Software features for medical infusion pump

Abstract

Various software features useable in a medical infusion pump are disclosed. In certain aspects, localized alarm and message handling systems are disclosed. In other aspects, variable intensity alarms are disclosed. In further aspects, cost tracking systems and methods for medical infusion pumps are disclosed. In still further aspects, methods and systems implementing a variable delay of pressure decay in a medical infusion pump are disclosed. In other aspects, methods and systems implementing a timed intermittent bolus by pressure are disclosed.

1 . A method of tracking cost parameters relating to a medical infusion pump, the method comprising:
 detecting in a medical infusion pump one or more cost-incurring events, each of the cost-incurring events relating to use of the medical infusion pump by a patient;   storing a history of the cost-incurring events in a memory; and   generating a cost summary based on the history of cost-incurring events.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein storing the history of cost-incurring events in a memory comprises storing an event log in a computing system communicatively connected to the medical infusion pump. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein storing the history of cost incurring events in a memory comprises storing an event log in a memory of the medical infusion pump. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising transmitting at least a portion of the event log to a computing system communicatively connected to the medical infusion pump. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating a cost summary based on the history of cost-incurring events comprises generating a bill for use of the medical infusion pump by the patient. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cost incurring events include events selected from the group consisting of:
 cassette change events;   new drug delivery events;   total volume of fluid delivered;   elapsed time of pump operation;   battery change events;   battery usage; and   disposable usage.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting in a medical infusion pump one or more corrective events, each of the corrective events relating to programming of a medical infusion pump by a caregiver. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the corrective events include events selected from the group consisting of:
 pump program cancellations;   short-duration adjustments to pump settings; and   occurrences of the medical infusion pump reaching one or more soft limits.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting at least a portion of the history of the cost-incurring events to a healthcare professional remote from the medical infusion pump. 
     
     
         10 . A medical infusion pump comprising:
 a pump mechanism;   a memory;   a programmable circuit arranged to control the pump mechanism and operatively connected to the memory, the programmable circuit programmed to:
 detect in a medical infusion pump one or more cost-incurring events, each of the cost-incurring events relating to use of the medical infusion pump by a patient; 
 store a history of the cost-incurring events in the memory; and 
 generate a cost summary based on the history of cost-incurring events. 
   
     
     
         11 . The medical infusion pump of  claim 10 , wherein the programmable circuit is further programmed to at least a portion of the event log to a computing system communicatively connected to the medical infusion pump. 
     
     
         12 . The medical infusion pump of  claim 10 , wherein the cost-incurring events include events selected from the group consisting of:
 cassette change events;   new drug delivery events;   total volume of fluid delivered;   elapsed time of pump operation;   battery change events;   battery usage; and   disposable usage.   
     
     
         13 . The medical infusion pump of  claim 10 , wherein the programmable circuit is further programmed to detect in a medical infusion pump one or more corrective events, each of the corrective events relating to programming of a medical infusion pump by a caregiver. 
     
     
         14 . The medical infusion pump of  claim 10 , wherein the corrective events include events selected from the group consisting of:
 pump program cancellations;   short-duration adjustments to pump settings; and   occurrences of the medical infusion pump reaching one or more soft limits.   
     
     
         15 . The medical infusion pump of  claim 10 , wherein the programmable circuit is further programmed to transmit at least a portion of the history of the cost-incurring events to a healthcare professional remote from the medical infusion pump. 
     
     
         16 . A cost-tracking system for use with a medical infusion pump, the system comprising:
 a computing system;   a medical infusion pump communicatively connected to the computing system, the medical infusion pump including:
 a pump mechanism; 
 a memory; 
 a programmable circuit arranged to control the pump mechanism and operatively connected to the memory, the programmable circuit programmed to:
 detect in a medical infusion pump one or more cost-incurring events, each of the cost-incurring events relating to use of the medical infusion pump by a patient; 
 store a history of the cost-incurring events; and 
 generate a cost summary based on the history of cost-incurring events. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the programmable circuit is programmed to store the history of the cost-incurring events in the memory of the medical infusion pump. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the programmable circuit is programmed to store the history of the cost-incurring events in a memory of the computing system. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a server communicatively connected to the computing system, the server configured to aggregate one or more histories of cost-incurring events from one or more medical infusion pumps. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the programmable circuit of the medical infusion pump is further programmed to transmit at least a portion of the history of the cost-incurring events to a healthcare professional remote from the medical infusion pump. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the programmable circuit of the medical infusion pump is further programmed to detect in a medical infusion pump one or more corrective events, each of the corrective events relating to programming of a medical infusion pump by a caregiver. 
     
     
         22 . A method of tracking activity in a medical infusion pump, the method comprising:
 detecting in a medical infusion pump one or more cost-incurring events, each of the cost-incurring events relating to use of the medical infusion pump by a patient;   detecting in a medical infusion pump one or more corrective events, each of the corrective events relating to programming of the medical infusion pump by a caregiver;   storing an event log of the cost-incurring events and the corrective events in a memory of the medical infusion pump; and   generating a cost summary based on at least a portion of the event log including one or more of the cost-incurring events.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the cost incurring events include events selected from the group consisting of:
 cassette change events;   new drug delivery events;   total volume of fluid delivered;   elapsed time of pump operation;   battery change events;   battery usage; and   disposable usage.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the corrective events include events selected from the group consisting of:
 pump program cancellations;   short-duration adjustments to pump settings; and   occurrences of the medical infusion pump reaching one or more soft limits.