Delivery of fluid from a syringe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020282135-A1
Application number	US-201916686002-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 7, 2019
Publication date	Sep 10, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and method for delivering fluid from a syringe to a subject using a pumping device of a flow control apparatus. The method includes locating the flow control apparatus on a horizontal support surface. Providing the syringe with a volume of fluid including a total amount of preferred nutrient and an amount of non-preferred nutrient liquid. Mounting the syringe relative to the flow control apparatus whereby the syringe is oriented in a generally vertical orientation such that an outlet of the syringe faces upward. Initiating operation of the pumping device to draw the fluid from the syringe for a duration of time to preferentially deliver at least a portion of the total amount of preferred nutrient in the fluid to the subject.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A method of delivering fluid from a syringe to a subject using a pumping device of a flow control apparatus, the method comprising:
locating the flow control apparatus on a horizontal support surface; providing the syringe with a volume of fluid including a total amount of preferred nutrient and an amount of non-preferred nutrient liquid; mounting the syringe relative to the flow control apparatus whereby the syringe is oriented in a generally vertical orientation such that an outlet of the syringe faces upward; initiating operation of the pumping device to draw the fluid from the syringe for a duration of time; and delivering at least a portion of the volume of fluid from the syringe to the subject such that at least 40% of the total amount of preferred nutrient in the fluid is delivered from the syringe within a first third of the duration of time the pumping device is operated to draw the fluid from the syringe.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 60% of the total amount of preferred nutrient in the fluid is delivered from the syringe within a first half of the duration of time the pumping device is operated to draw the fluid from the syringe.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein at least 65% of the total amount of preferred nutrient in the fluid is delivered from the syringe within a first two thirds of the duration of time the pumping device is operated to draw the fluid from the syringe.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein at least 80% of the total amount of preferred nutrient in the fluid is delivered from the syringe within a first five sixths of the duration of time the pumping device is operated to draw the fluid from the syringe.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the syringe is centered on a barrel of the syringe.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is an infant and the fluid comprises breast milk such that the preferred nutrient is fat.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein delivering at least a portion of the volume of fluid comprises drawing the fluid from the syringe by applying a vacuum pressure to the outlet of the syringe using the flow control apparatus.

8 . A syringe stand for supporting a syringe including a barrel having an outlet and a plunger received in an end of the barrel opposite the outlet, the syringe stand comprising:
a base for supporting the syringe stand on a horizontal support surface; and a holder for securing the syringe to the syringe stand, the holder being attachable to the base and selectively positionable relative to the base to orient the syringe in at least two different positions.

9 . The syringe stand of claim 8 , wherein the holder is positionable in a first position where the syringe is oriented in a generally vertical orientation such that a longitudinal axis of the syringe is generally parallel to a vertical axis and the outlet of the syringe faces upward, and a second position where the syringe is oriented generally horizontal such that the longitudinal axis of the syringe is generally parallel to a horizontal axis.

10 . The syringe stand of claim 9 , wherein the holder is positionable in a third position where the longitudinal axis of the syringe is oriented at an angle with respect to the vertical and horizontal axes.

11 . The syringe stand of claim 8 , wherein the holder comprises a receptacle configured to receive at least a portion of the barrel and plunger of the syringe, and a guide assembly configured to guide movement of the plunger in the receptacle.

12 . The syringe stand of claim 11 , wherein the guide assembly comprises at least one rail and a slide moveable along the rail, the slide being engagable by the plunger to move along the rail to guide the movement of the plunger in the receptacle.

13 . The syringe stand of claim 8 , wherein the holder is configured to hold the barrel of the syringe in a fixed position relative to the stand.

14 . The syringe stand of claim 8 , further comprising a position sensor attached to the holder and configured to detect movement of the plunger with respect to the holder indicative of fluid being delivered out of the barrel.

15 . The syringe stand of claim 14 , wherein the position sensor comprises one of a potentiometer, a camera, a magnetic foil sensor, and a non-magnetic induction sensor.

16 . The syringe stand of claim 8 , wherein the base is configured to mount the apparatus to the base.

17 . The syringe stand of claim 16 , further comprising a pass-thru connector on the base, the connector including a port and a plug in communication with the port, the plug being configured to connect with a port on the flow control apparatus, and the port on the base being configured to receive a plug for connecting the plug with the port on the flow control apparatus though the connector.

18 . The syringe stand of claim 8 , wherein the base includes a mount for attaching to a clamp to mount the syringe stand to a vertical support.

19 . A flow control apparatus for use with a pump set to deliver fluid from a feeding source through the pump set to a subject, the flow control apparatus comprising:
a pumping device capable of acting on the pump set to produce a fluid flow within the pump set during a feeding cycle; and a controller in communication with the pumping device for controlling operation of the pumping device in a feeding configuration for producing flow of a fluid in the pump set, the controller including a processor and a memory, the controller being adapted to store in the memory a selected flow rate and a desired fluid volume of the fluid, the controller configured to execute in the processor a feed time compensator to adjust a feed time for operating the pumping device for delivering the fluid through the pump set during the feeding cycle to account for a detected deviation in actual flow rate from the feeding source from the selected flow rate.

20 . The flow control apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the controller pauses operation of the pumping device to compensate for the detected deviation of the actual flow rate from the selected flow rate.

21 . The flow control apparatus of claim 19 wherein the controller compares a total actual delivered volume of fluid with the desired volume of the fluid and ends the feeding cycle if the difference is within a predetermined threshold.

22 . The flow control apparatus of claim 19 wherein the feed time compensator calculates the compensated feed time based on the equation: X=(Y+Y 1 )/(Z+Z n ) where X is the selected flow rate for the fluid, Y is a volume of the fluid already delivered from the feeding source during the feeding cycle, Y 1 is a volume of feeding fluid delivered from the feeding source since the most recent prior compensation calculation, Z is a total time elapsed in the feeding cycle, and Z n is a feed time adjustment.

23 . The flow control apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the controller is programmed to execute the feed time compensator only after a threshold volume of fluid has been delivered from the feeding source.

24 . A support for a flow control apparatus including a pumping system for engaging a pump set mounted on the apparatus, the support comprising:
a base for receiving at least a portion of the flow control apparatus, the base being configured to support the flow control apparatus on a horizontal support surface whereby the flow control apparatus is oriented in a generally hor

Assignees

• Kpr Us Llc

Inventors

• Breitweiser Kenneth M
• Schneider Kurt
• Gaines Robert B
• Lewis Thomas G
• Buckles Emma C
• Dorsey Michael C
• Knauper Christopher A
• Bryant Ashanti
• Fox Meghan
• Miller Jessica Watts

Classifications

• A61M5/008

  Racks for supporting syringes or needles (A61M5/001 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61J15/008

  Sensor means, e.g. for sensing reflux, acidity or pressure (sensors for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00; sensors for inflation control A61M25/1018) · CPC title

• A61J15/0092

  Valves on feeding tubes (tube valves A61M39/22) · CPC title

• A61J1/2096

  Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents · CPC title

• A61J1/2051

  having tap means, e.g. tap means activated by sliding · CPC title