Medical Infusion Pump for Delivery of a Fluid

Abstract

An infusion pump for delivery of a fluid is disclosed. The infusion pump allows a user to selectively control a flow rate of a fluid and includes a spike member that is connectable to an injection port of an intravenous fluid container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fluid delivery device, comprising:
 a housing having an inlet and an outlet;   a spike member at the inlet defining a portion of a fluid channel extending between the inlet and the outlet;   a pump disposed within the housing for pumping the fluid through the spike member and out the outlet of the housing;   at least one bubble sensor within the housing configured to detect bubbles in fluid passing through the fluid channel;   at least one pressure sensor within the housing configured to detect changes in pressure of the fluid passing through the fluid channel;   at least one visual indicator viewable through the housing; and   a controller in communication with the pump, the at least one bubble sensor, the at least one pressure sensor, and the at least one visual indicator, wherein the controller is configured to detect a presence of air or an occlusion within the fluid channel based on information received from the least one bubble sensor and from the at least one pressure sensor and activate the at least one visual indicator to provide a notification to a user when the air or occlusion is detected.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the housing comprises a luer lock connector configured to be connected to flexible tubing for transporting the fluid away from the delivery device. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet of the housing includes a recessed portion with a portion of the spike member disposed within the recessed portion. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the spike member is connectable to an injection port of an intravenous fluid container. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising flexible tubing extending through the outlet of the housing, the flexible tubing comprising a first end connected to the pump and a second end outside of the housing comprising a connector configured to be connected to an intravenous port. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises at least one of a rotary pump, a brushed direct current (DC) electric motor, a brushless motor, a stepper motor, a servomotor, a gear motor, a hollow shaft motor, a shaftless motor, or a diaphragm pump. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises a diaphragm pump comprising a piezoelectric crystal that, when exposed to an applied electrical field, generates pressure for moving the fluid through the fluid channel. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the pump comprises a silicone membrane connected to the piezoelectric crystal, and wherein, when exposed to the electrical field, the piezoelectric crystal reciprocally moves the silicone membrane to draw fluid into a pump chamber of the pump and to expel the fluid from the pump chamber to the fluid channel. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the fluid channel and is positioned away from a constant fluid flow of the fluid passing through the channel. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to identify the occlusion in the fluid channel based on a detected increase in pressure at the inlet detected by the at least one pressure sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one visual indicator comprises a first LED element providing a first visual indication and a second LED element providing a second visual indication different than the first visual indication, and wherein the controller is configured to activate the first LED element of the at least one visual indicator to show a flow rate setting for the pump and activate the second LED element to provide the notification that the air or occlusion is detected in the fluid channel. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the pump is configured to operate at a plurality of predetermined discrete flow rate values, and wherein the controller selectively controls the pump to operate at one of the plurality of predetermined discrete flow rate values. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising a flow rate selector button that allows a user to select the flow rate of the fluid from the plurality of predetermined discrete flow rate values. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one visual indicator comprises a plurality of flow rate indicator elements, each of which is representative of one of the plurality of predetermined discrete flow rate values of the pump. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of flow rate indicator elements comprise numerals for the plurality of predetermined discrete flow rate values that are illuminated when the flow rate indicator element is activated. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the plurality of flow rate indicator elements simultaneously to provide the notification that the air or occlusion is detected to the user. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of flow rate indicator elements comprises a first LED element providing a first visual indication and a second LED element providing a second visual indication different than the first visual indication, and wherein the controller is configured to activate the first LED element of one of the flow rate indicator elements to show the selected discrete flow rate value of the pump and activate the second LED element to provide the notification that the air or occlusion is detected to the user. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , further comprising a light bar, wherein the light bar includes a third LED element comprising a scrolling LED element that is activated by the controller when a power button of the infusion device is pressed and the fluid is moving through the pump. 
     
     
         19 . A fluid delivery system, comprising:
 an intravenous fluid container having an injection port; and   a fluid delivery device for delivery of a fluid contained in the intravenous fluid container, the fluid delivery device comprising:
 a housing having an inlet and an outlet; 
 a spike member at the inlet defining a portion of a fluid channel extending between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the spike member is connected to the injection port for receiving the fluid from the intravenous fluid container to the fluid channel; 
 a pump disposed within the housing for pumping the fluid through the spike member and out the outlet of the housing; 
 at least one bubble sensor within the housing configured to detect air in fluid passing through the fluid channel; 
 at least one pressure sensor within the housing configured to detect changes in pressure of the fluid passing through the fluid channel; 
 at least one visual indicator viewable through the housing; and 
 a controller in communication with the pump, the at least one bubble sensor, the at least one pressure sensor, and the at least one visual indicator, wherein the controller is configured to detect a presence of air or an occlusion within the fluid channel based on information received from the least one bubble sensor and from the at least one pressure sensor and activate the at least one visual indicator to provide a notification to a user when the air or occlusion is detected. 
   
     
     
         20 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 19 , wherein the fluid delivery device and the intravenous fluid container are configured to be worn by a patient as the fluid is delivered to the patient, the system further comprising a carrying strap attached to the intravenous fluid container configured to secure the intravenous fluid container to an arm of the patient.