Selectively controlling fluid flow through a fluid pathway

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9744298-B2
Application number	US-201213689729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2012
Priority date	Jun 22, 2011
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling fluid delivery via a manually administrable medication container to a patient through a fluid delivery pathway are provided. The systems and methods described herein incorporate rules-based clinical decision support logic to drive a flow control valve within a flow pathway based on a determination of whether or not an IV fluid connected to an input port on the pathway is appropriate for patient administration by considering such factors as patient-specific clinical circumstances, current medical orders, and accepted delivery protocols. Related apparatus, systems, methods and articles are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a fluid port comprising:
a fluid channel;
a fluid inlet at a first end of the fluid channel configured to couple to an outlet of a manually administrable fluid source;
a fluid outlet at a second end of the fluid channel configured to deliver fluid from the manually administrable fluid source to a fluid pathway that provides fluid to a patient;
at least one sensor configured to determine at least one attribute of the fluid from the manually administrable fluid source;
a flow controller in communication with the at least one sensor that generates at least one flow modification signal in response to the determined at least one attribute matching at least one condition specified by at least one rule; and
a flow control valve in communication with the flow controller and positioned within the fluid pathway at a location separate and distinct from the fluid port, the flow control valve changing a level of flow restriction of the fluid from the manually administrable fluid source passing therethrough in response to receiving the at least one flow modification signal, wherein changing the level of flow restriction of the fluid from the manually administrable fluid source passing through the flow control valve comprises adjusting a current flow rate of the fluid passing through the flow control valve to a higher or lower flow rate, wherein the flow control valve partially restricts the fluid passing through the flow control valve at the higher or lower rate,
wherein the at least one sensor is configured to automatically measure a withdrawn downstream fluid volume, wherein the withdrawn downstream fluid volume is a total volume of the fluid downstream of the fluid inlet and still within the fluid channel after fluid flow through the fluid pathway is stopped, and
wherein the at least one sensor comprises a fluid flow sensor, and wherein sensed fluid flow information causes the flow controller to generate a first flow modification signal to cause the flow control valve to transition to a first state when a first pre-determined volume has been delivered as measured by the fluid flow sensor, and after a pre-determined span of time, causes the flow controller to generate a second flow modification signal to cause the flow control valve to transition to a second state different than the first state.

2. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor determines the at least one attribute of the fluid from the manually administrable fluid source when the manually administrable fluid source is being coupled to the fluid inlet.

3. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor determines the at least one attribute of the fluid from the manually administrable fluid source when the manually administrable fluid source is coupled to the fluid inlet.

4. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor determines the at least one attribute of the fluid from the manually administrable fluid source when the fluid is passing through the fluid channel.

5. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is integral or coupled to the fluid port.

6. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is separate and distinct from the fluid port.

7. The system as in claim 1 , wherein changing the level of flow restriction of the fluid from the manually administrable fluid source passing through the flow control valve comprises stopping all fluid from passing through the flow control valve.

8. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the flow controller comprises or is in communication with a rules engine, the rules engine using a plurality of rules to determine whether the at least one attribute matches the at least one condition specified by the at least one rule.

9. The system as in claim 8 , wherein the flow controller polls at least one remote data source to obtain at least a portion of the rules.

10. The system as in claim 8 , wherein the rules engine, when applying the rules, uses (i) the at least one attribute and (ii) flow control input data selected from a group consisting of: fluid information, patient-specific information, medical order information, clinical guideline information, environmental factors, flow control valve status, and historical information.

11. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the manually administrable fluid source comprises fluid source information encoded thereon, and the at least one sensor comprises an identification sensor that detects the manually administrable fluid source information when the manually administrable fluid source is being coupled or is coupled to the fluid port inlet.

12. The system as in claim 11 , wherein the fluid source information is a code or identifier used to reference a secondary data set that is associated with the fluid contained within the manually administrable fluid source.

13. The system as in claim 12 , further comprising a memory that stores the secondary data set.

14. The system as in claim 12 , further comprising: a remote data source coupled to the flow controller via a communications network that stores the secondary data set.

15. The system as in claim 11 , wherein the at least one flow modification signal is generated using a rules engine that processes the detected fluid source information.

16. The system as in claim 1 , wherein: the at least one sensor comprises a fluid composition sensor that determines a composition of the fluid, the fluid composition sensor is located along the fluid channel between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and the at least one attribute is indicative of at least one constituent present in the fluid flowing through the channel.

17. The system as in claim 16 , wherein the at least one flow modification signal is generated using a rules engine that processes the result of the sensed fluid composition information.

18. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the flow control valve is on the fluid pathway downstream from the fluid port.

19. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the flow control valve is on the fluid pathway upstream from the fluid port.

20. The system as in claim 1 , wherein: contents from the manually administrable fluid source do not reach the patient for at least a time T 1 after the manually administrable fluid source begins fluid delivery into the fluid inlet, the flow controller and the flow control valve are configured to restrict flow in the fluid pathway within a time T 2 <T 1 after the manually administrable fluid source begins the fluid delivery into the fluid inlet.

21. The system as in claim 1 , further comprising: a wireless transmitter to transmit data from the at least one sensor to the flow controller.

22. The system as in claim 1 , further comprising: a wireless transceiver coupled to the flow controller to receive and transmit data relating to operation of the flow control valve.

23. The system as in claim 1 , further comprising: a wireless receiver coupled to the flow control valve to receive the at least one flow modification signal from the flow controller.

24. The system as in claim 23 , further comprising: a wireless transmitter coupled to the flow control valve to send information to the flow controller indicative of a change in the level of fluid flow restriction being applied to the fluid passing through the flow control valve in response to receiving the at least one flow modification signal from the flow controller.

Assignees

• Crisi Medical Systems Inc

Inventors

• Prince Stephen Michael
• Bochenko Walter John
• De Childers Winthrop

Classifications

• A61M2205/6018

  providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration · CPC title

• A61M5/16877

  Adjusting flow; Devices for setting a flow rate · CPC title

• A61M5/16831

  Monitoring, detecting, signalling or eliminating infusion flow anomalies (low-level float-valves causing cut-off A61M5/40; indicating or recording presence, absence or direction of flow in general G01P13/0066) · CPC title

• A61M5/16827

  controlling delivery of multiple fluids, e.g. sequencing, mixing or via separate flow-paths (infusion of multiple fluids without using a controller A61M5/1407) · CPC title

• A61M2205/6054

  Magnetic identification systems · CPC title