Infusion Pump Empty Reservoir Detection via Motor Current Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Infusion pumps face challenges in accurately detecting an empty reservoir condition without increasing system complexity and cost by adding additional sensors, which can lead to missed doses and inefficient power consumption.
Innovation Solution
An infusion device that uses pump measurements, such as motor current, to analyze and determine when an empty reservoir condition is met, allowing the processing device to control the pumping mechanism and terminate operation accordingly, thereby avoiding the need for additional sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a dedicated sensor is added to monitor reservoir fill level or empty state, then detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system uses its own existing operational parameters (motor current, pressure, flow rate) to detect empty reservoir conditions. The system serves itself by utilizing data already being collected for pump control purposes, eliminating the need for separate detection sensors and reducing system complexity while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Existing pump sensors and measurement systems serve dual purposes: they monitor pump operational status for control purposes and simultaneously detect empty reservoir conditions. This multi-functionality approach allows one system to perform multiple functions without adding separate dedicated components.
2Measurement precision
If a dedicated sensor is added to monitor reservoir fill level or empty state, then detection accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes existing power-consuming components (motor drivers, pressure sensors, flow sensors) already necessary for pump operation to also perform empty reservoir detection. Since these components are already powered for their primary functions, no additional power consumption is required for the detection function.
Solution Approach 2:
Existing powered components serve multiple functions including both pump control and empty state detection, eliminating the need to power separate dedicated sensors and thereby reducing overall system power consumption while maintaining detection capability.
3Measurement precision
If a dedicated sensor is added to monitor reservoir fill level or empty state, then detection accuracy is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses existing components and data collection infrastructure already present in the pump to perform empty reservoir detection. By making existing components serve dual purposes, no additional manufacturing costs are incurred for separate sensors or detection systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Existing pump components are designed to perform multiple functions including both operational control and empty state detection, eliminating the need to manufacture and assemble separate dedicated detection components, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and complexity.
4Productivity
If pump operation continues when reservoir is empty, then productivity is maintained, but dose accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors pump operational parameters (motor current, pressure, flow rate) and uses this feedback to detect empty reservoir conditions. When empty state is detected through analysis of these parameters, the system provides feedback to control the pump to terminate operation, preventing dose inaccuracies while maintaining productivity during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts pump operation based on real-time analysis of operational parameters. During normal operation, the pump continues at full productivity. When parameters indicate empty reservoir conditions, the system dynamically terminates operation to preserve dose accuracy, creating a flexible system that adapts to reservoir status.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices and methods detect an empty reservoir condition in an infusion pump using pump measurements such as motor current during aspiration. An infusion pump obtains and analyzes pump measurements indicative of pressure during aspiration and determines whether pump measurements satisfy metrics corresponding to an empty reservoir condition such as pressure threshold corresponding to a pump measurement value exceeded when the reservoir is empty, a range of pump measurement values indicating a pressure above normal operating pressure of the pump, and a designated shape of a signal waveform corresponding to the pump measurements indicating a pressure above normal operating pressure of the pump. Devices and methods can be configured to disregard one or more of the pump measurements obtained during one or more portions of the duration of the aspirate operation characterized by transient increases therein from normal operation of the pumping mechanism.