Placement and detection of enteral syringes

Abstract

This application provides a device and method for controlling a device, which may include a controller for controlling operation of a pump device to generate fluid flow in a pump set, the controller including a processor and a memory, the controller adapted to store syringe size data in the memory, and the controller configured to execute a syringe detection program in the processor to determine the presence and size of a syringe loaded into the flow control device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 374,433, entitled "Detection of Enteral Administration Syringes," filed September 2, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] [Technical field] The present disclosure relates generally to fluid delivery, and more particularly to an enteral feeding pump assembly configured to detect a syringe loaded on the assembly. [Background technology]

[0003] Peristaltic flow control systems can be used to improve the administration of medicines or nutrients to patients unable to orally ingest them. In such systems, fluid is typically delivered by a pump set comprising flexible elastomeric tubing attached to a flow control apparatus, such as a peristaltic pump, which delivers the fluid to the patient at a controlled rate. Peristaltic pumps typically include a housing containing a rotor operatively engaged to a motor via a gearbox. The rotor drives fluid through the flexible tubing of the pump set by peristaltic motion, resulting from reversible compression caused by impingement (e.g., pinching) of one or more rollers against the rotor. Rotation of the rotor gradually compresses the elastomeric tubing, which moves the fluid at a controlled rate. The pump set may include a valve mechanism permitting or preventing fluid flow communication through the pump set. The flow control system may also include a controller that operatively controls one or more motors to effectively control fluid flow.

[0004] Peristaltic pumps operate by delivering small amounts of fluid in small charges called "aliquots." A rotor engages the elastomeric tubing of the pump set, pinching off a portion of the elastomeric tubing and forcing the fluid forward of the pinch point, e.g., closer to the patient than to the source of fluid toward the patient. The amount of fluid administered to the patient is typically controlled by counting the number of aliquots, each of approximately the same volume, into the pump and stopping when that number reaches a volume corresponding to the total desired amount of fluid to be delivered. Peristaltic pumps are hygienic and generally accurate, making them extremely useful for administering medications and therapeutic fluids to patients. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a feeding system including an enteral feeding pump, a pump support, a feeding set assembly, and a syringe. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an administration system including an enteral administration pump and a portion of an administration set assembly. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of FIG. 2, but with a portion of the cassette of the administration set assembly removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an enteral dosing pump. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of a pump support and syringe of the administration set assembly. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the pump support; [Figure 7A] FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of a syringe holder of the pump support. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a partial view of the embodiment of FIG. 7A. [Figure 7C] FIG. 7B is a partial view of the embodiment of FIG. 7A. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating components of an enteral dosing pump that may be utilized to implement one or more aspects disclosed herein. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart of a syringe size detection routine. [Figure 10A] 1 illustrates one example of a flange holder according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 10B] 1 illustrates one example of a flange holder according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 1 illustrates one example of a flange holder according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] 1 illustrates one example of a flange holder according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] 1 illustrates one example of a flange holder according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] 1 illustrates one example of a flange holder according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] 1 illustrates one example of a flange holder according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] 1 illustrates one example of a flange holder according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 17A] 1 illustrates examples of followers according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 17B] 1 illustrates several examples of followers according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] 1 illustrates one example of a follower according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 19] 1 illustrates one example of a follower according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 20] 1 illustrates several examples of followers according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 21] 1 illustrates several examples of followers according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 22] 1 illustrates one example of a follower according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 23] 1 illustrates one example of a follower according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 24A] 1A and 1B show top and partially see-through bottom views of one example of a follower according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 24B] 1A and 1B show top and partially see-through bottom views of one example of a follower according to aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0006] One or more aspects of the present disclosure relate to enteral feeding pumps configured to attach and detect a syringe assembly for delivering enteral feeding fluid to a patient (e.g., an infant). One or more advantageous features or configurations providing or facilitating any one or more of such features may be implemented in enteral feeding pumps employed in various commercial and industrial applications. Thus, while the detailed description is directed to an enteral feeding pump having a feeding set assembly including a cassette, any one or more features of the present disclosure may be embodied in or implemented in other pumps. For example, while the example pump described herein is a rotary peristaltic enteral feeding pump, the present disclosure may be applicable to other types of peristaltic pumps, including medical infusion pumps (not shown). Additionally, one or more of the various features and aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in peristaltic pumps that use mechanisms other than rollers (e.g., linear peristaltic pumps, etc.) without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, administration set assemblies that do not include a cassette (not shown) may also be used within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0007] Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1-4 , one example of an enteral dosing pump (broadly, a “flow control device”) constructed according to one or more of the principles of the present disclosure is generally designated 1. The dosing pump includes a housing generally designated 3 configured to receive a cassette (generally designated 5) of an administration set assembly (broadly, a “pump set”) generally designated 7. The administration set assembly 7 may include a syringe assembly 12 connected to the cassette 5 via tubing 77. The cassette 5 of the administration set assembly 7 is releasably attachable to the housing 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the cassette shell 9 of the cassette is removably received in a cassette recess 6 ( FIG. 4 ) in the housing 3. It will be understood that "housing," as used herein, includes, but is not limited to, numerous forms of supporting structures (not shown), including multi-part structures and structures that do not enclose or house the operating components of pump 1. Pump 1 has a display screen 10 in housing 3 that can display information regarding the status and operation of the pump. Furthermore, various aspects and features of the present disclosure may be implemented without the use of recess 6. One or more buttons 11 may be provided near display screen 10 that are used to control and obtain information from pump 1, and one or more light-emitting diodes 13 can provide pump status information.

[0008] The display screen 10 may be part of the front panel (generally designated 19) of the housing 3 or may be removably attached to the housing. The enteral administration pump further includes a pumping unit or device, generally designated 23 (FIGS. 3 and 4), which includes a pump motor 27 (FIG. 8) connected to a rotor shaft (not shown). A battery (not shown) for powering the pump motor may be housed within the housing 3. A power source other than or in addition to a battery may be used to power the pump, which includes one or more prime motors that drive the pump unit via the rotor shaft. The pump unit 23 includes a rotor (generally designated 37), which may be coupled to the rotor shaft, which may also be referred to as a pumping device. The rotor 37 may include an inner disk 39, an outer disk 41, and rollers 43 mounted between the inner and outer disks to rotate relative to the disks about their longitudinal axes. The rollers 43 engage tubing 45 ( FIG. 3 ) of an administration set assembly 7 (which may alternatively be referred to as a pump set throughout this disclosure) forming part of the cassette 5 to deliver fluid to a subject via the administration set assembly 7 when the cassette 5 is attached to the housing 3. For example, the pump 1, cassette 5, and administration set assembly 7 may be used to deliver a nutritional liquid (e.g., breast milk and / or a fortifier) ​​to an infant based on a feeding cycle. Other fluids may also be delivered using the pump 1 without departing from the scope of this disclosure.In some illustrated embodiments, the fluid in the syringe 14 is drawn from the syringe by vacuum pressure applied by the pump unit 23. In other words, the plunger is not used to trigger fluid delivery, and no pressing force is applied to the plunger 20 of the syringe 14. Not applying a pressing or other force to the plunger 20 of the syringe 14 can improve the ease of installing the syringe 14 into the holder 62, as described below, and can improve the accuracy of both syringe detection and the supply of contents of the syringe 14. Not applying a pressing force also allows for greater freedom of movement using the plunger follower while preventing accidental movement of the syringe plunger. However, aspects of the present disclosure equally apply when fluid from syringe 14 is delivered from the syringe in other ways, such as by driving the plunger into the barrel of the syringe.

