive system should be inspected. In the absence of a degradation condition, the loop defined by tasks 1004, 1006, 1008 and 1010 repeats during operation of the motor 708 in accordance with the motor control process 800 to continuously monitor the PWM width settings of the PWM module 704 for degradation in the drive system.
Referring to
The foregoing description may refer to elements or nodes or features being “connected” or “coupled” together. As used herein, unless expressly stated otherwise, “coupled” means that one element/node/feature is directly or indirectly joined to (or directly or indirectly communicates with) another element/node/feature, and not necessarily mechanically. In addition, certain terminology may also be used in the herein for the purpose of reference only, and thus is not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “first”, “second”, and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claimed subject matter in any way. For example, the subject matter described herein is not limited to the infusion devices and related systems described herein. Moreover, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the described embodiment or embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope defined by the claims, which includes known equivalents and foreseeable equivalents at the time of filing this patent application.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/945,737, filed Jul. 18, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/425,190, filed Mar. 20, 2012, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,523,803. The subject matter described herein is also related to the subject matter described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/425,174, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,603,026, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/425,180, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,603,027, both filed Mar. 20, 2012.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3631847 | Hobbs, II | Jan 1972 | A |
| 4212738 | Henne | Jul 1980 | A |
| 4270532 | Franetzki et al. | Jun 1981 | A |
| 4282872 | Franetzki et al. | Aug 1981 | A |
| 4334189 | Sato | Jun 1982 | A |
| 4373527 | Fischell | Feb 1983 | A |
| 4395259 | Prestele et al. | Jul 1983 | A |
| 4433072 | Pusineri et al. | Feb 1984 | A |
| 4443218 | Decant, Jr. et al. | Apr 1984 | A |
| 4494950 | Fischell | Jan 1985 | A |
| 4542532 | McQuilkin | Sep 1985 | A |
| 4550731 | Batina et al. | Nov 1985 | A |
| 4559037 | Franetzki et al. | Dec 1985 | A |
| 4562751 | Nason et al. | Jan 1986 | A |
| 4622499 | Squires | Nov 1986 | A |
| 4671288 | Gough | Jun 1987 | A |
| 4678408 | Nason et al. | Jul 1987 | A |
| 4685903 | Cable et al. | Aug 1987 | A |
| 4731051 | Fischell | Mar 1988 | A |
| 4731726 | Allen, III | Mar 1988 | A |
| 4781798 | Gough | Nov 1988 | A |
| 4803625 | Fu et al. | Feb 1989 | A |
| 4809697 | Causey, III et al. | Mar 1989 | A |
| 4826810 | Aoki | May 1989 | A |
| 4871351 | Feingold | Oct 1989 | A |
| 4898578 | Rubalcaba, Jr. | Feb 1990 | A |
| 5003298 | Havel | Mar 1991 | A |
| 5011468 | Lundquist et al. | Apr 1991 | A |
| 5019974 | Beckers | May 1991 | A |
| 5050612 | Matsumura | Sep 1991 | A |
| 5078683 | Sancoff et al. | Jan 1992 | A |
| 5080653 | Voss et al. | Jan 1992 | A |
| 5097122 | Colman et al. | Mar 1992 | A |
| 5100380 | Epstein et al. | Mar 1992 | A |
| 5101814 | Palti | Apr 1992 | A |
| 5108819 | Heller et al. | Apr 1992 | A |
| 5153827 | Coutre et al. | Oct 1992 | A |
| 5165407 | Wilson et al. | Nov 1992 | A |
| 5247434 | Peterson et al. | Sep 1993 | A |
| 5262035 | Gregg et al. | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5262305 | Heller et al. | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5264104 | Gregg et al. | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5264105 | Gregg et al. | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5284140 | Allen et al. | Feb 1994 | A |
