Intelligent and configurable fluid delivery system and methods for its use

Abstract

A configurable fluid delivery system and methods for its use are disclosed. The system may include one or more control units, fluid delivery units, fluid actuator units, and disposable units. Data sources and sensors on each of the delivery units, actuator units, and disposable units may provide data to the control unit, thereby identifying the components along with the manner in which they may be configured. The control unit may notify a user regarding the status of any one or more of the delivery, actuator, and disposable units to indicate their appropriateness for delivering a fluid according to one or more selected procedures and protocols. Also disclosed are methods by which the configurable fluid delivery unit may provide data to a user to assist the user in assembling and testing a particular fluid delivery configuration for a specific use.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A configurable fluid delivery system, the system comprising:
 a fluid delivery unit comprising at least one delivery unit data source;   a fluid actuator unit in reversible mechanical communication with the fluid delivery unit, wherein the fluid actuator unit comprises an actuator unit data source; and   a control unit comprising:
 a computing device in reversible data communication with at least one of the fluid delivery unit and the fluid actuator unit, and 
 a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium in operable communication with the computing device; and 
 an output device in operable communication with the computing device; 
   wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed, causes the computing device to:
 receive delivery unit data from the delivery unit data source and actuator unit data from the actuator unit data source, 
 determine a mechanical compatibility status between the fluid delivery unit and the fluid actuator unit based, at least in part, on the delivery unit data and the actuator unit data, 
 transmit, to the output device, an output related to the mechanical compatibility status, 
 determine a communication integrity status between two or more of: the fluid delivery unit, the fluid actuator unit, and the control unit, 
 transmit, to the output device, an output related to the communication integrity status, and 
 transmit, to the output device, an output configuration of a graphical display, wherein the output configuration is dependent, at least in part, on one or more of the delivery unit data and the actuator unit data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The configurable fluid delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid delivery unit is configured to be in reversible mechanical communication with a disposable device. 
     
     
         3 . The configurable fluid delivery system of  claim 2 , wherein the disposable device comprises one or more of the following: at least one disposable device identification device, at least one disposable device sensor, and at least one disposable device data storage device. 
     
     
         4 . The configurable fluid delivery system of  claim 2 , wherein the fluid delivery unit is configured to receive disposable unit data from one or more of the following: a disposable device identification device, a disposable device sensor, and a disposable device data storage device. 
     
     
         5 . The configurable fluid delivery system of  claim 4 , wherein the fluid delivery unit is configured to transmit the disposable unit data to one or more of the computing device and the fluid actuator unit. 
     
     
         6 . The configurable fluid delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid actuator unit is configured to be in reversible fluid communication with a fluid source. 
     
     
         7 . The configurable fluid delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid actuator unit is configured to receive delivery unit data from the delivery unit data source. 
     
     
         8 . The configurable fluid delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator unit data comprises one or more of the following: activator unit sensor unit data, actuator unit identifier data, and actuator unit data from an actuator unit data storage device. 
     
     
         9 . A method of assembling a configurable fluid delivery device, the method comprising:
 selecting a fluid delivery unit from one or more fluid delivery units;   selecting a fluid actuator unit from one or more fluid actuator units;   placing the fluid actuator unit in reversible mechanical communication with the fluid delivery unit;   placing a control unit in reversible data communication with one or more of the fluid delivery unit and the fluid actuator unit;   transmitting, by the control unit to an output device, mechanical status data related to the reversible mechanical communication between the fluid actuator unit and the fluid delivery unit; and   transmitting, by the control unit to an output device, communication status data related to the reversible data communication between one or more of:
 the fluid delivery unit and the control unit; and 
 the fluid actuator unit and the control unit. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein selecting a fluid delivery unit comprises selecting the fluid delivery unit based at least in part on a medical procedure, a veterinary procedure, or a research procedure. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein transmitting, by the control unit, mechanical status data comprises transmitting, by the control unit, the mechanical status data to the output device in a format determined at least in part on one or more of (i) fluid delivery unit data received by the control unit and (ii) fluid actuator unit data received by the control unit 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein transmitting, by the control unit, communication status data comprises transmitting, by the control unit, the communication status data to the output device in a format determined at least in part on one or more of (i) fluid delivery unit data received by the control unit and (ii) fluid actuator unit data received by the control unit. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 selecting a disposable unit; and   placing the disposable unit in reversible mechanical communication with the fluid delivery unit.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising placing the disposable unit in reversible data communication with one or more of the following: the fluid delivery unit, the actuator unit, and the control unit 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising transmitting, by the control unit to an output unit, the mechanical status data related to the reversible mechanical communication between the disposable unit and the fluid delivery unit. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising transmitting, by the control unit to an output unit, the communication status data related to a reversible data communication between the disposable unit and one or more of the fluid delivery unit, the fluid actuator unit, and the control unit. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising altering a reversible mechanical communication between the fluid delivery unit and the fluid actuator unit based at least in part on the mechanical status data received by the output unit from the control unit. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising replacing the fluid delivery unit based at least in part on the mechanical status data received by the output unit from the control unit. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein replacing the fluid delivery unit comprises replacing the fluid delivery unit with a second fluid delivery unit, wherein each of the fluid delivery unit and the second fluid delivery unit are of a first type. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein replacing the fluid delivery unit comprises replacing the fluid delivery unit with a second fluid delivery unit, wherein the fluid delivery unit is of a first type and the second fluid delivery unit is of a second type. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising replacing the fluid actuator unit based at least in part on the mechanical status data received by the output unit from the control unit. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein replacing the fluid actuator unit comprises replacing the fluid actuator unit with a second fluid actuator unit, wherein each of the fluid actuator unit and the second fluid actuator unit are of a first type. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein replacing the fluid actuator unit comprises replacing the fluid actuator unit with a second fluid actuator unit, wherein the fluid actuator unit is of a first type and the second fluid actuator unit is of a second type.