[0009] 1 and 5-7, the pump support is generally designated 16. The pump support 16 includes a base 60 for supporting the pump support on a horizontal support surface, such as a tabletop, and a syringe holder 62 attached to the base for securing the syringe 14 thereto. It will be appreciated that the base may also be configured to support the pump on other surfaces or structures, including, but not limited to, non-horizontal surfaces. As described in more detail below, the holder 62 is configured to detect the presence and / or size of the syringe 14 attached thereto. In one embodiment, the syringe 14 and the syringe holder 62 comprise the syringe assembly 12. However, the syringe 14 alone may comprise the syringe assembly, or the syringe and tubing connected to the syringe may comprise the syringe assembly. Pump support 16 supports syringe 14 relative to pump 1 when pump 1 is mounted thereon. Alternatively, pump support 16 may be configured as a syringe stand, whereby the holder receives and supports syringe 14 but does not mount and / or support pump 1. Syringe 14 may be a conventional syringe including a barrel 18, which may be graduated, and a plunger 20 slidably received within the barrel. Syringe 14 may also have other configurations without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0010] The base 60 has a flat bottom surface 64 for resting the base on a horizontal support surface. A back wall 66 extends upward from the bottom surface 64 to attach the pump 1 to the base 60. A pair of side walls 68 extend laterally from the back wall 66 and oppose opposite sides of the pump 1 when the pump 1 is attached to the base 60. The back wall 66 and the side walls 68 define a receiving space for the pump 1. The back wall 66 is attached to the holder 62 and locates the holder relative to the base 60.

[0011] 6 and 7, syringe holder 62 includes a floor 86, a rear wall 88 extending from the floor, and opposing side walls 90 extending laterally from the rear wall and away from the floor. Bottom 86, rear wall 88, and side walls 90 together define a receiving space 92 for at least a portion of syringe 14. A first pair of flanges 94 extends from each side wall 90 of holder 62 near a top of the holder. Each of the side walls 90 has a recess 99 above a flange 94, which forms a second pair of flanges 96 longitudinally spaced upward from the first pair of flanges 94. A portion of the barrel 18 of the syringe 14 is received between the first pair of flanges 94 and between the second pair of flanges 96. The flanges 94 and 96 prevent the barrel 18 from moving within the holder 62 along an axis parallel to the back wall 88. A pair of rails or guides 98 may extend between the bottom 86 and the first pair of flanges 94.

[0012] A flange holder 100 (which may alternatively be referred to as a flange plate) is fixedly disposed on the upper end of the rail 98, and a plunger follower 102 (which may alternatively be referred to as a slide plate) is configured to move or slide along the rail in response to movement of the syringe plunger 20. In some examples, the plunger follower 102 is freely slidable along the rail 98 to follow movement of the syringe plunger 20. A gap 104 is formed between the first pair of flanges 94 and the flange holder 100. The gap 104 is configured to receive the flange 58 of the barrel 18 of the syringe 14 ( FIG. 5 ). The gap 104 may be configured to slidably receive or otherwise engage the flange 58 of the syringe 14. In some examples, the gap 104 may have a dimension (e.g., width or length) that is slightly smaller than the thickness of the flange 58 of the syringe 14. In this manner, the flange 58 is held fixed between the flange 94 and the flange holder 100, thereby preventing longitudinal movement of the barrel 18 of the syringe 14 within the holder 62.The flange 94 and / or the flange holder 100 may be formed from an elastic material, or alternatively, may be formed from a semi-rigid or rigidly elastic material, such that either or both of the flange 94 and / or the flange holder 100 are able to flex enough to allow for insertion of the flange 58 of the syringe 14 into the gap 104 and to captively hold the flange 58 until a user or technician intentionally removes the syringe 14 from the holder 62. Additionally, the flange holder may be connected to holder 62 via a spring mechanism that also allows the syringe flange to be installed and captively held until a user or technician intentionally removes syringe 14 from holder 62. FIG. 7C shows a partial close-up view of flange holder 100. The flange holder has one or more attachment points or portions 103 that are concavely shaped and have an opening for receiving fastener 105 and a spring or biasing member 101 therein. Fastener 101 may pass through the center of spring or biasing member 101 and then be threaded into holder 62. The partial threads and concave mounting portion of fastener 105 may house a spring therein (held in place by fastener 105), allowing flange holder 100 to be biased upward when the flange of syringe 14 is installed, while simultaneously allowing downward movement.

[0013] The flange holder 100 may be U-shaped and, as mentioned above, may be formed from a semi-flexible material, such as plastic, or a rigidly elastic material, including, by way of example and not limitation, thermoplastic elastomers, monomers, polyesters, copolyesters, and / or equivalents, or any combination thereof. The flange holder 100 may be shaped and / or include features to improve ease of attachment of the syringe 14, allowing for the use of multiple syringe sizes, and / or to tactually or mechanically guide a user or technician to properly place the syringe in the gap 104 of the holder 62. Additional details of the flange holder 100 and alternatives usable in embodiments of the present disclosure are described in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 10A-16 .

[0014] In one example, when syringe 14 is housed in holder 62, flange 44 of plunger 20 may be captured between a catch 121 (which may alternatively be referred to as a slide) and the plunger follower 102. Catch 121 may be operable to slide away from rear wall 88, for example, in the direction generally indicated by arrow 123 in FIG. 4 , to provide clearance for plunger flange 44. Catch 121 may then be moved in the opposite direction toward rear wall 88 (i.e., generally opposite the direction of arrow 123) to secure plunger flange 44 to plunger follower 102. Plunger follower 102 may have one or more biasing members or springs (not visible) configured to bias slide 121 to the resting state shown in FIG. 7A. In this manner, catch 121 is biased to an engagement position in which it captively engages flange 44 of plunger 20, thereby removably connecting plunger follower 102 to flange 44 (and thus follows the path of plunger 20) until a user disengages flange 44 from plunger follower 102, for example, when pump 1 withdraws the contents of syringe 14.7A , when installing the syringe 14 into the holder 62, a user may place their thumb or fingers on a press-surface 127 of the plunger follower 102 to engage or attach the flange 44 of the plunger 20. The user may then use their index and middle fingers or fingers to pull the two or more grasping portions 121 a and 121 b toward the press-surface 127 (i.e., generally in the direction of arrow 123). The user may then place the flange 44 on a top surface 129 of the plunger follower 102 and release or otherwise reduce the pulling force on the grasping portions 121 a and / or 121 b (thereby allowing the catch 121 to return to its rest position). The spring force biasing catch 121 in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow 123 may then cause a portion of the catch to captively engage flange 44 until a user or technician intentionally removes flange 44 by again pulling gripping portions 121 a and / or 121 b toward pressure surface 127 in the direction of arrow 123. Additional details of plunger follower 102 and alternatives usable with embodiments of the present disclosure are described in further detail below with reference to Figures 17A-24B.