| 5299571 | Mastrototaro | Apr 1994 | A |
| 5307263 | Brown | Apr 1994 | A |
| 5317506 | Coutre et al. | May 1994 | A |
| 5320725 | Gregg et al. | Jun 1994 | A |
| 5322063 | Allen et al. | Jun 1994 | A |
| 5338157 | Blomquist | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5339821 | Fujimoto | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5341291 | Roizen et al. | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5350411 | Ryan et al. | Sep 1994 | A |
| 5356786 | Heller et al. | Oct 1994 | A |
| 5357427 | Langen et al. | Oct 1994 | A |
| 5368562 | Blomquist et al. | Nov 1994 | A |
| 5370622 | Livingston et al. | Dec 1994 | A |
| 5371687 | Holmes, II et al. | Dec 1994 | A |
| 5376070 | Purvis et al. | Dec 1994 | A |
| 5390671 | Lord et al. | Feb 1995 | A |
| 5391250 | Cheney, II et al. | Feb 1995 | A |
| 5403700 | Heller et al. | Apr 1995 | A |
| 5411647 | Johnson et al. | May 1995 | A |
| 5482473 | Lord et al. | Jan 1996 | A |
| 5485408 | Blomquist | Jan 1996 | A |
| 5505709 | Funderburk et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5497772 | Schulman et al. | May 1996 | A |
| 5543326 | Heller et al. | Aug 1996 | A |
| 5569186 | Lord et al. | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5569187 | Kaiser | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5573506 | Vasko | Nov 1996 | A |
| 5582593 | Hultman | Dec 1996 | A |
| 5586553 | Halili et al. | Dec 1996 | A |
| 5593390 | Castellano et al. | Jan 1997 | A |
| 5593852 | Heller et al. | Jan 1997 | A |
| 5594638 | Illiff | Jan 1997 | A |
| 5609060 | Dent | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5626144 | Tacklind et al. | May 1997 | A |
| 5630710 | Tune et al. | May 1997 | A |
| 5643212 | Coutre et al. | Jul 1997 | A |
| 5660163 | Schulman et al. | Aug 1997 | A |
| 5660176 | Iliff | Aug 1997 | A |
| 5665065 | Colman et al. | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5665222 | Heller et al. | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5685844 | Marttila | Nov 1997 | A |
| 5687734 | Dempsey et al. | Nov 1997 | A |
| 5704366 | Tacklind et al. | Jan 1998 | A |
| 5735887 | Barreras, Sr. et al. | Apr 1998 | A |
| 5750926 | Schulman et al. | May 1998 | A |
| 5754111 | Garcia | May 1998 | A |
| 5764159 | Neftel | Jun 1998 | A |
| 5772635 | Dastur et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
| 5779665 | Mastrototaro et al. | Jul 1998 | A |
| 5788669 | Peterson | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5791344 | Schulman et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5800420 | Gross et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5807336 | Russo et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5814015 | Gargano et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5822715 | Worthington et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5832448 | Brown | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5840020 | Heinonen et al. | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5861018 | Feierbach et al. | Jan 1999 | A |
| 5868669 | Iliff | Feb 1999 | A |
| 5871465 | Vasko | Feb 1999 | A |
| 5879163 | Brown et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
| 5885245 | Lynch et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
| 5897493 | Brown | Apr 1999 | A |
| 5899855 | Brown | May 1999 | A |
| 5904708 | Goedeke | May 1999 | A |
| 5913310 | Brown | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5917346 | Gord | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5918603 | Brown | Jul 1999 | A |
| 5925021 | Castellano et al. | Jul 1999 | A |
| 5933136 | Brown | Aug 1999 | A |
| 5935099 | Peterson et al. | Aug 1999 | A |
| 5940801 | Brown | Aug 1999 | A |
| 5956501 | Brown | Sep 1999 | A |
| 5960403 | Brown | Sep 1999 | A |
| 5965380 | Heller et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
