Infusion system which utilizes one or more sensors and additional information to make an air determination regarding the infusion system

Abstract

In one step of a method for infusing an infusion fluid, the infusion fluid is pumped through a fluid delivery line of an infusion system. In another step, measurements are taken with at least one sensor connected to the infusion system. In an additional step, an air determination is determined with at least one processor. The air determination is related to air in the fluid delivery line. The air determination is based on the measurements taken by the at least one sensor. The air determination is further based on: (1) medication information regarding the infusion fluid or infusion information regarding the infusion of the infusion fluid; or (2) multi-channel filtering of the measurements from the at least one sensor or non-linear mapping of the measurements from the at least one sensor; and statistical process control charts applied to the multi-channel filtered measurements or applied to the non-linear mapped measurements.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An infusion system configured to be connected to a fluid delivery line and to an infusion container containing an infusion fluid, the infusion system comprising:
 a pump;   a sensor connected to the pump or the fluid delivery line, the sensor configured to output sensor data;   a memory storing programming code; and   at least one processor in electronic communication with the pump, the sensor, and the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured by the programming code to:
 determine a first volume of the infusion fluid to be infused; 
 control the pump to infuse the infusion fluid from the infusion container into the fluid delivery line; 
 determine air is likely present in the fluid delivery line based on the sensor data; 
 determine a second volume of the infusion fluid that has been infused; and 
 determine, based on (i) air likely being present in the fluid delivery line, and (ii) a difference between the first volume and the second volume satisfying a criterion, that the infusion container is likely empty. 
   
     
     
         22 . The infusion system of  claim 21 , wherein to determine that the difference between the first volume and the second volume satisfies the criterion, the at least one processor is further configured by the programming code to determine that second volume is within a threshold amount of the first volume. 
     
     
         23 . The infusion system of  claim 22 , wherein to determine that the first volume is within a threshold amount of the second volume, the at least one processor is further configured by the programming code to determine that the second volume is greater than 90% of the first volume. 
     
     
         24 . The infusion system of  claim 22 , wherein to determine that the first volume is within a threshold amount of the second volume, the at least one processor is further configured by the programming code to determine that the second volume is less than 110% of the first volume. 
     
     
         25 . The infusion system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured by the programming code to control the pump to stop infusion based on (i) air likely being present in the fluid delivery line, and (ii) the difference between the first volume and the second volume satisfying the criterion. 
     
     
         26 . The infusion system of  claim 21 , further comprising an alarm device, wherein the at least one processor is further configured by the programming code to cause the alarm device to present an alarm based on (i) air likely being present in the fluid delivery line, and (ii) the difference between the first volume and the second volume satisfying the criterion. 
     
     
         27 . The infusion system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured by the programming code to determine a confidence level that air is present in the fluid delivery line. 
     
     
         28 . The infusion system of  claim 21 , wherein the sensor comprises a proximal air sensor positioned upstream from the pump. 
     
     
         29 . The infusion system of  claim 21 , wherein the sensor comprises a distal air sensor positioned downstream from the pump. 
     
     
         30 . The infusion system of  claim 21 , wherein the sensor comprises a proximal pressure sensor positioned upstream from the pump. 
     
     
         31 . The infusion system of  claim 21 , wherein the sensor comprises a distal pressure sensor positioned downstream from the pump. 
     
     
         32 . The infusion system of  claim 21 , wherein the sensor comprises a chamber pressure sensor configured to detect pressure in a pumping chamber. 
     
     
         33 . The infusion system of  claim 21 , wherein the sensor comprises a plunger force sensor positioned on the pump. 
     
     
         34 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 under control of one or more computer processors configured to execute programming code,
 determining a first volume of an infusion fluid to be infused from an infusion container into a fluid delivery line for delivery to a patient; 
 controlling a pump to infuse the infusion fluid from the infusion container into the fluid delivery line; 
 receiving sensor data from a sensor connected to the pump or the fluid delivery line; 
 determining air is likely present in the fluid delivery line based on the sensor data; 
 determining a second volume of the infusion fluid that has been infused; and 
 determining, based on (i) air likely being present in the fluid delivery line, and (ii) a difference between the first volume and the second volume satisfying a criterion, that the infusion container is likely empty. 
   
     
     
         35 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , wherein determining that the difference between the first volume and the second volume satisfies the criterion comprises determining that second volume is within a threshold amount of the first volume. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 35 , wherein determining that the first volume is within a threshold amount of the second volume comprises determining that the second volume is greater than 90% of the first volume. 
     
     
         37 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 35 , wherein determining that the first volume is within a threshold amount of the second volume comprises determining that the second volume is less than 110% of the first volume. 
     
     
         38 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , further comprising controlling the pump to stop infusion based on (i) air likely being present in the fluid delivery line, and (ii) the difference between the first volume and the second volume satisfying the criterion. 
     
     
         39 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , further comprising causing an alarm device to present an alarm based on (i) air likely being present in the fluid delivery line, and (ii) the difference between the first volume and the second volume satisfying the criterion. 
     
     
         40 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , further comprising determining a confidence level that air is present in the fluid delivery line.