[0015] As will be explained in more detail below, as fluid is withdrawn from the barrel 18 of the syringe 14, the plunger 20 moves away from the bottom 86. The flange 44 of the plunger 20 is sandwiched between the catch 121 and the plunger follower 102, which moves along the rail 98 in response to the movement of the plunger, thereby following the movement of the plunger. A connection arm, which allows the holder 62 to be secured to the base 60 or the pump support 16, extends from one of the side walls 90 and is configured to attach the holder 62 to the base 60.

[0016] 1 and 7 , a sensor 115 may be mounted on the rear wall 88 of the holder 62 to detect placement of the syringe 14 within the holder and / or movement of the syringe plunger 20 relative to the holder. In the illustrated embodiment, the sensor 115 may include a linear potentiometer or a linear resistive potentiometer. However, other types of sensors may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the sensor 115 may be a Hall Effect sensor, a plurality of Hall Effect sensors, or an array thereof and / or an array of Hall Effect devices. When the syringe 14 is properly loaded into the holder 62, a contact feature 116 on the holder (e.g., plunger follower 102) engages (i.e., directly contacts) the sensor 115. In some examples, contact 116 may be, for example, a ball detent (e.g., as shown by reference number 2416 in FIG. 24B ) or a spring-loaded mechanical contact feature. For example, plunger 20 may bring contact 116 into contact with sensor 115. In one embodiment, the circuit of sensor 115 is normally closed. However, pressure from contact 116 divides the voltage, and the divided voltage may change the analog signal, indicating that syringe 14 is properly loaded into holder 62. If no change in the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) value is detected upon loading syringe 14 into holder 62, pump 1 may continue to prompt the user to load a syringe into the holder.The sensor 115 and contacts 116 may comprise a first syringe presence detection assembly, and the process of detecting the presence of the syringe 14 using the sensor and contacts may comprise a first syringe presence detection routine, which is executable by the controller 72 of the pump 1 operatively connected to the sensor.

[0017] Additionally, a flange sensor 112 may be associated with holder 62 (e.g., disposed within or attached to holder 62), and a magnet 118 may be associated with flange holder 100 (e.g., disposed within or attached to flange holder 100).

[0018] In one embodiment, the magnet 118 may include, for example, one or more permanent magnets. The permanent magnets referred to above may include, for example, a magnetized ferromagnetic material or a material containing magnetized material(s) and / or particles. The flange holder 100 is cantilevered off the rear wall 88, and the gap 104 is slightly smaller than the thickness of the barrel flange 58, so that the free end of the plate is deflectable (i.e., movable downward) when accommodating the barrel flange within the gap. The downward deflection of the flange holder 100 causes the magnet 118 to move, which can be detected by the flange sensor 112. For example, the flange sensor 112 may be a Hall Effect sensor that detects changes in magnetic field strength caused by the movement of the magnet 118. This change in magnetic field strength may provide a secondary indication of the presence of syringe 14 in holder 62. Generally, flange sensor 112 and magnet 118 may comprise a second syringe presence detection assembly, and the process of detecting the presence of syringe 14 using the sensor and magnet may include a second syringe presence detection routine, which is operable by controller 72 of pump 1 operably connected to the sensor.

[0019] A door or gate 106 (broadly, a syringe clip) is pivotably attached between one of the first pair of flanges 94 and one of the second pair of flanges 96 and is movable between an open position that allows the syringe 14 to be received in the receiving space 92 and a closed position for retaining the syringe (i.e., barrel 18) in the receiving space 92. FIG. 7B shows one example of a pivot 107 around which the gate 106 is configured to pivot. One or more springs 111 may bias the gate 106 toward the closed position. A sensor 108 ( FIG. 7A ) may be provided on the holder 62 to detect the position of the door 106 as it moves between the open and closed positions. For example, magnet 109a and / or magnet 109b (FIG. 7B) may be positioned within gate 106 to detect changes in the magnetic field based on the angular position of the magnet relative to sensor 108. Thus, the angular position of gate 106 is detected when gate 106 is opened to provide a passageway for syringe barrel 18 to be received into holder 62 and then closed around the barrel to secure the syringe in the holder. It should be noted that although two example magnet positions 109a and 109b are shown, in an example, the magnet may be located at any position on gate 106. As described in more detail below, the size of syringe 14 may be determined using the angular position of gate 106 when barrel 18 is secured in the holder by the gate. In one embodiment, sensor 108 includes an angle sensor. In some embodiments, the angle sensor may be embedded or otherwise disposed on or near the surface of the rear wall 88 or body of the holder 62.In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the angle sensor may be present on and / or within a flexible circuit board or a flexible printed circuit board. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the placement of the flexible printed circuit board and / or the angle sensor may allow the surface of the holder body to be easily cleaned and / or disinfected. Generally, the sensor 108 and the magnet 109 may comprise a syringe size detection assembly.

[0020] 7A-9, the controller 72 in the pump 1 can initiate a syringe size detection routine to determine the size of the syringe contained in the holder 62. The syringe size detection may be performed based on syringe size data stored in the memory 93, as described below. When the gate 106 fully secures the barrel 18 of the syringe 14 in the holder 62, the position of a line of demarcation between the north and south poles of the magnet 109 is detected by the sensor 108 in step 200. In step 202, the sensor 108 determines the angle of the magnet 109 using an integrated Hall device. In step 204, the sensor 108 communicates a proportional digital value of the magnetic field to the controller 72. In step 206, the magnetic field signal or syringe size reading is compared to statistically generated corresponding digital size range data 85, which was previously programmed and stored in memory 93 of controller 72. If the magnetic field angle falls within one of the programmed size ranges and the presence of a syringe 14 has previously been detected and confirmed by two syringe presence detection routines, the syringe size is indicated by pump 1 in step 208. For example, display screen 10 of pump 1 may indicate the detected syringe size (e.g., a 60 mL syringe). Pump 1 may then prompt the user in step 210 to confirm that the detected syringe size is correct. For example, pump 1 may display a question on display screen 10 with options to select "yes" or "no" to confirm that the detected syringe size is correct.Alternatively, if the magnetic field angle is outside the programmed size range, pump 1 may prompt the user on display screen 10 to select a syringe size from a list of options or manually enter a syringe size in step 212. For example, display screen 10 may show four syringe sizes and an "Other" option from which the user can select. Once a syringe size is detected or selected by the user, pump 1 may be operated to pump fluid from the syringe assembly. In one embodiment, operation of pump 1 to deliver fluid from syringe 14 is prevented if both the first syringe presence detection routine and the second syringe presence detection routine do not indicate that a syringe is present, the syringe size detection routine has not determined the syringe size, and the syringe size has not been confirmed or identified.