| 5972199 | Heller et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
| 5978236 | Faberman et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
| 5997476 | Brown | Dec 1999 | A |
| 5999848 | Gord et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
| 5999849 | Gord et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6009339 | Bentsen et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6032119 | Brown et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6043437 | Schulman et al. | Mar 2000 | A |
| 6081736 | Colvin et al. | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6083710 | Heller et al. | Jul 2000 | A |
| 6088608 | Schulman et al. | Jul 2000 | A |
| 6101478 | Brown | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6103033 | Say et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6119028 | Schulman et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6120676 | Heller et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6121009 | Heller et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6134461 | Say et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6143164 | Heller et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6162611 | Heller et al. | Dec 2000 | A |
| 6175752 | Say et al. | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 6183412 | Benkowski et al. | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6246992 | Brown | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6259937 | Schulman et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6329161 | Heller et al. | Dec 2001 | B1 |
| 6408330 | DeLaHuerga | Jun 2002 | B1 |
| 6424847 | Mastrototaro et al. | Jul 2002 | B1 |
| 6472122 | Schulman et al. | Oct 2002 | B1 |
| 6484045 | Holker et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6484046 | Say et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6485465 | Moberg et al. | Nov 2002 | B2 |
| 6503381 | Gotoh et al. | Jan 2003 | B1 |
| 6514718 | Heller et al. | Feb 2003 | B2 |
| 6544173 | West et al. | Apr 2003 | B2 |
| 6553263 | Meadows et al. | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6554798 | Mann et al. | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6558320 | Causey, III et al. | May 2003 | B1 |
| 6558351 | Steil et al. | May 2003 | B1 |
| 6560741 | Gerety et al. | May 2003 | B1 |
| 6565509 | Say et al. | May 2003 | B1 |
| 6579690 | Bonnecaze et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6589229 | Connelly et al. | Jul 2003 | B1 |
| 6591125 | Buse et al. | Jul 2003 | B1 |
| 6592745 | Feldman et al. | Jul 2003 | B1 |
| 6605200 | Mao et al. | Aug 2003 | B1 |
| 6605201 | Mao et al. | Aug 2003 | B1 |
| 6607658 | Heller et al. | Aug 2003 | B1 |
| 6616819 | Liamos et al. | Sep 2003 | B1 |
| 6618934 | Feldman et al. | Sep 2003 | B1 |
| 6623501 | Heller et al. | Sep 2003 | B2 |
| 6641533 | Causey, III et al. | Nov 2003 | B2 |
| 6654625 | Say et al. | Nov 2003 | B1 |
| 6659980 | Moberg et al. | Dec 2003 | B2 |
| 6671554 | Gibson et al. | Dec 2003 | B2 |
| 6676816 | Mao et al. | Jan 2004 | B2 |
| 6689265 | Heller et al. | Feb 2004 | B2 |
| 6728576 | Thompson et al. | Apr 2004 | B2 |
| 6733471 | Ericson et al. | May 2004 | B1 |
| 6740072 | Starkweather et al. | May 2004 | B2 |
| 6746582 | Heller et al. | Jun 2004 | B2 |
| 6747556 | Medema et al. | Jun 2004 | B2 |
| 6749740 | Liamos et al. | Jun 2004 | B2 |
| 6752787 | Causey, III et al. | Jun 2004 | B1 |
| 6809653 | Mann et al. | Oct 2004 | B1 |
| 6817990 | Yap et al. | Nov 2004 | B2 |
| 6827702 | Lebel et al. | Dec 2004 | B2 |
| 6881551 | Heller et al. | Apr 2005 | B2 |
| 6892085 | McIvor et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6893545 | Gotoh et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6895263 | Shin et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6916159 | Rush et al. | Jul 2005 | B2 |
| 6932584 | Gray et al. | Aug 2005 | B2 |
