Systems for determining, and devices for indicating, viable life of replaceable components thereof and methods therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10522250-B2
Application number	US-201615750878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2016
Priority date	Aug 13, 2015
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A system capable of monitoring a replaceable component is provided. The system includes a controller for controlling operation of the system; programming instructions according to which the system is configured to: accept input of a viable life for the component, calculate an accumulated amount of distress experienced by the component based on each set of previously collected use data associated with each previous use of the component, and determine, based in part on the accumulated amount of distress, a used portion of the viable life that the component has experienced as a result of the previous use(s) thereof and an unused portion of the viable life; and a feedback device configured to provide to an operator of the system an indication of at least one of the unused and used portions of the viable life of the component. Methods of monitoring a replaceable component of a system are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system capable of monitoring a replaceable component thereof, the system comprising:
(a) a controller for controlling operation of the system;
(b) programming instructions operably associated with the controller according to which the system is configured to
(i) accept input of a viable life for a replaceable component of the system;
(ii) calculate, using at least an algorithm comprising a model descriptive of material degradation of the replaceable component, an accumulated amount of distress experienced by the replaceable component based on use data associated with each previous use of the replaceable component by the system; and
(iii) determine, based in part on the accumulated amount of distress, a used portion of the viable life that the replaceable component has experienced as a result of the use data and an unused portion of the viable life; and

(c) a visual and/or audio feedback device configured to provide to an operator of the system an indication of at least one of the unused and used portions of the viable life of the replaceable component.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the system is a fluid delivery system comprising a fluid injector; and
(b) the use data associated with each previous use of the replaceable component by the system is injection parameter data associated with each injection procedure previously performed on one or more patients using the fluid injector;

wherein the injection parameter data comprises one or more of an injection pressure, an injection time, and an injection temperature.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the replaceable component being monitored by the fluid delivery system comprises at least one of a syringe, a tubing set, a valve, a fluid connector, a multi-patient fluid path set, a single-patient fluid path set and any combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a sensing or timing device associated with a portion of the fluid injector and configured to collect the injection parameter data.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the model is based on Miner's Rule or on an Inverse Power Law-Weibull Model.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the use data comprises data collected from multiple portions of the system.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the indication of at least one of the unused and used portions of the viable life of the replaceable component comprises displaying a visual representation of the used portion of the viable life relative to the viable life of the replaceable component.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the viable life of the replaceable component is determined before the replaceable component is installed on the system.

9. A method of monitoring a status of a replaceable component of a fluid injector, the method comprising:
(a) providing a viable life for the replaceable component;
(b) calculating an accumulated amount of distress experienced by the replaceable component based on injection parameter data associated with each injection procedure previously performed therewith;
(c) collecting a present set of injection parameter data associated with a planned injection procedure to be performed with the replaceable component;
(d) calculating an estimated amount of additional distress that would be experienced by the replaceable component if the planned injection procedure were to be performed in accordance with the present set of injection parameter data;
(e) determining, based in part on the accumulated amount of distress, a used portion of the viable life that the replaceable component has experienced as a result of the previously performed injection procedures and an unused portion of the viable life;
(f) determining, based in part on the estimated amount of additional distress, an additional portion of the viable life that would be experienced by the replaceable component if the planned injection procedure were to be performed and, as a result, the replaceable component were to incur the estimated amount of additional distress;
(g) comparing at least one of the unused and used portions of the viable life of the replaceable component to the additional portion of the viable life that would be experienced by the replaceable component if the planned injection procedure were to be performed; and
(h) providing an indication of a result of the comparison to an operator of the fluid injector.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the injection parameter data comprises one or more of an injection pressure, an injection time, and an injection temperature.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the estimated and the accumulated amounts of distress are each calculated using at least an algorithm that employs a model descriptive of material degradation of the replaceable component.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the model is based on Miner's Rule or on an Inverse Power Law-Weibull Model.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the injection parameter data comprises data collected from multiple portions of the fluid injector.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein providing an indication of a result of the comparison comprises displaying a visual representation of the used portion of the viable life relative to the viable life of the replaceable component.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the viable life of the replaceable component is determined before the replaceable component is installed on the fluid injector.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the replaceable component comprises at least one of a syringe, a tubing set, a valve, a fluid connector, a multi-patient fluid path set, a single-patient fluid path set and any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the accumulated amount of distress experienced by the replaceable component is initially zero when no injection procedure has been previously performed therewith and the planned injection procedure is intended as the first to be used therewith.

18. A disposable life indicator for measuring cumulative fluid pressure for a fluid injector, the disposable life indicator comprising:
a fluid collecting portion in fluid communication with a fluid path set of a fluid injector; and
a gauge configured to indicate to a user a used and/or an unused viable life for a replaceable component of the fluid injector based on a volume of fluid in the fluid collecting portion, the gauge comprising a piston moveably disposed within a bore of the gauge and configured to move therethrough as the volume of fluid in the fluid collecting portion increases.

19. The disposable life indicator of claim 18 , further comprising a check valve disposed between the fluid path set of the fluid injector and the fluid collecting portion, the check valve being configured to permit fluid flow above a threshold pressure to access the fluid collecting portion.

20. The disposable life indicator of claim 19 , wherein the check valve is a one-way check valve.

21. The disposable life indicator of claim 18 , further comprising a flow restrictor positioned between the fluid path set and the fluid collecting portion for reducing velocity of a fluid flow entering the fluid collecting portion.

22. The disposable life indicator of claim 21 , wherein the flow restrictor comprises a porous filter.

23. The disposable life indicator of claim 18 , wherein the piston comprises a conspicuous tip configured to extend beyond an open distal end of the gauge in an end-of-use position.

24. The di

Assignees

• Bayer Healthcare Llc

Inventors

• Spohn Michael
• Swantner Michael
• Rhinehart Edward

Classifications

• A61M2205/3368

  Temperature · CPC title

• A61M5/1723

  using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure (measurement of body parameters A61B5/00) · CPC title

• G16H40/63

  for local operation · CPC title

• A61M5/142 Primary

  Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps · CPC title

• A61M2205/332

  Force measuring means · CPC title