Method for Determining Syringe Parameters by a Syringe Pump, and Apparatuses

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for determining syringe parameters. It encompasses, as a first step, the providing of a medical syringe pump with a syringe receptacle having a syringe inserted herein, a drive unit for a slide, a counting device for counting motor steps, at least one sensor, a control device and a storage device. The method as described herein also encompasses, as further steps, moving the slide successively at different positions corresponding to known nominal volumes of the syringe. In a further step, the difference between these two positions is determined and, finally, optionally a number of motor steps of the drive unit of the syringe pump is calculated per nominal volume unit with respect to the inserted syringe.

Claims

1-21. (canceled)

22. A method for determining syringe parameters, wherein the method comprises: providing a medical syringe pump which comprises: a syringe receptacle having a syringe inserted therein, wherein the syringe comprises a syringe cylinder and a plunger being movable therein between a first end position and a second end position, wherein the plunger is connected to a plunger rod; a drive unit, provided for moving a slide of the syringe pump in motor steps, wherein the slide comprises a toggle for receiving a section of the plunger rod or for connecting thereto; and is arranged to be movable, relative to the syringe receptacle, with a section of the slide maximally between a first end stop and a second end stop; a counting device for counting the number of motor steps by which the slide is being moved; one or more sensors or a sensor arrangement, arranged along a shifting path of the plunger or along a movement path of the slide; a control device, configured for prompting the drive unit to move the slide according to control instructions; and a storage device; moving the toggle by moving the slide of the syringe pump to a first position which corresponds to, or is associated with, a first known nominal volume of the syringe, and determining a position value of the first position by the counting device as a first position value; moving the toggle by moving the slide of the syringe pump to a second position which corresponds to, or is associated with, a second known nominal volume of the syringe, and determining a position value of the second position by the counting device as a second position value; determining a difference between the first position value and the second position value either as the number of motor steps by which the toggle has been moved to reach the second position starting from the first position, or by the position value determined with the aid of position detectors; and calculating a number of motor steps of the drive unit of the syringe pump per nominal volume unit of the inserted syringe.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the first or the second position is the first end position.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the method further comprises: moving the toggle by moving the slide of the syringe pump into the second end position of the syringe; and determining a position value of the second end position by the counting device as a third position value.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the first and/or the second position is reached starting from the first end stop of the syringe pump while counting the motor steps needed for reaching the first or the second position.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein an inner diameter of the syringe is additionally calculated.

27. The method according to claim 22, further comprising: inserting a syringe standard into the syringe receptacle; moving the toggle or the slide, as far as the syringe allows to do so; and determining a position value of a position of the syringe receptacle relative to the sensors of the syringe pump.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising: defining the position value of the first end position or a difference between the position value of the first end position and the position value of the position of the syringe receptacle as a first syringe parameter; defining a difference between a position value of a nominal volume and the position value of the first end position as a third syringe parameter; and transferring, to at least one other medical device, at least one value of a group that comprises: the first, the second, the third syringe parameter, the position value of the first end stop, the determined position value of the first end position, the determined position value of the second end position, the determined position value of the syringe receptacle, references of the position values to each other, distances or differences between any of the aforementioned parameters and position values with each other, and the inner diameter of the syringe.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising defining the position value of the second end position or a difference between the position value of the first end position and the position value of the second end position as a second syringe parameter.

30. The method according to claim 22, further comprising saving all or some of the determined and/or calculated data and/or values in the storage device.

31. A digital storage medium with electronically readable control signals, configured to interact with a programmable computer system such that the method according to claim 22 is prompted.

32. A computer program product, as a signal wave or with a program code stored on a machine-readable carrier, for prompting the method according to claim 22, when the computer program product runs on a computer.

33. A computer program with a program code for prompting the method according to claim 22, when the computer program runs on a computer.