[0021] The holder 62 may also be configured to detect movement of the plunger 20 during the withdrawal of fluid from the syringe 14. A contact of a potentiometer 115 may be located on a movable portion of the holder 62, such as the plunger follower 102, such that movement of the plunger follower 102 causes the contact to move along the potentiometer 115. Non-limiting examples of the contacts are shown in FIG. 7A as reference numerals 114a and / or 114b. Because the barrel 18 is fixedly held within the holder 62, the plunger 20 will move into the barrel as fluid is withdrawn from the barrel (e.g., via the pump 1). The flange 44 of the plunger 20 is fixed to the plunger follower 102 as the plunger moves into the barrel 18, causing the plunger follower 102 to move along the rail 98. Thus, in this aspect of the disclosure, movement of the contact 114 represents movement of the plunger 20 relative to the barrel 18 and holder 62 caused by dispensed fluid being drawn from the syringe 14. In other words, movement of the contact 114 corresponds to the distance the plunger 20 advances into the barrel 18. Furthermore, by extrapolating the outer diameter of the barrel 18 from the angular position of the gate 106, it is possible to identify an appropriate calibration constant that directly relates changes in the position of the plunger 20 to changes in the amount of fluid delivered. Alternatively, since the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal cavity of the barrel 18 is known from detecting the size of the syringe, it is possible to calibrate the potentiometer 115 so that movement of the contact 114 indicates the amount of fluid being expelled from the syringe 14. In particular, by knowing the inner diameter of the barrel 18 of the syringe 14, it is possible to determine the amount of fluid delivered from the syringe 14 in relation to the distance traveled by the plunger follower 102 / plunger 20. The potentiometer 115 is electrically connected to the controller 72, which receives a position signal from the potentiometer 115, the position signal indicating the movement of the plunger follower 102, for example, when the contents of the barrel 18 of the syringe 12 are drawn by the pump 1.The controller 72 may be located within the pump 1 or may be located remotely from the pump 1 and may be in communication with the pump 1. For example, the controller 72 may be located within the pump support 16. In one embodiment where the plunger 20 is held stationary and the barrel 18 moves relative to the plunger, movement of the contacts represents movement of the barrel 18.

[0022] For enteral administration of a neonate, one exemplary administration set assembly 7 may be used to achieve delivery of a metered fluid using an enteral administration pump 1. In such a method, the enteral liquid is drawn into a syringe 14 by retracting a plunger 20. The amount of enteral liquid may be measured using graduations on the barrel 18 of the syringe 14. When the syringe 14 is loaded into the holder 62 of the pump support 16 and attached to a tube 77, the pump 1 is configured to deliver the administration solution in the syringe to a subject. When the pump 1 is actuated, the roller 43 engages the tube 45 in the cassette shell 9, pumping the feeding solution from the syringe 14 to the subject. When the roller 43 engages the tube 45, the roller 43 occludes the tube 45. When the pump support 16 is configured so that the syringe is oriented in a vertical orientation with the tip 24 facing upward, gravity does not assist in drawing the administration fluid from the syringe. Additionally, there is no direct action of the plunger 20 to force fluid up from the barrel 18. Thus, when the rotor 37 rotates to occlude the tube 45 with the rollers 34, air, rather than liquid, is initially drawn out of the inlet tube 77 of the syringe 14 and the barrel 18, increasing the vacuum pressure within the syringe. After a sufficient number of rotor revolutions, vacuum pressure is created within the inlet tube 77 and syringe 14. As the rotor 37 continues to rotate, it draws the contents of the barrel 18 (e.g., administration fluid or product) through the inlet port 69 of the cassette shell 9 and the tube 45 into the inlet tube 77, where it is pumped by the pump 1 to the outlet tube 83 to the subject.

[0023] Pump 1 may be programmed or otherwise controlled to operate in a desired manner. For example, pump 1 may initiate operation to provide administered fluid from syringe 14 to a subject. A user, such as a caregiver, may select (for example) the total amount of fluid to be delivered, the fluid flow rate, and the frequency of fluid delivery. Pump 1 may have a controller 72 (FIG. 8), which includes a processor, such as microprocessor 89, that enables controller 72 to accept programming and / or include pre-programmed operating routines, such as algorithms, that may be initiated by a user. Controller 72 may also be connected to pump motor 27 and control its operation to actuate rotor 37.

[0024] The amount of feeding fluid delivered to the subject is typically controlled by the number of rotations (counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 3 ) of rotor 37. In one embodiment, rotor 37 may include three rollers 43, such that each one-third of a rotation delivers one aliquot of fluid to the subject. When each roller 43 initially engages tubing 45, it pinches off the tubing, thereby closing off an amount of fluid forward (i.e., toward the subject) from the fluid coming from the administration source. As roller 43 continues to rotate counterclockwise, the counterclockwise rotation pushes the pinched amount, such as an aliquot of fluid, forward of the roller, toward the subject. Finally, the leading roller 43 disengages from the tube 45, and at approximately the same time, the trailing roller engages and pinches the tube, delivering the next aliquot of fluid. Thus, in one embodiment, an algorithm may be used to determine the correct flow rate. In one embodiment, when microprocessor 89 receives a command to deliver a selected fluid flow rate, microprocessor 89 may calculate the number of revolutions that will deliver a number of aliquots that produce the desired flow rate in a given period of time (e.g., a feeding cycle).The selected flow rate may be a rate entered or selected by a doctor, nurse, or other caregiver, or may be a default feeding rate pre-programmed into pump 1.

[0025] Aspects of the disclosure may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. The computer-executable instructions may be organized into one or more computer-executable components or modules, including, but not limited to, routines, programs, objects, components, and data structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Aspects may be implemented by any number and organization of such components or modules. For example, various features or aspects are not limited to the specific computer-executable instructions illustrated in the figures or described herein. Other aspects may include different computer-executable instructions or components having more or less functionality than illustrated and described herein.

[0026] Furthermore, the order of execution or performance of operations in any embodiment shown and described herein is not required unless otherwise specified. That is, unless otherwise specified, operations may be performed in any order, and embodiments may include additional or fewer operations than those disclosed herein. For example, it is contemplated that performing or performing a particular operation before, contemporaneously with, or after another operation falls within the scope of one or more embodiments.

[0027] In operation, the microprocessor 89 of the controller 72 executes computer-executable instructions, such as those illustrated in the figures, to implement one or more aspects disclosed herein. Any of these various aspects may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by multiple remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices.

[0028] 10A and 10B illustrate one example of a flange holder 1000 that can be used in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The flange holder 1000 may share features and / or have similarities with the flange holder 100 described above with respect to FIGS. 1, 5, 6, and 7. The flange holder 1000 may have special shapes and / or features that improve ease of installation of the syringe 14, allow for the use of multiple syringe sizes, and / or provide tactile or mechanical guidance to a user or technician to properly install the syringe in the gap 104 of the holder 62. For example, the flange holder 1000 may include a tactile portion 1052 or a guiding portion 1052 that guides or otherwise prevents incorrect orientation of the flange 58. The example of the guiding portion 1052 in FIG. 10A is an elongated protrusion extending from an upper surface 1053 of the flange holder 1000. The tactile portion 1052 or guiding portion 1052 prevents the syringe flange 58 from being incorrectly placed into a gap between the flange holder 1000 and a flange (such as flange 94 in FIGS. 6 and 7). As shown in FIG. 10A, when flange 58 is properly installed, it clears the tactile or guiding portion 1052 of flange holder 1000.If the flange 58 is not installed correctly (e.g., as shown in FIG. 10B), the flange 58 will interfere with or otherwise hit the tactile or guiding portion 1052, indicating to the user that the flange 58 and / or associated syringe (e.g., syringe 14 of FIGS. 1 and 8) should be rotated (in the direction of arrow RR) to the correct orientation (e.g., as shown in FIG. 10A) so that the tactile or guiding portion 1052 does not interfere with the tactile or guiding portion 1052. The flange holder 1000 may additionally have an opening or clearance portion 1054 that does not obstruct or otherwise allow a plunger (such as plunger 20 of syringe 14 of FIGS. 1 and 5) to pass through. As shown in the example of FIGS. 10A and 10B, the clearance portion 1054 may be U-shaped. The flange holder 1000 may additionally include one or more syringe flange guide portions 1050. Syringe flange guide portion 1050 may be ramped or otherwise shaped to progress or ramp from a thin profile to a thick profile, for example, to further assist a user in placing the syringe in gap 104 (FIG. 7A) between flange 94 and flange holder (100, 1000a) of holder 62.