| 6932894 | Mao et al. | Aug 2005 | B2 |
| 6942518 | Liamos et al. | Sep 2005 | B2 |
| 7018361 | Gillespie, Jr. et al. | Mar 2006 | B2 |
| 7153263 | Carter et al. | Dec 2006 | B2 |
| 7153289 | Vasko | Dec 2006 | B2 |
| 7323142 | Pendo et al. | Jan 2008 | B2 |
| 7396330 | Banet et al. | Jul 2008 | B2 |
| 7621893 | Moberg et al. | Nov 2009 | B2 |
| 7828764 | Moberg et al. | Nov 2010 | B2 |
| 7905868 | Moberg et al. | Mar 2011 | B2 |
| 8197444 | Bazargan et al. | Jun 2012 | B1 |
| 8202249 | Lio et al. | Jun 2012 | B2 |
| 8362742 | Kallmyer | Jan 2013 | B2 |
| 8469942 | Kow et al. | Jun 2013 | B2 |
| 8523803 | Favreau | Sep 2013 | B1 |
| 8539812 | Stringham et al. | Sep 2013 | B2 |
| 8603026 | Favreau | Dec 2013 | B2 |
| 8603027 | Favreau | Dec 2013 | B2 |
| 8690855 | Alderete, Jr. et al. | Apr 2014 | B2 |
| 9173993 | Yodfat et al. | Nov 2015 | B2 |
| 9216249 | Smith et al. | Dec 2015 | B2 |
| 9379652 | Favreau | Jun 2016 | B2 |
| 9598071 | Johri | Mar 2017 | B2 |
| 20010034502 | Moberg et al. | Oct 2001 | A1 |
| 20010044731 | Coffman et al. | Nov 2001 | A1 |
| 20020013518 | West et al. | Jan 2002 | A1 |
| 20020055857 | Mault et al. | May 2002 | A1 |
| 20020082665 | Haller et al. | Jun 2002 | A1 |
| 20020137997 | Mastrototaro et al. | Sep 2002 | A1 |
| 20020161288 | Shin et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20030060765 | Campbell et al. | Mar 2003 | A1 |
| 20030078560 | Miller et al. | Apr 2003 | A1 |
| 20030088166 | Say et al. | May 2003 | A1 |
| 20030144581 | Conn et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
| 20030152823 | Heller | Aug 2003 | A1 |
| 20030176183 | Drucker et al. | Sep 2003 | A1 |
| 20030188427 | Say et al. | Oct 2003 | A1 |
| 20030199744 | Buse et al. | Oct 2003 | A1 |
| 20030208113 | Mault et al. | Nov 2003 | A1 |
| 20030220552 | Reghabi et al. | Nov 2003 | A1 |
| 20030233069 | Gillespie, Jr. et al. | Dec 2003 | A1 |
| 20040061232 | Shah et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
| 20040061234 | Shah et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
| 20040064133 | Miller et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
| 20040064156 | Shah et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
| 20040073095 | Causey, III et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
| 20040074785 | Holker et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
| 20040093167 | Braig et al. | May 2004 | A1 |
| 20040097796 | Berman et al. | May 2004 | A1 |
| 20040102683 | Khanuja et al. | May 2004 | A1 |
| 20040111017 | Say et al. | Jun 2004 | A1 |
| 20040122353 | Shahmirian et al. | Jun 2004 | A1 |
| 20040167465 | Mihai et al. | Aug 2004 | A1 |
| 20040263354 | Mann et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20050038331 | Silaski et al. | Feb 2005 | A1 |
| 20050038680 | McMahon et al. | Feb 2005 | A1 |
| 20050154271 | Rasdal et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
| 20050192557 | Brauker et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
| 20060124095 | Schafer et al. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
| 20060229694 | Schulman et al. | Oct 2006 | A1 |
| 20060238333 | Welch et al. | Oct 2006 | A1 |
| 20060293571 | Bao et al. | Dec 2006 | A1 |
| 20070066938 | Iio et al. | Mar 2007 | A1 |
| 20070088521 | Shmueli et al. | Apr 2007 | A1 |
| 20070135866 | Baker et al. | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20080154503 | Wittenber et al. | Jun 2008 | A1 |
| 20080269687 | Chong et al. | Oct 2008 | A1 |
| 20090081951 | Erdmann et al. | Mar 2009 | A1 |
| 20090082635 | Baldus et al. | Mar 2009 | A1 |
| 20100130931 | Yodfat et al. | May 2010 | A1 |
| 20100212407 | Stringham et al. | Aug 2010 | A1 |
| 20100219796 | Kallmyer | Sep 2010 | A1 |
| 20110092894 | McGill et al. | Apr 2011 | A1 |
| 20110233393 | Hanson et al. | Sep 2011 | A1 |
| 20120078217 | Smith et al. | Mar 2012 | A1 |
| 20120160033 | Kow et al. | Jun 2012 | A1 |