34. A medical syringe pump comprising: a syringe receptacle for a syringe insertable therein, wherein the syringe comprises a syringe cylinder and a plunger being movable therein between a first end position and a second end position, wherein the plunger is connected to a plunger rod; a drive unit provided to move a slide of the syringe pump in motor steps, wherein the slide comprises a toggle for receiving a section of the plunger rod or connecting thereto and is arranged to be movable with a section of the slide, relative to the syringe receptacle, maximally between a first end stop and a second end stop; a counting device for counting the number of motor steps by which the slide is being moved; one or more sensors or a sensor arrangement, arranged along a shifting path of the plunger or along a movement path of the slide; a control device, configured for prompting the drive unit to move the slide according to control instructions; and a storage device, wherein the control device is configured and/or prepared for executing or triggering a method for determining syringe parameters of the syringe inserted in the syringe pump using the syringe pump, the method comprising: moving the toggle by moving the slide of the syringe pump into a first position which corresponds to, or is associated with, a first known nominal volume of the syringe, and determining a position value of the first position by the counting device as a first position value; moving the toggle by moving the slide of the syringe pump into a second position which corresponds to, or is associated with, a second known nominal volume of the syringe, and determining a position value of the second position by the counting device as a second position value; determining a difference between the first position value and the second position value either as the number of motor steps by which the toggle has been moved in order to reach the second position starting from the first position, or by the position or positions determined by position detectors; and calculating a number of motor steps of the drive unit of the syringe pump per nominal volume unit of the inserted syringe.

35. The medical syringe pump according to claim 34, wherein the first or the second position is the first end position.

36. The medical syringe pump according to claim 34, wherein the method further comprises moving the toggle by moving the slide of the syringe into the second end position of the syringe; and determining a position value of the second end position as a third position value by the counting device.

37. The medical syringe pump according to claim 34, wherein the first and/or the second position is reached starting from the first end stop of the syringe pump while counting the motor steps needed for reaching the first or the second position.

38. The medical syringe pump according to claim 34, wherein an inner diameter of the syringe is additionally calculated.

39. The medical syringe pump according to claim 34, wherein the method further comprises: inserting a syringe standard into the syringe receptacle; moving the toggle or the slide, as far as the syringe sample allows to do so; and determining a position value of a position of the syringe receptacle relative to the sensors of the syringe pump.

40. The medical syringe pump according claim 39, wherein the method further comprises: defining the position value of the first end position or a difference between the position value of the first end position and the position value of the position of the syringe receptacle as a first syringe parameter; defining a difference between a position value of a nominal volume and the position value of the first end position as a third syringe parameter; and transferring, to at least one other medical device, at least one value of a group comprising: the first, the second, the third syringe parameter, the position value of the first end stop, the determined position value of the first end position, the determined position value of the second end position, the determined position value of a position of the syringe receptacle, references of the position values to each other, distances between any of the aforementioned position values with each other, and the inner diameter of the syringe.

41. The medical syringe pump according claim 40, wherein the method further comprises defining the position value of the second end position or a difference between the position value of the first end position and the position value of the second end position as a second syringe parameter.

42. The medical syringe pump according to claim 34, wherein the method further comprises saving all or some of the determined and/or calculated data and/or values in the storage device.

43. A blood treatment apparatus comprising, or being connected in signal communication to, a medical syringe pump according to claim 34.

44. The blood treatment apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the blood treatment apparatus is a peritoneal dialysis apparatus, hemodialysis apparatus, hemofiltration apparatus, hemodiafiltration apparatus, or an apparatus for the chronic renal replacement therapy or the continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0102] The present disclosure is exemplarily explained below with regard to the accompanying drawings in which identical reference numerals refer to the same or similar components. In the figures, the following applies:

[0103] FIG. 1 shows a conventional syringe;

[0104] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the syringe pump described herein in a schematically simplified top view; and

[0105] FIG. 3a bis 3d show the course of the method described herein in an exemplary embodiment in a summary.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0106] FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b show, each from the side, a conventional syringe 1, e.g., fillable with heparin, which may be a disposable syringe and/or a pre-filled syringe. FIG. 1a shows said syringe in an empty state, FIG. 1b shows it in a completely filled state or the state it takes when it is completely filled.

[0107] The syringe 1 includes a syringe cylinder 2 and a plunger 5.

[0108] The syringe cylinder 2 includes an optional Luer cone 3 integrally formed on its head side and a syringe flange 4 formed on the opposite end.

[0109] The plunger 5 is usually made of an elastomer material and is plug-shaped. It is positioned in the interior of the syringe cylinder 2 and is connected to a plunger rod 6 enabling it to be axially movable within the syringe cylinder 2.

[0110] The plunger 5 ends with a usually oval or round press plate 7 when viewed from the top. The press plate 7 is shown from the side in FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b.

