Empty infusion supply container annunciator and detection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9662444-B2
Application number	US-201414309356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2014
Priority date	Jun 19, 2014
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A medical fluid infusion system includes a pump system configured to deliver a fluid drug to a patient. The system includes a device and method for detecting when the level of a fluid in a fluid supply container (such as an IV bag) is exhausted or near exhausted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device to indicate a state of fluid in a fluid supply container of an infusion system, comprising:
a fluid lumen having a first end and a second end, the first end fluidly coupled to a fluid container, wherein the fluid lumen defines a flow pathway with a first point along the pathway having a first cross-sectional area that varies relative to a second cross-sectional area at a second point along the pathway moving along the fluid lumen from the first end toward the second end, and wherein the cross-sectional area of any point along the pathway remains constant relative to itself, and wherein the cross sectional area moving along the pathway varies as defined by a predetermined, fixed profile, wherein the second end of the fluid lumen is connected to a drip chamber of a drug infusion system such that fluid flows from the fluid lumen into the drip chamber;
wherein the fluid lumen includes a series of elongated, horizontally oriented portions through which fluid flows in a horizontal direction and a series of elongated, vertically oriented portions through which fluid flows in a distal direction, and wherein the horizontally oriented portions and vertically oriented portions are connected by a series of bends in the fluid lumen;
a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the fluid lumen so as to measure static fluid pressure in the fluid lumen, the static fluid pressure being based on a column height of fluid in the fluid lumen; and
an indicator configured to generate a signal based upon a predetermined change in static fluid pressure as measured by the pressure sensor.

2. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the indicator generates a signal when the change in static fluid pressure corresponds to the fluid column height being at a location near the second end of the fluid lumen.

3. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the indicator generates a signal subsequent to a change in static fluid pressure wherein the change in static fluid pressure corresponds to a predetermined fluid column height, pressure, or fluid flow characteristic of the fluid lumen.

4. The device as in claim 3 , wherein the second end of the fluid lumen is a vertically oriented portion of the fluid lumen.

5. The device as in claim 3 , wherein static fluid pressure undergoes a predetermined rate of change when a terminus of the fluid column traverses a predetermined section of the fluid lumen.

6. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the first end of the fluid lumen is connected to an intravenous (IV) bag of a drug infusion system.

7. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the signal is an audio signal.

8. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the signal is a visual signal.

9. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the signal is a tactile signal.

10. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the signal is an electronic signal.

11. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the signal is an electronic signal sent to at least one of a care provider, a portable electronic device, and a hospital information system.

12. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the infusion system is an infusion pump system.

13. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the fluid lumen zig zags between the elongated, horizontally oriented portions and the vertically oriented portions.

14. A method of detecting when a fluid container in a fluid pump system has a predetermined volume of fluid, the method comprising:
providing an empty container detector that includes a fluid lumen that defines a flow pathway with a first point along the pathway having first cross-sectional area that varies relative to a second cross-sectional area at a second point along the pathway moving along the fluid lumen from a first end toward a second end, and wherein the cross-sectional area of any point along the pathway remains constant relative to itself, such that fluid flows through the empty container detector as it flows from the container to an end location of the fluid lumen and into a drip chamber and wherein the fluid lumen includes a series of elongated, horizontally oriented portions through which fluid flows in a horizontal direction and a series of elongated, vertically oriented portion through which fluid flows in a distal direction, and wherein the horizontally oriented portions and vertically oriented portions are connected by a series of bends in the fluid lumen;
measuring a change in static fluid pressure as fluid flows through the lumen; and
generating a signal that indicates a height of the fluid in the lumen is in a predetermined location in the lumen based on a predetermined static pressure change profile of fluid flowing through the lumen.

15. The method as in claim 14 , wherein the empty container detector is positioned along a fluid pathway that spans from a container of fluid to an end location.

16. The method as in claim 14 , wherein the container of fluid is an IV bag.

17. The method as in claim 14 , wherein the end location is a patient access site.

18. The method as in claim 14 , wherein the fluid pump system is a drug infusion system.

19. The method as in claim 14 , wherein the fluid lumen wherein the fluid lumen zig zags between the elongated, horizontally oriented portions and the vertically oriented portions.

Assignees

• Carefusion 303 Inc

Inventors

• Reaves Adam
• Good Lee
• Heffron Pete

Classifications

• A61M5/16854 Primary

  by monitoring line pressure · CPC title

• A61M2205/583

  by visual feedback · CPC title

• A61M2205/3348

  Pressure measurement using a water column · CPC title

• A61M2205/581

  by audible feedback · CPC title

• A61M2205/3379

  Masses, volumes, levels of fluids in reservoirs, flow rates · CPC title