| 20120259282 | Alderete, Jr. et al. | Oct 2012 | A1 |
| 20170047872 | Spenninger et al. | Feb 2017 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 4329229 | Mar 1995 | DE |
| 0319268 | Nov 1988 | EP |
| 0806738 | Nov 1997 | EP |
| 0880936 | Dec 1998 | EP |
| 1338295 | Aug 2003 | EP |
| 1631036 | Mar 2006 | EP |
| 2218831 | Nov 1989 | GB |
| WO 9620745 | Jul 1996 | WO |
| WO 9636389 | Nov 1996 | WO |
| WO 9637246 | Nov 1996 | WO |
| WO 9721456 | Jun 1997 | WO |
| WO 9820439 | May 1998 | WO |
| WO 9824358 | Jun 1998 | WO |
| WO 9842407 | Oct 1998 | WO |
| WO 9849659 | Nov 1998 | WO |
| WO 9859487 | Dec 1998 | WO |
| WO 9908183 | Feb 1999 | WO |
| WO 9910801 | Mar 1999 | WO |
| WO 9918532 | Apr 1999 | WO |
| WO 9922236 | May 1999 | WO |
| WO 0010628 | Mar 2000 | WO |
| WO 0019887 | Apr 2000 | WO |
| WO 0048112 | Aug 2000 | WO |
| WO 02058537 | Aug 2002 | WO |
| WO 03001329 | Jan 2003 | WO |
| WO 03094090 | Nov 2003 | WO |
| WO 2005065538 | Jul 2005 | WO |
| WO2009102355 | Aug 2009 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| PCT Search Report (PCT/US02/03299), dated Oct. 31, 2002, Medtronic Minimed, Inc. |
| (Animas Corporation, 1999). Animas . . . bringing new life to insulin therapy. |
| Bode B W, et al. (1996). Reduction in Severe Hypoglycemia with Long-Term Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion in Type I Diabetes. Diabetes Care, vol. 19, No. 4, 324-327. |
| Boland E (1998). Teens Pumping it Up! Insulin Pump Therapy Guide for Adolescents. 2nd Edition. |
| Brackenridge B P (1992). Carbohydrate Gram Counting a Key to Accurate Mealtime Boluses in Intensive Diabetes Therapy. Practical Diabetology, vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 22-28. |
| Brackenridge, B P et al. (1995). Counting Carbohydrates How to Zero in on Good Control. MiniMed Technologies Inc. |
| Farkas-Hirsch R et al. (1994). Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion: A Review of the Past and Its Implementation for the Future. Diabetes Spectrum From Research to Practice, vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 80-84, 136-138. |
| Hirsch I B et al. (1990). Intensive Insulin Therapy for Treatment of Type I Diabetes. Diabetes Care, vol. 13, No. 12, pp. 1265-1283. |
| Kulkarni K et al. (1999). Carbohydrate Counting a Primer for Insulin Pump Users to Zero in on Good Control. MiniMed Inc. |
| Marcus A O et al. (1996). Insulin Pump Therapy Acceptable Alternative to Injection Therapy. Postgraduate Medicine, vol. 99, No. 3, pp. 125-142. |
| Reed J et al. (1996). Voice of the Diabetic, vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 1-38. |
| Skyler J S (1989). Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion [CSII] With External Devices: Current Status. Update in Drug Delivery Systems, Chapter 13, pp. 163-183. Futura Publishing Company. |
| Skyler J S et al. (1995). The Insulin Pump Therapy Book Insights from the Experts. MiniMed⋅Technologies. |
| Strowig S M (1993). Initiation and Management of Insulin Pump Therapy. The Diabetes Educator, vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 50-60. |
| Walsh J, et al. (1989). Pumping Insulin: The Art of Using an Insulin Pump. Published by MiniMed⋅Technologies. |
| (Intensive Diabetes Management, 1995). Insulin Infusion Pump Therapy. pp. 66-78. |
| Disetronic My Choice™ D-TRON™ Insulin Pump Reference Manual. (no date). |
| Disetronic H-TRON® plus Quick Start Manual. (no date). |
| Disetronic My Choice H-TRONplus Insulin Pump Reference Manual. (no date). |
| Disetronic H-TRON®plus Reference Manual. (no date). |
| (MiniMed, 1996). The MiniMed 506. 7 pages. Retrieved on Sep. 16, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://web.archive.org/web/19961111054527/www.minimed.com/files/506_pic.htm. |
| (MiniMed, 1997). MiniMed 507 Specifications. 2 pages. Retrieved on Sep. 16, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://web.archive.org/web/19970124234841/www.minimed.com/files/mmn075.htm. |