[0029] Figure 11 shows one example of a flange holder 1100 that can be used in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The flange holder 1100 may share features and / or similarities with the flange holder 100 described above with respect to Figures 1, 5, 6, and 7. In addition to including a tactile portion 1152 or guide portion 1152 that is similar to or shares similarities with the tactile portion 1052 or guide portion 1052 in Figure 11 and provides benefits similar to those of the tactile portion 1052 or guide portion 1052, the flange holder 1100 may additionally include a surface recess 1156 that is concave or steps down from an upper surface 1153. The surface recess 1156 may additionally include a first recessed portion 1156b and a second recessed portion 1156a stepped down from the first recessed portion 1156b. The second recessed portion 1156a and the first recessed portion 1156b may be dimensioned to receive different sizes or styles of syringe flanges. For example, the first recessed portion 1156b may be configured to receive or otherwise engage a first type of syringe flange, and the first recessed portion 1156b may be configured to receive or otherwise engage a second type of syringe flange that is different from the first type of syringe flange. In one example, a first syringe flange may correspond to a syringe with a smaller volume than a second syringe corresponding to a second syringe flange, and vice versa. The surface recesses described below can aid in syringe placement and detection by helping to guide a user to properly place the syringe flanges in those recesses.

[0030] Flange holder 1100 may additionally have an opening or clearance portion 1154 that clears or otherwise allows a plunger to pass through (e.g., plunger 20 of syringe 14 in FIGS. 1 and 5 ). As shown in the example of FIG. 11 , clearance portion 1154 may have first clearance portion 1154 a having a first dimension (e.g., diameter or radius), and clearance portion 1154 may have second clearance portion 1154 b corresponding to a second dimension. In one example, first clearance portion 1154 a may accommodate a smaller syringe (e.g., smaller radius or diameter) than second clearance portion 1154 b (with a syringe having a larger radius or diameter than the radius or diameter of the smaller syringe).

[0031] 10A and 10B, the flange holder 1000 may additionally include one or more syringe flange guide portions 1150. The syringe flange guide portions 1150 may be, for example, ramped or otherwise shaped to progress or ramp from a thinner profile to a thicker profile, further assisting a user in placing a syringe into the gap 104 (FIG. 7A) between the flange holder (100, 1100) and the flange 94 of the holder 62.

[0032] FIG. 12 illustrates another example of a flange holder 1200 usable with embodiments of the present disclosure. The flange holder 1100 may share features and / or similarities with the flange holder 100 described above with respect to FIGS. 1, 5, 6, and 7, the flange holder 1000 of FIGS. 10A and 10B, and / or the flange holder 1100 of FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 12, the flange holder 1200 may have a single surface recess 1254 rather than the stepped recess described above with respect to FIG. 11. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the surface recess 1254 may extend further toward the front of the flange holder 1200 than the clearance portion 1154 of FIG. 11. The surface recess 1254 may be configured to accommodate or engage syringe flanges of multiple sizes and types.

[0033] FIG. 13 illustrates another example of a flange holder 1300 usable with embodiments of the present disclosure. The flange holder 1300 may share features and / or similarities with the flange holder 100 described above with respect to FIGS. 1, 5, 6, and 7, the flange holder 1000 of FIGS. 10A and 10B, the flange holder 1100 of FIG. 11, and / or the flange holder 1200 of FIG. 12. In the example illustrated in FIG. 13, the surface recess 1354 may extend further forward of the flange holder 1200 than the surface recess 1254 of FIG. 12. The surface recess 1356 may be configured to accommodate or engage syringe flanges of multiple sizes and types. In the example illustrated in FIG. 13, tactile or guide portions (e.g., 1052 in FIGS. 10A and 10B, 1152 in FIG. 11, etc.) may be omitted.

[0034] Figure 14 shows another example of a flange holder 1400 that can be used in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The flange holder 1400 may share several common features and / or similarities with the flange holder 100 described above with respect to Figures 1, 5, 6, and 7, the flange holder 1000 of Figures 10A and 10B, the flange holder 1100 of Figure 11, the flange holder 1200 of Figure 12, and / or the flange holder 1300 of Figure 13. In the example shown in Figure 14, the tactile or guide portion 1452 may include a first protrusion 1452a and a second protrusion 1452b. The first protrusion 1452 a and the second protrusion 1452 b may be spaced or otherwise dimensioned so that a flange (such as flange 58 in FIGS. 10A and 10B ) fits between the first protrusion 1452 a and the second protrusion 1452 b, or so that the flange does not fit between the first protrusion 1452 a and the second protrusion 1452 b, depending on the desired correct orientation of the flange. The first protrusion 1452 a and the second protrusion 1452 b can function similarly to the tactile portion or guide portion 1052 in FIGS. 10A and 10B and the guide portion 1152 in FIG. 11 . That is, the first protrusion 1452 a and the second protrusion 1452 b can ensure correct alignment of the syringe flange with the flange holder 1400. The flange holder 1400 may also include a chamfered or angled portion 1456 that surrounds or partially surrounds the clearance portion 1454, which can further assist in guiding the syringe into the holder.

[0035] Figure 15 shows variations on one example flange holder 1500 usable with aspects of the present disclosure. The flange holder 1500 may share features and / or similarities with the flange holder 100 described above with respect to Figures 1, 5, 6, and 7, the flange holder 1000 of Figures 10A and 10B, the flange holder 1100 of Figure 11, the flange holder 1200 of Figure 12, the flange holder 1300 of Figure 13, and / or the flange holder 1400 of Figure 14. The flange holder 1500 of Figure 15 may include a tactile or guide portion 1552 similar to the tactile or guide portion of Figures 10A, 10B, 11, and 12. Additionally, the flange holder 1500 may also include a chamfered or angled portion 1556 that surrounds or partially surrounds the clearance portion 1554, which can further assist in guiding the syringe into the holder.

[0036] Figure 16 illustrates another variation on one example flange holder 1600 usable with aspects of the present disclosure. The flange holder 1600 may share features and / or similarities with the flange holder 100 described above with respect to Figures 1, 5, 6, and 7, the flange holder 1000 of Figures 10A and 10B, the flange holder 1100 of Figure 11, the flange holder 1200 of Figure 12, the flange holder 1300 of Figure 13, the flange holder 1400 of Figure 14, and / or the flange holder 1500 of Figure 15. The flange holder 1600 of Figure 16 may include a tactile or guide portion 1642 that is a recessed or stepped-down section relative to a surface 1653, and the tactile or guide portion 1642 may be dimensioned to accommodate a flange of a syringe. The tactile or guide portion 1642 may assist or ensure the user or technician in achieving correct alignment of the syringe flange with respect to the flange holder 1600 .

