Rapid response occlusion detector for a medication infusion pump

Claim 1

A rapid response occlusion detector for use with a medication infusion pump having a syringe defining a chamber with medication therein, infusion tubing for connecting the medication chamber to a patient, a piston plunger for advancement into the medication chamber to administer a dose of the medication to the patient, and drive means for controllably advancing the piston plunger into the medication chamber to administer a succession of discrete doses of the medication to the patient, said occlusion detector comprising: force sensor means for monitoring and for providing output signals representative of the pressure applied to the medication within the medication chamber; control circuit means connected to said force sensor means for receiving said output signals, said control circuit means including comparator means for comparing the difference between a first output signal corresponding to a first first pressure substantially at a point in time corresponding with advancement of the syringe plunger to administer a medication dose and a second output signal corresponding to a second pressure at a later point in time substantially after said plunger advancement but preceding the next dose; and alarm means activated by said control circuit means when the difference between said first and second output signals is less than a predetermined value.

Claim 7

A method of detecting an occlusion condition in a medication infusion pump having a syringe defining a chamber with medication therein, infusion tubing for connecting the medication chamber to a patient, a piston plunger for advancement into the medication chamber to administer a dose of the medication to the patient, and drive means for controllably advancing the piston plunger into the medication chamber to administer a succession of discrete doses of the medication to the patient, said method comprising the steps of: monitoring and providing output signals representative of the pressure applied to the medication within the medication chamber; comparing the difference between a first output signal corresponding substantially at a point in time with advancement of the syringe plunger to administer a medication dose and a second output signal at a later point in time substantially after said plunger advancement but preceding the next dose; and activating an alarm when the difference between said first and second output signals is less than a predetermined value.

Claim 8

A method of detecting an occlusion condition in a medication infusion pump having a syringe defining a chamber with medication therein, infusion tubing for connecting the medication chamber to a patient, a piston plunger for advancement into the medication chamber to administer a dose of the medication to the patient, and drive means for controllably advancing the piston plunger into the medication chamber to administer a succession of discrete doses of the medication to the patient, said method comprising the steps of: monitoring and providing output signals representative of the pressure applied to the medication within the medication chamber; comparing the difference between a first output signal corresponding substantially at a point in time with advancement of the syringe plunger to administer a medication dose and a second output signal at a later point in time substantially after said plunger advancement but preceding the next dose; and activating an alarm when the difference between said first and second output signals is less than a predetermined value.

Claim 15

A method of detecting a failure mode in a medication infusion pump having a syringe defining a chamber with medication therein, infusion tubing for connecting the medication chamber to a patient, a piston plunger for advancement into the medication chamber to administer a dose of the medication to the patient, and drive means for controllably advancing the piston plunger into the medication chamber to administer a succession of discrete doses of the medication to the patient, said method comprising the steps of: monitoring and providing output signals representative of the pressure applied to the medication within the medication chamber; comparing the difference between first and second output signals taken at different selected points in time wherein a failure mode is indicated when said difference is outside a predetermined range; and activating an alarm when said difference indicates a failure mode.

Claim 16

A method of detecting a failure mode in a medication infusion pump having a syringe defining a chamber with medication therein, infusion tubing for connecting the medication chamber to a patient, a piston plunger for advancement into the medication chamber to administer a dose of the medication to the patient, and drive means for controllably advancing the piston plunger into the medication chamber to administer a succession of discrete doses of the medication to the patient, said method comprising the steps of: monitoring and providing output signals representative of the pressure applied to the medication within the medication chamber; comparing the difference between first and second output signals taken at different selected points in time wherein a failure mode is indicated when said difference is outside a predetermined range; and activating an alarm when said difference indicates a failure mode.