| (MiniMed, 1996). FAQ: The Practical Things . . . pp. 1-4. Retrieved on Sep. 16, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://web.archive.org/web/19961111054546/www.minimed.com/files/faq_pract.htm. |
| (MiniMed, 1997). Wanted: a Few Good Belt Clips! 1 page. Retrieved on Sep. 16, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://web.archive.org/web/19970124234559/www.minimed.com/files/mmn002.htm. |
| (MiniMed Technologies, 1994). MiniMed 506 Insulin Pump User's Guide. |
| (MiniMed Technologies, 1994). MiniMed™ Dosage Calculator Initial Meal Bolus Guidelines / MiniMed™ Dosage Calculator Initial Basal Rate Guidelines Percentage Method. 4 pages. |
| (MiniMed, 1996). MiniMed™ 507 Insulin Pump User's Guide. |
| (MiniMed, 1997). MiniMed™ 507 Insulin Pump User's Guide. |
| (MiniMed, 1998). MiniMed 507C Insulin Pump User's Guide. |
| (MiniMed International, 1998). MiniMed 507C Insulin Pump for those who appreciate the difference. |
| (MiniMed Inc., 1999). MiniMed 508 Flipchart Guide to Insulin Pump Therapy. |
| (MiniMed Inc., 1999). Insulin Pump Comparison / Pump Therapy Will Change Your Life. |
| (MiniMed, 2000). MiniMed® 508 User's Guide. |
| (MiniMed Inc., 2000). MiniMed® Now [I] Can Meal Bolus Calculator / MiniMed® Now [I] Can Correction Bolus Calculator. |
| (MiniMed Inc., 2000). Now [I] Can MiniMed Pump Therapy. |
| (MiniMed Inc., 2000). Now [I] Can MiniMed Diabetes Management. |
| (Medtronic MiniMed, 2002). The 508 Insulin Pump A Tradition of Excellence. |
| (Medtronic MiniMed, 2002). Medtronic MiniMed Meal Bolus Calculator and Correction Bolus Calculator. International Version. |
| Abel, P., et al., “Experience with an implantable glucose sensor as a prerequiste of an artificial beta cell,” Biomed. Biochim. Acta 43 (1984) 5, pp. 577-584. |
| Bindra, Dilbir S., et al., “Design and in Vitro Studies of a Needle-Type Glucose Sensor for a Subcutaneous Monitoring,” American Chemistry Society, 1991, 63, pp. 1692-1696. |
| Boguslavsky, Leonid, et al., “Applications of redox polymers in biosensors,” Sold State Ionics 60, 1993, pp. 189-197. |
| Geise, Robert J., et al., “Electropolymerized 1,3-diaminobenzene for the construction of a 1,1′-dimethylferrocene mediated glucose biosensor,” Analytica Chimica Acta, 281, 1993, pp. 467-473. |
| Gernet, S., et al., “A Planar Glucose Enzyme Electrode,” Sensors and Actuators, 17, 1989, pp. 537-540. |
| Gernet, S., et al., “Fabrication and Characterization of a Planar Electromechanical Cell and its Application as a Glucose Sensor,” Sensors and Actuators, 18, 1989, pp. 59-70. |
| Gorton, L., et al., “Amperometric Biosensors Based on an Apparent Direct Electron Transfer Between Electrodes and Immobilized Peroxiases,” Analyst, Aug. 1991, vol. 117, pp. 1235-1241. |
| Gorton, L., et al., “Amperometric Glucose Sensors Based on Immobilized Glucose-Oxidizing Enymes and Chemically Modified Electrodes,” Analytica Chimica Acta, 249, 1991, pp. 43-54. |
| Gough, D. A., et al., “Two-Dimensional Enzyme Electrode Sensor for Glucose,” Analytical Chemistry, vol. 57, No. 5, 1985, pp. 2351-2357. |
| Gregg, Brian A., et al., “Cross-Linked Redox Gels Containing Glucose Oxidase for Amperometric Biosensor Applications,” Analytical Chemistry, 62, pp. 258-263. |
| Gregg, Brian A., et al., “Redox Polymer Films Containing Enzymes. 1. A Redox-Conducting Epoxy Cement: Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Hydroquinone,” The Journal of Physical Chemistry, vol. 95, No. 15, 1991, pp. 5970-5975. |
| Hashiguchi, Yasuhiro, MD, et al., “Development of a Miniaturized Glucose Monitoring System by Combining a Needle-Type Glucose Sensor With Microdialysis Sampling Method,” Diabetes Care, vol. 17, No. 5, May 1994, pp. 387-389. |
| Heller, Adam, “Electrical Wiring of Redox Enzymes,” Acc. Chem. Res., vol. 23, No. 5, May 1990, pp. 128-134. |