[0037] 17A and 17B show examples of followers 1702 that can be used with embodiments of the present disclosure. The followers 1702 may have similarities or share features with the plunger followers 102 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 5-7. The followers 1702 may be slideably mounted on rails 98 via respective follower sliders 1726 and may include embodiments of the contacts 114 and sensors described above, although not shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B. When a syringe (such as syringe 14 in FIGS. 1 and 5) is installed in holder 62, a flange (such as flange 44) may be removably engaged with follower 1702, allowing follower 1702 to move with the syringe plunger. Dashed circle 1744 represents one example of the position of a plunger flange (such as flange 44 in FIG. 5) when the syringe flange is removably engaged with follower 1702. Plunger flange 1744 may be retained between a catch engagement portion 1729 and a second engagement portion 1728 of catch 1721 (which may alternatively be referred to as a slide). The catch 1721 may be operable to slide from the second engagement portion 1728, for example, in the direction indicated generally by arrow 1723 in FIG. 17A, thereby providing clearance for installation of the plunger flange 1744.The plunger flange 1744 can then be secured by moving the catch 1721 in the opposite direction toward the second engagement portion 1728 (i.e., opposite the direction indicated by arrow 1723 in FIG. 17A ) to captively engage the plunger flange 1744 within formed grooves or concavities or otherwise beneath the second engagement portion 1728 and the catch engagement portion 1729. Once the plunger flange 1744 is captively engaged between the catch engagement portion 1729 and the second engagement portion 1728, any movement of the plunger causes movement of the follower 1702. Follower 1702 may have one or more biasing members or springs (not visible) configured to bias catch 1721 or slide 1721 to the resting state in a direction opposite to arrow 1723 in FIG. 17A . In this manner, catch 1721 is biased to an engagement position to captively engage a flange of a plunger, thereby removably connecting plunger follower 1702 to flange 1744 (and thus following the path of the plunger) until a user removes flange 1744 from plunger follower 1702.17A and 17B, a user may place their thumb or one or more other fingers on a press-surface 1727 of plunger follower 1702 to engage or otherwise install plunger flange 1744 when installing a syringe in holder 62. The user may then use their index and middle fingers or one or more other fingers to pull two or more grasping portions 1720a (and / or the grasping feature on the opposite side of follower 1702, hidden from view) toward press-surface 1727 (i.e., generally in the direction of arrow 1723). Alternatively, the user may simply pull catch 1721 in the direction of arrow 1271 without contacting press-surface 1727. The user may then place flange 1744 against a top surface 1772 of plunger follower 1702 and release or otherwise reduce the tension being applied to gripping portion 1720a, allowing the biasing force of the above-mentioned biasing member or spring to return catch 1721 toward the resting position. The biasing / spring force biasing catch 1721 in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow 1723 then causes catch engagement portion 1729 and second engagement portion 1728 to captively engage the flange 1744 until the user or technician intentionally removes flange 1744 by again pulling gripping portion 1720a toward push surface 1727 in the direction of arrow 1723. FIG. 17b shows one variation of a catch 1721 having a protrusion 1720b that also assists a user or technician in installing and removing a flange 1744 when installing or removing a syringe.17A and 17B, the follower 1702 (and additional variations described below) may include the contact feature 116 described above that engages (i.e., directly contacts) the sensor 115. In some examples, the contact feature 116 may be, for example, a ball detent (e.g., as shown by reference numeral 2416 in FIG. 24B) or a spring-loaded mechanical contact feature.

[0038] Figure 18 illustrates a follower 1802 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The follower 1802 may share features or similarities with the plunger follower 102 described above with respect to Figures 1 and 5-7 and / or the follower 1702 of Figures 17A and 17B. In the variation shown in Figure 18, the catch 1821 has a downwardly protruding grasping portion that may further assist a user in installing and / or removing the plunger flange.

[0039] FIG. 19 illustrates a follower 1902 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The follower 1902 may share features or similarities with the plunger follower 102 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 5-7, the follower 1702 of FIGS. 17A and 17B, and / or the follower 1802 in FIG. 18. In the variation shown in FIG. 19, the catch 1921 has a semi-circular front and multiple gripping portions 1920a, 1920b, and 1920c with multiple protrusions and / or concavities therein that can assist the user in installing and / or removing the plunger flange.

[0040] 20 and 21 show additional examples of followers according to aspects of the present disclosure. Follower 2002 and follower 2102 may share features or similarities with plunger follower 102 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 5-7, follower 1702 of FIGS. 17A and 17B, follower 1802 in FIG. 18, and / or follower 1902 in FIG. 19. In the variation shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, catch 2021 and catch 2121 have downward protruding grasping portions 2020 and 2120, respectively, that can further assist a user in installing and / or removing the plunger flange.

[0041] Figure 22 shows an example of a follower according to aspects of the disclosure. Follower 2202 may share features or similarities with plunger follower 102 described above with respect to Figures 1 and 5-7, follower 1702 of Figures 17A and 17B, follower 1802 in Figure 18, follower 1902 in Figure 19, follower 2002 in Figure 20, and / or follower 2102 in Figure 21. Figure 22 shows an example of a follower slider 2226 having an opening for receiving rail 98.

[0042] 22 illustrates an example of a concave surface or groove 2228a of the second engagement portion 2228 that is configured to receive and engage a flange of the plunger (e.g., flange 44 in FIG. 5 and flange 1744 in FIG. 7) when a user pulls the two or more gripping portions 2220a and 2220b toward the push surface 2027 (i.e., generally in the direction of the arrow engraved on the catch 2221). FIG. 22 illustrates an alternative example of a slidable catch 2221 and gripping portions 2220a and 2220b that can be used in any combination with the aspects described herein.

[0043] FIG. 23 shows one example of a follower according to aspects of the present disclosure. The variation of follower 2302 shown in FIG. 23 includes a catch 2321 having a grasping feature 2320 formed as an annular protruding lip, which allows for improved user ability to install or remove a syringe. The follower 2302 of FIG. 23 may share features or similarities with the plunger follower 102 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 5-7, the follower 1702 of FIGS. 17A and 17B, the follower 1802 in FIG. 18, the follower 1902 in FIG. 19, the follower 2002 in FIG. 20, the follower 2102 in FIG. 21, and / or the follower 2201 in FIG. 22.

[0044] 24A and 24B show top and partial see-through bottom views of a follower according to aspects of the disclosure. Follower 2402 may share features or similarities with plunger follower 102 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 5-7, follower 1702 of FIGS. 17A and 17B, follower 1802 in FIG. 18, follower 1902 in FIG. 19, follower 2002 in FIG. 20, follower 2102 in FIG. 21, follower 2201 in FIG. 22, and / or follower 2302 in FIG. 23. In one aspect, exemplary follower 2402 may differ from the above-referenced follower in that a user can press a release portion 2427 (e.g., in direction PP) to open first catch 2421 a and second catch 2421 b generally in the direction indicated by arrow OO. When a user presses release portion 2427, the user may place a plunger flange (e.g., such as flange 44 shown in FIG. 5 ) on surface 2472 and release release portion 2427, causing first catch 2421 a and second catch 2421 b to close again onto the plunger flange (i.e., move generally opposite arrow OO) and enter locking engagement with the plunger flange. Similar to the aspects described above, the follower 2402 according to this embodiment allows syringes of various sizes (i.e., flange sizes) to be mounted in the holder 62 (FIGS. 1 and 5-7).

