Patent ID: 9375531
Filing Date: 2016-06-28
CPC Classification: A61M

Claim Text:
1. A syringe pump comprising: a housing adapted to hold a syringe holding a liquid medicament; a motor drive attached to the housing having a portion adapted to hold a plunger portion of the syringe to move the plunger portion within a tube portion of the syringe according to a motor drive signal to eject the medicament from the syringe; a motor controller powering the motor drive to provide movement of the plunger portion within the tube portion at a controlled rate and a controlled distance and in communication with one or more sensors to provide a flow estimate of medicament from the syringe based on known dimensions of the syringe tube and operation of the motor controller; a flow sensor adjacent to a flow of medicament from the syringe and adapted to measure the flow of the medicament through a downstream elastomeric IV tube in communication with the syringe; and an electronic controller configured to (i) interrogate the flow sensor to determine the flow of medicament, (ii) determine an acceptable flow range around zero when the motor controller is not operating and around the flow estimate when the motor controller is activated, (iii) compare the flow of medicament with the acceptable flow range to detect a flow error arising from a difference between the flow of the medicament and the acceptable flow range, and (iv) deactivate or adjust the motor drive upon detection of the flow error; wherein the flow sensor is adapted to releasably receive the elastomeric IV tube passing from the syringe to a patient and having substantially continuous tubing walls unbroken by the flow sensor, the flow sensor positioned entirely outside the tubing walls of the IV tube without piercing the IV tube and without contact with fluid within the IV tube; further including a pressure sensor adapted to releasably receive the elastomeric IV tube, the pressure sensor positioned entirely outside the tubing walls of the IV tube without piercing the IV tube and without contact with the fluid within the IV tube indicate a pressure of the medicament within an IV line attached to the syringe and communicate the pressure to the electronic controller.