| Jobst, Gerhard, et al., “Thin-Film Microbiosensors for Glucose-Lactate Monitoring,” Analytical Chemistry, vol. 68, No. 18, Sep. 15, 1996, pp. 3173-3179. |
| Johnson, K.W., et al., “In vivo evaluation of an electroenzymatic glucose sensor implanted in subcutaneous tissue,” Biosensors & Bioelectronics, 7, 1992, pp. 709-714. |
| Jönsson, G., et al., “An Electromechanical Sensor for Hydrogen Peroxide Based on Peroxidase Adsorbed on a Spectrographic Graphite Electrode,” Electroanalysis, 1989, pp. 465-468. |
| Kanapieniene, J. J., et al., “Miniature Glucose Biosensor with Extended Linearity,” Sensors and Actuators, B. 10, 1992, pp. 37-40. |
| Kawamori, Ryuzo, et al., “Perfect Normalization of Excessive Glucagon Responses to lntraveneous Arginine in Human Diabetes Mellitus With the Artificial Beta-Cell,” Diabetes vol. 29, Sep. 1980, pp. 762-765. |
| Kimura, J., et al., “An Immobilized Enzyme Membrane Fabrication Method,” Biosensors 4, 1988, pp. 41-52. |
| Koudelka, M., et al., “In-vivo Behaviour of Hypodermically Implanted Microfabricated Glucose Sensors,” Biosensors & Bioelectronics 6, 1991, pp. 31-36. |
| Koudelka, M., et al., “Planar Amperometric Enzyme-Based Glucose Microelectrode,” Sensors & Actuators, 18, 1989, pp. 157-165. |
| Mastrototaro, John J., et al., “An electroenzymatic glucose sensor fabricated on a flexible substrate,” Sensors & Actuators, B. 5, 1991, pp. 139-144. |
| Mastrototaro, John J., et al., “An Electroenzymatic Sensor Capable of 72 Hour Continuous Monitoring of Subcutaneous Glucose,” 14th Annual International Diabetes Federation Congress, Washington D.C., Jun. 23-28, 1991. |
| McKean, Brian D., et al., “A Telemetry-Instrumentation System for Chronically Implanted Glucose and Oxygen Sensors,” IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Vo. 35, No. 7, Jul. 1988, pp. 526-532. |
| Monroe, D., “Novel Implantable Glucose Sensors,” ACL, Dec. 1989, pp. 8-16. |
| Morff, Robert J., et al., “Microfabrication of Reproducible, Economical, Electroenzymatic Glucose Sensors,” Annuaal International Conference of teh IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Vo. 12, No. 2, 1990, pp. 483-484. |
| Moussy, Francis, et al., “Performance of Subcutaneously Implanted Needle-Type Glucose Sensors Employing a Novel Trilayer Coating,” Analytical Chemistry, vol. 65, No. 15, Aug. 1, 1993, pp. 2072-2077. |
| Nakamoto, S., et al., “A Lift-Off Method for Patterning Enzyme-Immobilized Membranes in Multi-Biosensors,” Sensors and Actuators 13, 1988, pp. 165-172. |
| Nishida, Kenro, et al., “Clinical applications of teh wearable artifical endocrine pancreas with the newly designed needle-type glucose sensor,” Elsevier Sciences B.V., 1994, pp. 353-358. |
| Nishida, Kenro, et al., “Development of a ferrocene-mediated needle-type glucose sensor covereed with newly designd biocompatible membrane, 2-methacryloyloxyethylphosphorylcholine-co-n-butyl nethacrylate,” Medical Progress Through Technology, vol. 21, 1995, pp. 91-103. |
| Poitout, V., et al., “A glucose monitoring system for on line estimation oin man of blood glucose concentration using a miniaturized glucose sensor implanted in the subcutaneous tissue adn a wearable control unit,” Diabetologia, vol. 36, 1991, pp. 658-663. |
| Reach, G., “A Method for Evaluating in vivo the Functional Characteristics of Glucose Sensors,” Biosensors 2, 1986, pp. 211-220. |
| Shaw, G. W., et al., “In vitro testing of a simply constructed, highly stable glucose sensor suitable for implantation in diabetic patients,” Biosensors & Bioelectronics 6, 1991, pp. 401-406. |
| Shichiri, M., “A Needle-Type Glucose Sensor—A Valuable Tool Not Only for a Self-Blood Glucose Monitoring but for a Wearable Artifiical Pancreas,” Life Support Systems Proceedings, XI Annual Meeting ESAO, Alpbach-Innsbruck, Austria, Sep. 1984, pp. 7-9. |
