Infusion pump
Medical patients sometimes require precise delivery of either continuous medication or medication at set periodic intervals. Infusion devices are used for the subcutaneous administration, to humans or animals, of intravenous fluids such as blood, nutrients, medicine, and saline. The fluids are stored and administered from pliant infusate bags typically made from plastic film materials. The infusate bags facilitate the administration of infusate fluids, while limiting the amount of air that is transferred to the patient with the fluid. Medical pumps have been developed to provide controlled drug infusion wherein the drug can be administered at a precise rate that keeps the drug concentration within a therapeutic margin and out of an unnecessary or possibly toxic range. For example, parenteral infusion directly into the patient and, in particular, intravenous infusion directly into the patient's circulatory system, can be advantageous. Therapeutic fluids, drugs, medications, pharmacological fluids, hydrating fluids, sucrose fluids, nutrient fluids, or other therapeutic fluids can generally be infused using disposable cassette pumps and peristaltic pumps. Syringe pumps can also be used in some instances. Infusion pumps provide a significant lifestyle benefit for individuals requiring multiple deliveries of volumetrically proportioned medication to their body over a period of time. Infusion pumps reliably dispense the required medication to the patient through an infusion path established between the patient and the pump. The infusion path is a conduit secured to the pump at one end and secured intravenously or subcutaneously to a patient on the other. Medical infusion pumps typically include a microprocessor controlled syringe pump, an insulin filled syringe, a hub and tubing set and a cannula. The pump is often worn in a carrying case on the patient's belt or in other locations such as a pocket. The syringe is mounted in the syringe pump and can contain enough insulin for several days. The hub connects the syringe to the tubing set. The cannula is at the end of the tubing set and can be either steel or softer teflon. The cannula is inserted into fatty tissue and the insulin is injected subcutaneously. The operation of the infusion pump is controlled by a processor. The processor controls the delivery of periodic dosages of medication to a patient at predetermined times. A patient is able to rely on the infusion pump for delivering the required dosage of medication intravenously or subcutaneously over a period of time. In this way, the patient need not interrupt life activities for repeated manual delivery of required medication. Modern implantable infusion devices, or implantable pumps, for delivering an infusate commonly have a rigid housing that maintains a collapsible infusate reservoir. The housing includes a needle-penetrable septum that covers a reservoir inlet. A flow passage is provided between the reservoir and an exterior surface of the device. At the flow passage outlet, a flexible delivery catheter is provided. A typical infusion pump includes a housing, which encloses a pump drive system, a fluid containment assembly, electronics system, and a power supply. The pump drive system typically includes a small motor (DC, stepper, solenoid, or other varieties) and drive train components such as gears, screws, and levers that convert rotational motor motion to a translational displacement of a stopper in a reservoir. The fluid containment assembly typically includes the reservoir with the stopper, tubing, and a catheter or infusion set to create a fluid path for carrying medication from the reservoir to the body of a user.
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