Medication safety system

Abstract

A medication safety system includes a panel mounted to an IV pole above a multi-channel infusion pump also mounted to the IV pole. The panel includes multiple RFID readers for reading the RFID tags placed on each of the medication containers mounted to the panel. The pump includes a controller that communicates with the RFID readers at the panel to receive the information read by the RFID readers and automatically program the respective pump channel. A verification program verifies that the medication delivery information from the containers matches the patient identified for the pump and the programming parameters of the pump fall within acceptable ranges. In another aspect, the panel contains multiple vibration devices to impart vibrations to the medication of each of the containers mounted to the panel. Those vibrations are sensed by the particular pumping channel to confirm that the correct channel has been programmed for that medication. When the clinician opens the door of the pumping channel, the pump may request information from the RFID reader at the panel for that medication and may wait for receipt of the vibrations in the medication of the tubing mounted into the channel.

1 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . A medication safety system comprising:
 a vibration device configured to impart vibrations to a container containing a fluid that is coupled to a delivery apparatus through a conduit; and   a vibration sensor configured to couple to the conduit and detect vibrations in the fluid within the conduit and provide a signal when vibrations are sensed.   
     
     
         37 . The medication safety system of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 a controller coupled to the vibration sensor and the vibration device, the controller configured to selectively activate the vibration device and to receive the signal from the vibration sensor.   
     
     
         38 . The medication safety system of  claim 37 , wherein:
 the container contains a medical fluid for intravenous (IV) administration;   the delivery apparatus is an IV pump; and   the IV pump comprises the vibration sensor.   
     
     
         39 . The medication safety system of  claim 37 , wherein:
 the container contains a medical fluid for IV administration;   the delivery apparatus is a pump channel of a multi-channel IV pump; and   the pump channel comprises the vibration sensor.   
     
     
         40 . The medication safety system of  claim 37 , wherein:
 the system comprises a plurality of vibration devices respectively coupled to a plurality of containers respectively coupled through a plurality of conduits to a plurality of delivery apparatus and a plurality of vibration sensors respectively coupled to the plurality of conduits; and   the controller is configured to:
 activate one of the vibration devices while being receptive to signals from more than one of the vibration sensors; 
 receive the signal from one of the vibration sensors; 
 determine which delivery apparatus is coupled through a conduit to the container coupled to the activated vibration device; and 
 provide a signal comprising an identification of the determined delivery apparatus. 
   
     
     
         41 . The medication safety system of  claim 40 , wherein:
 the controller comprises information regarding which delivery apparatus is intended to be coupled through a conduit to each of the containers; and   the controller is configured to determine whether the intended delivery apparatus is coupled through a conduit to the container coupled to the activated vibration device, and to provide a signal comprising an indication of whether the intended delivery apparatus is coupled through a conduit to the container coupled to the activated vibration device.   
     
     
         42 . The medication safety system of  claim 41 , wherein:
 the plurality of containers contains medical fluids for IV administration;   the plurality of delivery apparatus are pump channels of a multi-channel IV pump; and   the pump channels each comprise one of the plurality of vibration sensors.   
     
     
         43 . An intravenous (IV) pump comprising:
 a pump channel configured to receive a conduit that is coupled between a container containing medical fluid and a patient, and to manipulate the conduit to deliver the medical fluid from the container to the patient;   a vibration device configured to be coupled to the container and selectively impart vibrations to the container;   a vibration sensor proximate to the pump channel, the sensor configured to couple to the conduit and detect vibrations in the fluid within the conduit and provide a signal when vibrations are sensed;   a controller operatively coupled to the pump channel, the vibration device, and the vibration sensor, the controller configured to selectively activate the vibration device, receive the signal from the vibration sensor, and provide a signal comprising an indication of whether the pump channel is coupled through a conduit to the container coupled to the activated vibration device.   
     
     
         44 . The IV pump of  claim 43 , further comprising a panel comprising at least one segment configured to accept the container, the panel segment comprising the vibration device. 
     
     
         45 . The IV pump of  claim 44 , wherein:
 the container comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag comprising an identifier associated with the medical fluid in the container;   the panel segment further comprises a RFID reader configured to obtain at least the medical fluid identifier from the RFID tag and provide an information signal comprising the medical fluid identifier; and   the controller is configured to receive the information signal from the RFID reader.   
     
     
         46 . The IV pump of  claim 44 , wherein:
 the panel comprises a plurality of segments, each segment comprising a vibration device;   the IV pump comprises a plurality of pump channels, each channel comprising a vibration sensor;   the controller is configured to individually activate the vibration devices of the panel segments and receive signals from the plurality of vibration sensors; and   the controller is further configured to selectively activate one of the vibration devices, determine which pump channel is coupled through a conduit to the container coupled to the activated vibration device, and provide a signal comprising an indication of the pump channel that is coupled through a conduit to the container coupled to the activated vibration device.   
     
     
         47 . The IV pump of  claim 46 , wherein:
 the plurality of containers each comprise a RFID tag comprising an identifier associated with the medical fluid contained in the container;   each of the plurality of panel segments further comprises a RFID reader configured to obtain at least the medical fluid identifier from the RFID tag of the container accepted by the respective panel segment and provide an information signal comprising the medical fluid identifier;   the controller is coupled to the plurality of RFID readers and configured to receive the information signals from the RFID readers; and   the controller is further configured, upon receipt of an information signal from the RFID reader of one of the panel segments, selectively activate the vibration device of the respective panel segment, determine which pump channel is coupled through a conduit to the container coupled to the activated vibration device, and provide a signal comprising an indication of the pump channel that is coupled through a conduit to the container accepted by the respective panel segment.   
     
     
         48 . A method of determining whether a delivery apparatus is fluidically coupled through a conduit to a container containing a fluid, the method comprising the steps of:
 activating a vibration device coupled to the container; and   detecting with a vibration sensor located proximate to the delivery apparatus vibrations in the fluid in the conduit.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a signal comprising an indication of whether the delivery apparatus is fluidically coupled through a conduit to the container coupled to the activated vibration device.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving information comprising information regarding which of a plurality of delivery apparatus is intended to be coupled through a conduit to an identified container;   activating the vibration device that is coupled to the identified container;   receiving the signal from one of the plurality of delivery apparatus;   determining whether the identified container is fluidically coupled through a conduit to the intended delivery apparatus; and   providing a signal comprising an indication of whether the identified container is fluidically coupled through a conduit to the intended delivery apparatus.