[0111] In FIG. 1a, the plunger 5 is in a first end position B, in FIG. 1b in a second end position C. The plunger 5 arrives at the first end position B when the syringe content is completely emptied by moving the plunger 5. The plunger 5 arrives at the second end position C when the syringe 1 is filled to the maximum.

[0112] The shifting path of the plunger 5 within the syringe 1 is thus limited by the both end positions B and C. The maximum shifting path to be maintained when the syringe 1 is used as intended is herein referred to as h.sub.max which is not to be exceeded in order to prevent the plunger 5 from being pulled out of the syringe cylinder 2 and the possible contamination risk associated therewith.

[0113] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a disclosed syringe pump 100 including a syringe receptacle or a syringe cavity 101. It further includes a movable slide 103 having a toggle 105 being movable together with said slide 103, wherein the toggle 105 is fixed stationary relative to the slide or is a stationary part thereof.

[0114] A drive unit 107, herein exemplarily a motor, moves, e.g., via a spindle 109, the slide 103 in motor steps. The direction in which the movement path of the slide 103 extends is indicated by a double arrow.

[0115] The movement of the slide 103 comes leftwards (with regard to FIG. 2), i.e. towards the Luer cone 3, latest to a halt or standstill when a first end stop A is reached, which is indicated by a dashed line.

[0116] The movement of the slide 103 comes rightwards (with regard to FIG. 2), i.e., towards the push plate 7, latest to a halt when a second end stop D is reached, which is likewise indicated by a dashed line.

[0117] The end stops A and D are to be understood as mechanical final stops of the slide 103: moving the slide over or beyond these points A and D is technically impossible, even when no syringe 1 is inserted in the syringe pump 100.

[0118] The end stops A and D are each outside the first and second end position B respectively C, described with regard to FIG. 1.

[0119] At the syringe receptacle, a first sensor 111 and a second sensor 113 are optionally stationary connected to, e.g., a housing of the syringe pump 100.

[0120] The slide 103 in turn may include a permanent magnet 115 which may serve to detect, in known manner, in interaction or alternation with the first sensor 111 and/or the second sensor 113, if or when the slide 103 reaches the position of the first sensor 111 or of the second sensor 113 or passes by. The first and the second sensor 111 or 113 are therefore optionally configured as Hall sensors. Evaluation devices required for determining or evaluating the signals received from the Hall sensors or from other sensors are provided.

[0121] As an alternative to configuring the sensors 111 and 113 as Hall sensors, another sensor arrangement could also alternatively be provided, optionally encompassing absolute position detectors. Also combinations of sensors, e.g., of a Hall sensor and a light barrier are likewise contemplated by the present disclosure.

[0122] Further contemplated by the present disclosure is that, e.g., both sensors 111 and 113, or any one of them, are stationary with the slide 103, and move together with the latter when it is being moved. In such embodiments, the permanent magnet 115 may be positioned at the syringe receptacle.

[0123] The syringe pump 100 further includes a counting device 120, a control device 130, optionally a storage device 140 and optionally an input/output device 150 or is respectively connected thereto in signal communication, as indicated in FIG. 2.

[0124] FIG. 2 shows a syringe pump 100 having a syringe 1 inserted therein. This common illustration serves for a better explanation of the interaction of the syringe pump 100 during the intended use of the syringe pump 100 or the syringe 1 respectively. For the method disclosed herein, the syringe 1 must be at least temporarily inserted into the syringe pump 100.

[0125] FIGS. 3a to 3d show the course of the method described herein in an exemplary embodiment with reference to different syringe positions in a juxtaposition.

[0126] FIGS. 3b and 3c show, in addition to the two syringe states of FIG. 1, namely “syringe empty” (FIG. 3a) and “syringe completely loaded” (FIG. 3d), two further states, namely the syringe in the method step a) (FIG. 3b) in which the toggle 105 shown only in FIG. 3d has been moved to a first known nominal volume N1 (e.g., 5 ml) and the syringe in the method step b) of the method (FIG. 3c) in which the toggle 105 has been moved to a second known nominal volume N2 (e.g., 15 ml).

[0127] Conventional syringes are usually scaled, labeled and/or printed or imprinted on their exterior. This information, referred to herein as nominal volumes, for example milliliters, allow the user, e.g., to detect the loading level of the syringe and/or optionally to dose a dispensary of the content and/or to monitor a dosage.

