Liquid Delivery Pump Flow Rate Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The use of TCI pumps can result in liquid delivery at a flow rate exceeding the upper limit value for individual drugs, and there is no function to adjust the upper limit value based on whether the drug's efficacy is expressed, leading to potential inappropriate delivery flow rates.
Innovation Solution
A liquid delivery pump with a calculation unit to determine drug concentration, a determination unit to assess target concentration, a storage unit for initial and maintenance flow rate limits, and an adjustment unit to switch the delivery flow rate within these limits to prevent exceeding the upper limit value.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If TCI pump automatically adjusts delivery flow rate to reach target drug concentration, then drug concentration control is improved, but delivery flow rate may exceed upper limit value
Solution Approach 1:
The pump dynamically switches between two upper limit values (first upper limit and second upper limit) based on whether the drug concentration has reached the target concentration. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize drug concentration control while preventing unsafe delivery rates at different stages of the infusion process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of upper limit flow rate based on the drug concentration state. When target concentration is not yet achieved, a higher first upper limit allows faster concentration attainment. When target concentration is achieved, a lower second upper limit maintains safety. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between concentration control and safety.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual adjustment of delivery flow rate is performed, then flexibility in adjustment is improved, but timing appropriateness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pump incorporates automatic feedback control by continuously monitoring drug concentration and comparing it to the target concentration. Based on this feedback, the system automatically determines when to switch between different upper limit values, eliminating the timing delays associated with manual adjustment while maintaining the flexibility of adaptive flow rate control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-adjustment of the upper limit flow rate parameter based on its own monitoring of drug concentration. The pump automatically switches between first and second upper limits without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining flexibility while eliminating timing delays in adjustment.
3Ease of operation
If single upper limit value is set for delivery flow rate, then simplicity of control is improved, but appropriateness of delivery flow rate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control system segments the delivery process into two distinct stages based on drug concentration achievement: a first stage where the target concentration has not been reached (using first upper limit) and a second stage where the target concentration has been reached (using second upper limit). This segmentation allows appropriate flow rate control for each stage while maintaining operational simplicity through automatic stage detection.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided is a liquid delivery pump configured, at delivery of a drug, to deliver the drug with an appropriate delivery flow rate that does not exceed a predetermined upper limit value prescribed for individual types of drugs. A liquid delivery pump configured to deliver a drug while simulating a concentration of the delivered drug in a living body. The liquid delivery pump includes a calculation unit configured to calculate the concentration of the drug in the living body on the basis of the amount of delivered drug, a determination unit configured to determine whether one of a drug concentration of the drug in blood and an target site concentration of the drug, calculated by the calculation unit, has reached a predetermined target concentration, a storage unit configured to store an upper limit of an initial flow rate of the drug, an upper limit of an maintenance flow rate of the drug, and the target concentration, a reception unit configured to receive input of the target concentration, an upper limit value switching unit configured to switch an upper limit value of a delivery flow rate of the drug to one of the upper limit of the initial flow rate and the upper limit of the maintenance flow rate, according to a determination result from the determination unit, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust the delivery flow rate of the drug in a range that does not exceed the upper limit value.