Infusion pump system and methods

Abstract

Some embodiments an infusion pump system can be configured to activate an alarm in response to a calculated prediction of the user's future blood glucose levels. Optionally, the predictive calculation of the user's future blood glucose levels can be based at least in part upon a recent blood glucose level, a trend of blood glucose levels over time, and an insulin load of the user.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A medical infusion pump system, comprising:
 a controller that communicates insulin delivery instructions including basal insulin instructions and bolus insulin instructions, the controller being adapted to receive user commands to deliver a bolus;   a monitoring device that communicates glucose information to the controller, the glucose information being indicative of a blood glucose level of the user; and   a pump adapted to receive insulin for dispensation to a user, the pump at least partially comprising a pump drive system configured to dispense the insulin through a flow path to the user responsive to the insulin delivery instructions;   wherein the controller is configured to predict a future blood glucose level of the user based at least in part upon a recent blood glucose level, a trend of blood glucose levels over time, a food-on-board value, and an insulin load of the user, wherein the controller uses the predicted future blood glucose level to make changes to the insulin delivery instructions including increases to or decreases to the basal insulin instructions, the insulin load of the user an estimated value of previously dispensed insulin that has not yet acted in the user indicative of both bolus and basal insulin dosages that have been dispensed but not yet acted in the user, the food-on-board value being indicative of previous food intake by the user that has not yet metabolized in the user.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising one or more computer-readable memory devices of the controller that store the glucose information received from the monitoring device and time values associated with the glucose information. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more computer-readable memory devices of the controller store computer-readable instructions for a blood glucose prediction process that, when executed by a processor of the controller, cause the controller to:
 calculate the predicted future blood glucose level of the user based at least in part upon the recent blood glucose level, the trend of blood glucose levels over time, and the insulin load of the user;   determining whether the predicted future blood glucose level is less than a lower threshold value;   output an alarm in response to determining that the predicted future blood glucose level is less than the lower threshold value; and   operate in a low glucose recovery mode in response to user input that confirms an operational change for the controller.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising a user interface coupled to the controller, the user interface including (i) a display device that is configured to provide a visual indication of the alarm and (ii) a user input device that is configured to receive user input to activate the controller to operate in a low glucose recovery mode. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein in response to the activation of the controller to operate in the low glucose recovery mode, the controller communicates with the pump to reduce, but not stop, a basal rate amount of insulin to be dispensed from the portable pump housing. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein, in response to the activation of the controller to operate in the low glucose recovery mode, the controller is configured to exit from the low glucose recovery mode based on a subsequent determination that the predicted future blood glucose level is greater than or equal to the lower threshold value. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein in response to the controller determining that the predicted future blood glucose level is less than the lower threshold value, the controller automatically cancels any previously scheduled bolus amount of insulin to be dispensed the from the pump. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the controller comprises a controller housing that removably attaches to a pump housing of the pump, the controller being electrically connected to the pump drive system when the controller housing is removably attached to the pump housing, wherein the controller is a reusable device while the pump housing and the pump drive system include a structure to prevent reuse of the pump housing and the pump drive system. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the pump defines an opening that slidably receives a prefilled cartridge of the insulin, the pump further comprising a cap device configured to cover the opening and pierce the prefilled cartridge of insulin when the pump receives the prefilled cartridge of insulin. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the monitoring device comprises a portable housing wearable on the user's skin, a sensor shaft that penetrates into the user's skin, and a wireless communication device to transmit the glucose information to a wireless communication device of the controller. 
     
     
         12 . A controller for an insulin infusion pump system, comprising:
 a processor;   one or more computer-readable memory devices that store glucose information received from a monitoring device and time values associated with the glucose information, wherein the one or more computer-readable memory devices store computer-readable instructions for a blood glucose prediction process that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to:   activate basal insulin deliveries;   receive instructions to deliver bolus insulin and activate bolus insulin deliveries;   calculate a predicted future blood glucose level of the user based at least in part upon a recent blood glucose level of a user, a trend of blood glucose levels over time, a food-on-board value, and an insulin load of the user, the insulin load of the user being an estimated value of previously dispensed insulin that has not yet acted in the user indicative of both bolus and basal insulin dosages that have been dispensed but not yet acted in the user, the food-on-board value being indicative of previous food intake by the user that has not yet metabolized in the user;   operate in a high glucose recovery mode in response to user input that accepts activation of the high glucose recovery mode, the high glucose recover mode increasing the delivery of basal insulin;   operate in a low glucose recovery mode in response to user input that accepts activation of the low glucose recovery mode, the low glucose recover mode stopping the delivery of basal and bolus insulin in progress; and   outputting information about an amount of a bolus that was not delivered due to the triggering of the low glucose recovery mode.   
     
     
         13 . The controller of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more computer-readable memory devices store computer-readable instructions for the blood glucose prediction process that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to:
 in response to the activation of the controller to operate in the low glucose recovery mode, reduce but not stop a basal rate amount of insulin to be dispensed while operating in the low glucose recovery mode.   
     
     
         14 . The controller of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more computer-readable memory devices store computer-readable instructions for the blood glucose prediction process that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to:
 in response to the activation of the controller to operate in the low glucose recovery mode, automatically exit from the low glucose recovery mode based on a subsequent determination that the predicted future blood glucose level is greater than or equal to a lower threshold value.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more computer-readable memory devices store computer-readable instructions for the blood glucose prediction process that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to:
 determine whether the predicted future blood glucose level is less than a lower threshold value, and   in response to the predicted future blood glucose level being less than the lower threshold value, automatically cancel any previously scheduled bolus dosage of insulin.