[0128] In order to obtain the clarity of FIG. 3, the connection of the syringe 1 to the syringe pump 100 has been exemplarily shown only in FIG. 3d. The illustration made there applies analogously also to the three other syringe states of FIGS. 3a to 3d. FIG. 3d illustrates that the counting device 120, the control device 130, the storage device 140 and the input/output device 150 can also be integrated into the syringe pump 100.

[0129] FIGS. 3a to 3d illustrate examples of determined syringe parameters SP1, SP2 and SP3. Thus, in this example, the syringe parameter (SP1) corresponds to the first end position (B) (and moreover to a nominal volume of zero ml), the second syringe parameter (SP2) corresponds to the second end position (C) and the third syringe parameter (SP3) is determined from the difference between, e.g., the nominal volume (here: N1) and the first end position (B). These syringe parameters are respectively determined when the plunger 5 of the syringe 1 being moved by the drive unit 107 in the direction indicated by the respective arrow reaches the first end position B, the second end position C or a known nominal volume (here N1) of the syringe 1. The determination of the syringe parameters SP1 to SP3 is shown purely by way of example here.

[0130] If one sets the difference of the nominal volumes ΔN in relation to the number of motor steps required for the movement of the toggle 105 over the distance between the two considered nominal volumes, a number of motor steps per unit nominal volume (e.g., per ml) can be determined directly.

[0131] The syringe parameters SP1, SP2 and/or SP3 may, optionally in addition to other parameters, like for example a calculated inner diameter of the syringe or a position value (M) of the syringe cavity or respectively the reference or distance of each to one of the aforementioned values or a further value, like the first end stop (A) or a first end position (B), e.g., when indicated as differences between any of the aforementioned measurements, be transferred to other medical apparatuses in order to save a recalibration or resetting of the apparatus to the syringe type shown in FIGS. 3a to 3d.

[0132] The difference between the first syringe parameter SP1 and the second syringe parameter SP2 may be understood as a measure of a lift height or a maximal movement path of the toggle 105 when using a syringe of the particular syringe type.

[0133] Not shown in the figures is the possibility to move the toggle with inserted syringe standard so far against the lower end stop A, until a further movement is mechanically no longer possible. The counting value of motor steps (measured from or relative to the position of the lower end stop A) read after stopping the slide in this position, is further used as position M. The position M may indicate where—relative to further components of the syringe pump, for instance relative to the lower end stop A—the syringe cavity or syringe receptacle is positioned. The value M may be corrected, for instance by the compensation value mentioned herein.

[0134] The first syringe parameter SP1 may be determined herein as the difference between M and B or as a difference between A and B in arbitrary embodiments and independent of further features.

[0135] The second syringe parameter SP2 may herein be determined as the difference between B and C or as a difference between A and C in arbitrary embodiments and independent of further features.

[0136] The third syringe parameter SP3 may be determined herein as the difference between B an N1 or N2 in arbitrary embodiments and independent of further features.

[0137] As stated above, it is possible to set the counting device 120 to zero when the respective positions are reached, and then to take the determined counting values directly as parameter values for the respective syringe.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0138] 1 syringe [0139] 2 syringe cylinder [0140] 3 Luer cone [0141] 4 syringe flange [0142] 5 plunger [0143] 6 plunger rod [0144] 7 press plate [0145] 100 syringe pump [0146] 101 syringe receptacle or syringe cavity [0147] 103 slide [0148] 105 toggle [0149] 107 drive unit, motor [0150] 109 spindle [0151] 111 first sensor [0152] 113 second sensor [0153] 115 permanent magnet [0154] 120 counting device [0155] 130 control device [0156] 140 storage device [0157] 150 input/output device [0158] A first end stop [0159] B first end position [0160] C second end position [0161] D second end stop [0162] M position of the syringe cavity [0163] N1 first nominal volume [0164] N2 second nominal volume [0165] ΔN distance between the first and the second nominal volume [0166] P1 first position [0167] P2 second position [0168] SP1 first syringe parameter [0169] SP2 second syringe parameter [0170] SP3 third syringe parameter [0171] h.sub.max maximum shifting path of the plunger or of the plunger rod inside the syringe cylinder when the syringe is used as intended; the maximum shifting path is determined such that an undesirable pulling or withdrawal of the plunger out of the cylinder is avoided;