[0045] In one embodiment, the first catch 2421a and / or the second catch 2421b may be biased toward one another by one or more biasing members 2411a and / or 2411b. In one embodiment, the one or more biasing members 2411a and / or 2411b may tension the first catch 2421a and / or the second catch 2421b toward one another until a user presses the release portion 2427 to overcome the biasing force of the biasing members 2411a and / or 2411b. In one example, the one or more biasing members 2411a and / or 2411b may be push or pull springs. Release portion 2427 may have, for example, one or more internal tracks 2426 configured to engage with followers 2412a and / or 2412b corresponding to first catch 2421a and / or second catch 2421b, respectively. Pressing release portion 2427 in the PP direction with sufficient force to overcome the biasing force of the biasing member causes followers 2412a and / or 2412b to move along one or more internal tracks 2426, and the movement of followers 2412a and / or 2412b separates first catch 2421a and second catch 2421b, allowing installation or removal of a syringe flange from follower 2402.

[0046] As further shown in FIG. 24B , the follower may additionally include a contact feature 2416 that may indicate when the syringe 14 is properly positioned relative to the holder 62 and / or properly loaded into the follower. In the example shown in FIG. 24B , the contact feature 2416 may be a ball detent or contact feature that moves in the CC direction when a syringe (e.g., a plunger flange) is installed in the follower. In some examples, the plunger flange may directly contact and apply a force in the CC direction when installed in the follower. In other examples, a change in spacing due to the release of tension (e.g., an increase in the distance between the first and second catches and / or the distance between the catch engagement portion and the second engagement portion associated with the installed plunger) may cause the contact feature 2416 to advance in the CC direction. As described above, in some examples, contact of the contact mechanism with sensor 115 indicates proper syringe installation. In one example, the circuit of sensor 115 is normally closed. However, pressure from contact mechanism 2416 may divide a voltage, which may change the analog signal indicating that syringe 14 (FIG. 5) is properly loaded into holder 62. If pump 1 does not detect a change in the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) value upon loading syringe 14 into holder 62, pump 1 may continue to prompt the user to load a syringe into the holder. It should be noted that while contact mechanism 2416 is hidden from view in FIGS. 17A-23, the contact mechanism is applicable to and may be included in the functionality described above with respect to FIGS. 17A-23.

[0047] Exemplary and additional aspects are described below in sections.

[0048] Section 1. A first implementation of a first aspect of this application is a flow control device for use with a pump set to deliver a fluid from an administration source to a subject through the pump set, the flow control device comprising: a pumping device operable to act on the pump set to generate fluid flow therethrough during a dosing cycle; a controller in communication with the pumping device to control operation of the pumping device and generate fluid flow through the pump set, the controller including a processor and a memory, the controller adapted to store syringe size data in the memory, the controller configured to execute a syringe detection program in the processor to determine the presence and size of a syringe loaded into the flow control device, the syringe detection program including a first syringe presence detection routine that indicates the presence of the syringe, a second syringe presence detection routine that confirms the presence of the syringe, and a syringe size detection routine, and a controller that compares the syringe size data with a syringe size reading to determine the size of the syringe; A flow control device is provided.

[0049] Clause 2. A second implementation of the first aspect of this application provides a flow control device as described in clause 1, wherein operation of the pumping device is prevented until the first syringe presence detection routine and the second syringe presence detection routine indicate that the syringe is present and the syringe size detection routine identifies the size of the syringe.

[0050] Clause 3. A third implementation of the first aspect of this application provides the flow control device of clause 1, wherein the first syringe presence detection routine includes detecting the presence of a plunger of the syringe.

[0051] Clause 4. A fourth implementation of the first aspect of this application provides a flow control device according to clause 3, further comprising a sensor and a ball detent configured to contact the sensor when the syringe is loaded into the flow control device.

[0052] Clause 5. A fifth implementation of the first aspect of this application provides a flow control device as described in clause 4, wherein a change in an analog-to-digital converter signal detected by the sensor indicates the presence of the plunger of the syringe.

[0053] Clause 6. A sixth implementation of the first aspect of this application provides the flow control device according to clause 5, wherein the sensor is one of a linear potentiometer or an array of Hall effect devices.

[0054] Clause 7. A seventh implementation of the first aspect of this application provides the flow control device of clause 3, wherein the second syringe presence detection routine includes detecting the presence of a barrel of the syringe.

[0055] Clause 8. An eighth implementation of the first aspect of this application provides the flow control device of clause 7, further comprising a magnet and a sensor configured to indicate the presence of the barrel of the syringe.

[0056] Clause 9. A ninth implementation of the first aspect of this application provides the flow control device of clause 8, wherein a change in magnetic field strength detected by the sensor indicates the presence of the barrel of the syringe.

[0057] Section 10. A tenth implementation of the first aspect of this application provides a flow control device as described in section 7, wherein the syringe size detection routine includes detecting the angle of a magnetic field generated by a magnet in the flow control device.

[0058] Section 11. A first implementation of the second aspect of this application is a device for use in a flow control device for delivering fluid from a syringe to a subject and for detecting the syringe, the device comprising: a syringe holder for securing the syringe to the flow control device, the syringe holder including: a body that accommodates at least a portion of the syringe; and a clip pivotally attached to the body to hold a barrel of the syringe to the syringe holder; a magnet attached to the clip; an angle sensor attached to the body and configured to detect an angle of a magnetic field generated by the magnet, the angle of the magnetic field indicating a size of the syringe when the clip pivots to hold the barrel of the syringe in the syringe holder; Provide the device.

[0059] Clause 12. A second implementation of the second aspect of this application provides the device described in clause 11, wherein the magnet is embedded in the clip and the angle sensor is embedded in the body.

[0060] Clause 13. A third implementation of the second aspect of this application provides the device according to clause 12, wherein the angle sensor is disposed on a flexible printed circuit board.

[0061] Clause 14. A fourth implementation of the second aspect of this application provides the device according to clause 11, wherein the magnet comprises a permanent magnet.

[0062] Section 15. A first implementation of the third aspect of this application is a device for detecting a syringe usable with a flow control device for delivering a fluid to an object, the device comprising: a syringe holder for removably securing a syringe, the syringe holder including: a body that accommodates at least a portion of the syringe; and a flange plate movably attached to the body and configured to engage a flange of the syringe when the syringe is held in the syringe holder; a magnet attached to the flange plate; a sensor attached to the body and configured to detect a change in a magnetic field generated by movement of the magnet as a result of movement of the flange plate when the flange of the syringe engages the flange plate, the change in the magnetic field indicating the presence of the syringe in the syringe holder; Provide the device.

[0063] Clause 16. A second implementation of the third aspect of this application provides the device of clause 15, wherein the flange plate is cantilevered from the body to facilitate movement of the flange plate relative to the body.

[0064] Clause 17. A third implementation of the third aspect of this application provides the device according to clause 15, wherein the sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

[0065] Clause 18. A fourth implementation of the third aspect of this application provides the device of clause 15, wherein the syringe holder further includes a follower configured to move with the plunger of the syringe when the contents of the syringe are withdrawn, and the follower further includes a movable catch configured to lockingly engage the plunger of the syringe when the syringe is held in the syringe holder.

