Patent ID: 8361021

Claim:
A medical pump for delivery of a substance through a fluid delivery line connected to a pumping chamber, comprising: a pump drive for exerting a force on the pumping chamber; a pump drive position sensor operatively connected to the pump drive for sensing the position of the pump drive; a first air detection sensor for sensing whether there is air in the fluid delivery line; a processor in electronic communication with the pump drive, the pump drive position sensor and the first air detection sensor; a memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein the memory comprises programming code for execution by the processor, and wherein the programming code is adapted to: start a fluid delivery cycle having a pressurization phase, a delivery phase, and a retraction phase; activate the first air detection sensor, during one of a first pressurization phase and a first delivery phase, after a first predetermined cycle parameter value has been met; generate first air content data from a first air content signal measured by the first air detection sensor; determine whether the first air content data has met a first predetermined air threshold; deactivate the first air detection sensor, during one of the first pressurization phase and the first delivery phase, after the first air content signal is measured and after a second predetermined cycle parameter value has been met; reactivate the first air detection sensor, during one of the first pressurization phase and the first delivery phase, after a third predetermined cycle parameter value has been met; generate second air content data from a second air content signal measured by the first air detection sensor; determine whether the second air content data has met the first predetermined air threshold; and, deactivate the first air detection sensor, during one of the first pressurization phase and the first delivery phase, after the second air content signal is measured and after a fourth predetermined cycle parameter value has been met.