Fluid balance monitoring system with fluid infusion pump for medical treatment
Inventors
Kramer, George C. • Drew, Guy A. • Deyo, Donald J. • Brandenburg, Allen E. • Voigt, Richard B.
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-8579859-B2
Publication Date
2013-11-12
Expiration Date
Abstract
Novel fluid delivery systems are disclosed to improve the delivery of bio-compatible fluids to a patient. The systems can include a housing having a bladder pressurized by a pressurization unit so that fluid flow rate can be controlled, changed and/or monitored. The systems can also include a scale and/or a flow control unit.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a portable fluid delivery system for a bio-compatible fluid that uses a collapsible container. The system includes a flow path leading from the container to a patient and a pressurizing assembly surrounding all or a portion of the container, where controlled pressurization exerts a force on the container to drive a fluid flow rate from the container through the flow path to the patient.
The pressurizing assembly depressurizes in either a rapid manner to rapidly reduce the force exerted on the container and the fluid flow rate, or depressurizes in a controlled manner to reduce the force and the fluid flow rate. The pressurizing assembly changes an internal pressure of the pressurizing assembly, sets the force by increasing internal pressure to a set point pressure, and varies internal pressure by intermittently setting at least one desired pressure and by periodically, semi-continuously, and/or continuously varying pressure according to a pressure change protocol.
The system further includes a weighing assembly that weighs the container and/or weighs the pressurizing assembly to measure and/or monitor a flow rate and a volume of fluid delivered from the container to the patient. In some embodiments the weighing assembly includes a connector for detachably connecting the pressurizing assembly to the weighing assembly and a weight measuring unit that measures the weight of the pressurizing assembly. In some embodiments, a flow control assembly with a flow control valve and flow control circuitry further controls the flow rate through the valve.
Claims Coverage
Independent claim coverage centers on four system-level inventive concepts: a pressurizable, controlled-depressurization fluid delivery system with a collapsible bio-compatible container, pressure control using an air pump with pressure variation to drive fluid flow rate, optional flow-rate regulation using a flow control valve and flow control circuitry, and integrated weighing to measure and/or monitor delivered fluid flow rate and/or delivered volume while weighing is performed on selectable basis types.
Controlled pressurization and rapid or controlled depressurization for flow-rate reduction
A fluid delivery system with a collapsible container including a bio-compatible fluid, a flow path leading from the container to a patient, and a pressurizing assembly surrounding all or a portion of the container, where the pressurization assembly pressurizes in a controlled manner resulting in a force exerted on the container and a fluid flow rate from the container through the flow path to the patient and where the pressurization assembly depressurizes in either a rapid manner to rapidly reduce the force on the container and the fluid flow rate from the container or to reduce the force on the container and the fluid flow rate from the container in a controlled manner.
Weighing assembly for measuring and/or monitoring flow rate
A weighing assembly that weighs the container and the pressurizing assembly on an intermittent basis, periodic basis, semi-continuous basis, continuous basis or any combination of those basis types to measure and/or monitor a flow rate of fluid from the container and through the flow path to the patient.
Pressure control using an air pump, pump control unit, and battery with protocol-driven pressure variation
The pressurization assembly includes an air pump, a tube connecting the pump to the pressurizing assembly, a pump control unit and a battery unit, where the pressurization assembly changes an internal pressure of the pressurizing assembly, sets the force exerted on the container by increasing internal pressure to a set point pressure, intermittently sets the internal pressure to at least one desired pressure, and periodically, semi-continuously and/or continuously varies the pressure according to a pressure change protocol.
Flow control assembly with flow control valve and flow control circuitry
A flow control assembly further controls the flow rate of fluid flowing from the container through the flow path to the patient, and includes a flow control valve and flow control circuitry to regulate the flow rate of fluid through the valve.
Detachably connected weighing assembly measuring delivered volume
A weighing assembly includes a connector for detachably connecting the pressurizing assembly to the weighing assembly and a weight measuring unit for measuring the weight of the pressurizing assembly, where the weighing assembly monitors and/or measures a volume of fluid delivered from the container to the patient.
Across the independent claims, the system is directed to a collapsible bio-compatible fluid container with a surrounding pressurizing assembly that provides controlled pressurization and rapid or controlled depressurization to reduce force and fluid flow rate, combined with weighing-based monitoring of flow rate and/or delivered volume. Additional claim coverage further specifies pressure control using an air pump with protocol-driven internal pressure variation and optional flow control regulation using a flow control valve and flow control circuitry, and it includes detachably connected weighing using a weight measuring unit.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
Decision support or closed-loop/autonomous control is described in the document in connection with monitoring and clinical endpoints.
Interested in licensing this patent?