[0066] Clause 19. A fifth implementation of the third aspect of this application provides the device of clause 18, wherein the follower is configured to slidably move along a rail of the syringe holder when the contents of the syringe are withdrawn.

[0067] Section 20. A first implementation of the fourth aspect of this application is a method for detecting a syringe loaded into a flow control device, the method comprising: executing a first syringe presence detection routine to detect the presence of the syringe in the flow control device; executing a second syringe presence detection routine to confirm the presence of the syringe in the flow control device; and executing a syringe size detection routine to determine the size of the syringe. A method is provided.

[0068] Clause 21. A second implementation of the fourth aspect of this application provides a method as set forth in clause 20, further comprising operating the flow control device to deliver fluid by a pump disposed in the flow control device only after the first syringe presence detection routine and the second syringe presence detection routine indicate that the syringe is present and the syringe size detection routine identifies the size of the syringe.

[0069] Clause 22. A third implementation of the fourth aspect of this application provides a method according to clause 20, wherein the first syringe presence detection routine detects the presence of a plunger of the syringe, the second syringe presence detection routine detects the presence of a barrel of the syringe, and the third syringe detection routine confirms the presence of a syringe flange.

[0070] When introducing elements of the disclosure or one or more aspects thereof, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that one or more of the elements are present. The words "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

[0071] Throughout this disclosure, the terms "substantially" or "approximately" may be used as modifiers for geometric relationships between elements or for the shape of an element or component. The terms "substantially" or "approximately" are not limited to any particular variation but may encompass any variation that one skilled in the art would understand to be an acceptable variation, some of which are provided below. In one example, the terms "substantially" or "approximately" may encompass a variation of less than 10% in the dimensions of an object or component. In another example, the terms "substantially" or "approximately" may encompass a variation of less than 5% in the dimensions of an object or component. When the terms "substantially" or "approximately" are used to define an angular relationship between one element and another, one non-limiting example of the terms "substantially" or "approximately" may encompass a variation of 5 degrees or less. These examples are not intended to be limiting and may be increased or decreased based on one skilled in the art's understanding of acceptable limits.

[0072] For purposes of this disclosure, directional terms are generally expressed relative to a standard frame of reference when the systems and devices described herein are installed in their orientation of use. To further provide context for this disclosure, the following provides an overview of discovered deficiencies of various systems, as well as one exemplary implementation of the present disclosure and the advantages it provides. Further details of the exemplary implementation of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the figures.

[0073] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and other numerical values ​​may be used throughout this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, it will be understood that these terms are used in a relative sense only. In particular, in some of the aspects, certain components may exist in interchangeable and / or identical (e.g., equal) plural forms. For these components, the designations "first," "second," "third," and / or "fourth" may be applied to those components for convenience in the description of one or more of the aspects of this disclosure.

[0074] In view of the above, it will be seen that several of the objects of the disclosure are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

[0075] Since various changes may be made to the above-described configurations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted in an illustrative sense and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. 1. A flow control device for use with a pump set to deliver fluid from an administration source to a subject through the pump set, the flow control device comprising: a pumping device operable to act on the pump set to generate fluid flow therethrough during a dosing cycle; a controller in communication with the pumping device to control operation of the pumping device and generate fluid flow through the pump set, the controller including a processor and a memory, the controller adapted to store syringe size data in the memory, the controller configured to execute a syringe detection program in the processor to determine the presence and size of a syringe loaded into the flow control device, the syringe detection program including a first syringe presence detection routine that indicates the presence of the syringe, a second syringe presence detection routine that confirms the presence of the syringe, and a syringe size detection routine, and a controller that compares the syringe size data with a syringe size reading to determine the size of the syringe; Flow control device.

2. 2. The flow control device of claim 1, wherein operation of the pumping device is prevented until the first syringe presence detection routine and the second syringe presence detection routine indicate that the syringe is present and the syringe size detection routine identifies the size of the syringe.

3. The flow control device of claim 1 , wherein the first syringe presence detection routine includes detecting the presence of a plunger of the syringe.

4. The flow control device of claim 3 , further comprising a sensor and a ball detent configured to contact the sensor when the syringe is loaded into the flow control device.

5. 5. The flow control device of claim 4, wherein a change in an analog-to-digital converter signal sensed by the sensor indicates the presence of the plunger of the syringe.

6. The flow control device of claim 5 , wherein the sensor is one of a linear potentiometer or an array of Hall effect devices.

7. 4. The flow control device of claim 3, wherein the second syringe presence detection routine includes detecting the presence of a barrel of the syringe.

8. The flow control device of claim 7 , further comprising a magnet and a sensor configured to indicate the presence of the barrel of the syringe.

9. The flow control device of claim 8 , wherein a change in magnetic field strength sensed by the sensor indicates the presence of the barrel of the syringe.

10. 8. The flow control device of claim 7, wherein the syringe size detection routine includes detecting an angle of a magnetic field generated by a magnet in the flow control device.

11. 1. A device for use in a flow control device for delivering fluid from a syringe to a subject and for detecting a syringe, the device comprising: a syringe holder for securing the syringe to the flow control device, the syringe holder including: a body that accommodates at least a portion of the syringe; and a clip pivotally attached to the body to hold a barrel of the syringe to the syringe holder; a magnet attached to the clip; an angle sensor attached to the body and configured to detect an angle of a magnetic field generated by the magnet, the angle of the magnetic field indicating a size of the syringe when the clip pivots to hold the barrel of the syringe in the syringe holder; device.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the magnet is embedded in the clip and the angle sensor is embedded in the body.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the angle sensor is disposed on a flexible printed circuit board.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the magnet comprises a permanent magnet.

15. 1. A device for detecting a syringe usable with a flow control device for delivering a fluid to a subject, the device comprising: a syringe holder for removably securing a syringe, the syringe holder including: a body that accommodates at least a portion of the syringe; and a flange plate movably attached to the body and configured to engage a flange of the syringe when the syringe is held in the syringe holder; a magnet attached to the flange plate; a sensor attached to the body and configured to detect a change in a magnetic field generated by movement of the magnet as a result of movement of the flange plate when the flange of the syringe engages the flange plate, the change in the magnetic field indicating the presence of the syringe in the syringe holder; device.

16. 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the flange plate is cantilevered from the body to facilitate movement of the flange plate relative to the body.

17. 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

18. 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the syringe holder further includes a follower configured to move with the plunger of the syringe when the contents of the syringe are withdrawn, the follower further including a movable catch configured to lockingly engage the plunger of the syringe when the syringe is held in the syringe holder.

19. 20. The device of claim 18, wherein the follower is configured to slidably move along a rail of the syringe holder when the contents of the syringe are withdrawn.

20. 1. A method for detecting a syringe loaded into a flow control device, the method comprising: executing a first syringe presence detection routine to detect the presence of the syringe in the flow control device; executing a second syringe presence detection routine to confirm the presence of the syringe in the flow control device; and executing a syringe size detection routine to determine the size of the syringe. method.

21. 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising operating the flow control device to deliver fluid via a pump disposed in the flow control device only after the first syringe presence detection routine and the second syringe presence detection routine indicate that the syringe is present and the syringe size detection routine identifies the size of the syringe.

22. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first syringe presence detection routine detects the presence of a plunger of the syringe, the second syringe presence detection routine detects the presence of a barrel of the syringe, and a third syringe detection routine confirms the presence of a syringe flange.

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