Infusion Pump Time Synchronization With External Reference Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices, such as infusion pumps, face challenges in maintaining accurate time and date settings during power interruptions, time-zone changes, and internal clock errors, which can lead to inaccuracies in dosing schedules and require manual user intervention.
Innovation Solution
A portable medical device system that includes a disposable pump device and a reusable controller, which receives external reference signals to automatically update time and date settings, ensuring accurate operation and dosing schedules, even in the event of power interruptions or time changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual time and date setting is used in portable medical devices, then device complexity is reduced, but time accuracy and dosing reliability deteriorate during power interruptions and time-zone changes
Solution Approach 1:
The medical device automatically receives external reference signals (such as radio, cellular, or satellite signals) to update its internal time and date settings without requiring manual user intervention. This self-service mechanism ensures accurate timekeeping even during power interruptions or time-zone changes, resolving the contradiction by maintaining high reliability through automated external synchronization rather than simple manual setting
Solution Approach 2:
The device implements a feedback loop where it continuously monitors its internal time against external reference signals and automatically adjusts its clock when discrepancies are detected. This feedback mechanism ensures time accuracy is maintained despite power interruptions or time-zone changes, while the automated nature of the adjustment prevents the need for complex manual intervention systems
2Ease of operation
If manual time setting updates are required after power interruptions, then device complexity is minimized, but user operation convenience and dosing schedule accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary synchronization with external reference signals during initial setup and periodically during operation, so that when power interruptions occur, the time setting is already prepared and verified. This preliminary action eliminates the need for post-power-interruption manual time setting, improving user convenience by removing the time-consuming manual adjustment step entirely
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of a portable medical device, such as an infusion pump, can receive an external reference signal (e.g., a radio, cellular and/or satellite signal) to provide an automatic time-setting and maintenance operation. In these circumstances, the medical device can maintain accurate time and date information even in the event of a power interruption, a time-zone change and/or an internal clock error, for example. In this manner, the portable medical device provides safe operation and added convenience to the user.