Infusion Pump Program Matching for Delayed Auto-Programming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing infusion pump systems fail to analyze and address inconsistencies between manually entered infusion programs and auto-programmed settings, leading to errors that are not immediately identifiable to caregivers, and do not learn from caregiver data entry to improve infusion accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that compares infusion program settings with a drug library, generates error messages for inconsistencies, and saves analysis results for review, incorporating caregiver data to improve infusion accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If auto-programming features are used to reduce manual errors, then medication delivery accuracy is improved, but error identification and caregiver response time deteriorate because error codes are not immediately accessible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system (display device connected to the infusion pump) that mediates between the pump's internal error codes and the caregiver. This intermediary translates and presents error information in a caregiver-friendly format, resolving the contradiction by maintaining auto-programming accuracy while enabling immediate error identification through the display interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring infusion parameters and immediately displaying error codes and messages on the display device. This real-time feedback loop allows caregivers to instantly identify and respond to errors, eliminating the time loss associated with traditional error reporting methods while preserving the precision of automated medication delivery.
2Ease of operation
If manual infusion programs are allowed during auto-programming delay, then caregiver flexibility is improved, but program inconsistency and potential errors worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-comparing manual infusion programs against auto-program specifications before execution. The comparison module analyzes parameters such as infusion rate, volume, and timing to identify potential inconsistencies, allowing the system to flag or prevent problematic manual programs while still permitting caregiver flexibility in legitimate cases.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to caregivers about program consistency by displaying comparison results between manual and auto-program parameters. This feedback mechanism informs caregivers of potential issues while allowing them to make informed decisions, thus maintaining both flexibility and reliability through transparent parameter verification.
3Loss of information
If error codes are transmitted surreptitiously through the medical network, then error data collection is improved, but immediate caregiver awareness and response deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments error information delivery into two channels: immediate local display on the pump's display device for caregiver awareness, and simultaneous network transmission for data collection. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by ensuring caregivers immediately see errors through the display interface while the system concurrently collects error data through the medical network.
Solution Approach 2:
The display device acts as an intermediary that presents error information directly to caregivers in real-time, while a separate communication interface serves as another intermediary for transmitting error data to the medical network. This dual-intermediary approach ensures both immediate caregiver awareness and comprehensive error data collection occur simultaneously without interfering with each other.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method that identifies delayed infusion programs at an infusion pump or with a first computer and an infusion pump. The first computer receives an infusion auto-program from a remote source, transmits the infusion auto-program to the infusion pump, and sends a stale auto-program to the infusion pump. The infusion pump receives a manual infusion program, saves and executes the manual infusion program, and compares the stale auto-program to the manual infusion program to identify potential matches between the stale auto-program and the manual infusion program. The infusion pump evaluates the potential matches and determines if the potential matches are within a predefined tolerance, continues to execute the at least one manual infusion program on the infusion pump if the potential matches are within the predefined tolerance, and remotely saves differences in the manual infusion program and the at stale auto-program in a remote server for later analysis.