| Shichiri, Motoaki, et al., “An artificial endocrine pancreas—problems awaiting solution for long-term clinical applications of a glucose sensor,” Frontiers Med. Biol. Engng., 1991, vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 283-292. |
| Shichiri, Motoaki, et al., “Closed-Loop Glycemic Control with a Wearable Artificial Endocrine Pancreas—Variations in Daily Insulin Requirements to Glycemic Response,” Diabetes, vol. 33, Dec. 1984, pp. 1200-1202. |
| Shichiri, Motoaki, et al., “Glycaemic Control in a Pacreatectomized Dogs with a Wearable Artificial Endocrine Pancreas,” Diabetologia, vol. 24, 1983, pp. 179-184. |
| Shichiri, M., et al., “In Vivo Characteristics of Needle-Type Glucose Sensor—Measurements of Subcutaneous Glucose Concentrations in Human Volunteers,” Hormone and Metabolic Research, Supplement Series vol. No. 20, 1988, pp. 17-20. |
| Shichiri, M., et al., “Membrane design for extending the long-life of an implantable glucose sensor,” Diab. Nutr. Metab., vol. 2, No. 4, 1989, pp. 309-313. |
| Shichiri, Motoaki, et al., “Normalization of the Paradoxic Secretion of Glucagon in Diabetes Who Were Controlled by the Artificial Beta Cell,” Diabetes, vol. 28, Apr. 1979, pp. 272-275. |
| Shichiri, Motoaki, et al., “Telemetry Glucose Monitoring Device with Needle-Type Glucose Sensor: A useful Tool for Blood Glucose Monitoring in Diabetic Individuals,” Diabetes Care, vol. 9, No. 3, May-Jun. 1986, pp. 298-301. |
| Shichiri, Motoaki, et al., “Wearable Artificial Endocrine Pancreas with Needle-Type Glucose Sensor,” The Lancet, Nov. 20, 1982, pp. 1129-1131. |
| Shichiri, Motoaki, et al., “The Wearable Artificial Endocrine Pancreas with a Needle-Type Glucose Sensor: Perfect Glycemic Control in Ambulatory Diabetes,” Acta Paediatr Jpn 1984, vol. 26, pp. 359-370. |
| Shinkai, Seiji, “Molecular Recognitiion of Mono- and Di-saccharides by Phenylboronic Acids in Solvent Extraction and as a Monolayer,” J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 1991, pp. 1039-1041. |
| Shults, Mark C., “A Telemetry-Instrumentation System for Monitoring Multiple Subcutaneously Implanted Glucose Sensors,” IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 41, No. 10, Oct. 1994, pp. 937-942. |
| Sternberg, Robert, et al., “Study and Development of Multilayer Needle-type Enzyme-based Glucose Microsensors,” Biosensors, vol. 4, 1988, pp. 27-40. |
| Tamiya, E., et al., “Micro Glucose Sensors using Electron Mediators Immobilized on a Polypyrrole-Modified Electrode,” Sensors and Actuators, vol. 18, 1989, pp. 297-307. |
| Tsukagoshi, Kazuhiko, et al., “Specific Complexation with Mono- and Disaccharides that can be Detected by Circular Dichroism,” J. Org. Chem., vol. 56, 1991, pp. 4089-4091. |
| Urban, G., et al., “Miniaturized multi-enzyme biosensors integrated with pH sensors on flexible polymer carriers for in vivo appiciations,” Biosensors & Bioelectronics, vol. 7, 1992, pp. 733-739. |
| Ubran, G., et al., “Miniaturized thin-film biosensors using covalently immobilized glucose oxidase,” Biosensors & Bioelectronics, vol. 6, 1991, pp. 555-562. |
| Velho, G., et al., “In vivo calibration of a subcutaneous glucose sensor for determination of subcutaneous glucose kinetics,” Diab. Nutr. Metab., vol. 3, 1988, pp. 227-233. |
| Wang, Joseph, et al., “Needle-Type Dual Microsensor for the Simultaneous Monitoring of Glucose and Insulin,” Analytical Chemistry, vol. 73, 2001, pp. 844-847. |
| Yamasaki, Yoshimitsu, et al., “Direct Measurement of Whole Blood Glucose by a Needle-Type Sensor,” Clinics Chimica Acta, vol. 93, 1989, pp. 93-98. |
| Yokoyama, K., “Integrated Biosensor for Glucose and Galactose,” Analytica Chimica Acta, vol. 218, 1989, pp. 137-142. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160268954 A1 | Sep 2016 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13945737 | Jul 2013 | US |
| Child | 15163631 | US | |
| Parent | 13425190 | Mar 2012 | US |
| Child | 13945737 | US |
