DEVICE FOR ADMINISTERING FLUID TO A PATIENT

Abstract

A device for administering fluid to a patient comprising: a fluid source for providing fluid, a patient end which is designed to connect to a patient, a continuous throughflow path connecting the fluid source and the patient end for continuously supplying fluid from the fluid source to the patient end, a bolus flow path connected to the fluid source and to the patient end and arranged in parallel to the continuous throughflow path for supplying the bolus dose of fluid, wherein the bolus flow path is provided with a bolus reservoir for storing the bolus dose and a manually adjustable throughflow contro, adjustable by an operating person, which is designed for manual adjustment of a flow rate, wherein the manually adjustable throughflow control is arranged in the bolus flow path parallel to the bolus reservoir.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. Device for administering fluid to a patient comprising: a fluid source configured to provide fluid; a patient end adapted to be connected to a patient; a continuous throughflow path connecting the fluid source and the patient end for continuously supplying fluid from the fluid source to the patient end; a bolus flow path connected to the fluid source and to the patient end and arranged in parallel to the continuous throughflow path for supplying a bolus dose of fluid, wherein the bolus flow path is provided with a bolus reservoir for storing the bolus dose; and a manually adjustable throughflow controller, adjustable by an operator, which is configured for manual adjustment of a flow rate, the manually adjustable throughflow controller arranged in the bolus flow path parallel to the bolus reservoir.

14. Device of claim 13, wherein the manually adjustable throughflow controller is not arranged in the continuous throughflow path.

15. Device of claim 13, wherein the bolus flow path has two parallel partial paths, the bolus reservoir being connected only to the first partial path and the manually adjustable throughflow controller being connected only to the second partial path.

16. Device of claim 13, wherein the fluid source comprises a fluid delivery pump.

17. Device of claim 13, wherein the continuous throughflow path comprises a flow limiter.

18. Device of claim 13, wherein the continuous throughflow path and the bolus flow path are connected with the fluid source via at least one of a common inlet path or the patient end via a common outlet path.

19. Device of the claim 18, wherein at least one of the inlet path or the outlet path comprise a flow indicator to indicate a flow through at least one of the inlet path or the outlet path.

20. Device of claim 13, wherein the flow rate through the continuous throughflow path is predefined and cannot be varied manually.

21. Device of claim 13, wherein the flow rate through the continuous throughflow path is in a range from 0.1 ml/h to 2 ml/h.

22. Device of claim 13, wherein the manually adjustable throughflow controller allows adjustment of the flow rate in a range from 0 ml/h to 14 ml/h.

23. Device of claim 13, wherein the bolus flow path comprises a flow limiter to predefine a time for filling the bolus reservoir.

24. Device of claim 13, wherein the bolus reservoir has an actuation element for triggering a bolus and a lock preventing the actuation of the actuation element, said lock configured to be released after a predefined amount of fluid has flown into the bolus reservoir.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0021] The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The fluid source 12 is a fluid delivery pump and is connected in a fluid-conducting manner with the continuous throughflow path 16 and the bolus flow path 18 via an inlet path. The continuous throughflow path 16 and the bolus path 18 branch from the inlet path as separate flow paths. The continuous throughflow path 16 and the bolus flow path 18 are arranged in parallel with each other with respect to the fluid source 12 and the patient end 14.

[0024] The continuous throughflow path 16 is provided with a flow throttle 24 that predefines the flow rate of the continuous throughflow path 16. The flow rate through the continuous throughflow path 16 is not variable. The continuous throughflow path includes a pressure relief valve 34 discharging an overpressure in the system into a collecting reservoir 36.

[0025] The bolus flow path 18 has two partial paths 18a, 18b arranged in parallel with each other. The bolus reservoir 20 branches from the first partial path 18a. The bolus reservoir 20 is a fluid reservoir for holding a bolus dose of fluid that may be administered to the patient in a pulse-like manner. The fluid typically is an analgesic. It is known in patient controlled analgesia (PCA) that a patient can himself trigger the delivery of a bolus by actuation of a corresponding actuation element (switch). In this regard it is also known that, after a bolus has been triggered, the interval for a delivery of another bolus is predefined. Thereby, overdosing is avoided. For this purpose, a flow limiter is provided in the partial path 18a that defines the time required to fill the bolus reservoir 20 with fluid. The bolus reservoir 20 is designed to be able to trigger a bolus only when the reservoir 20 is filled to a certain degree.

[0026] A manually adjustable throughflow controller 22 is provided in the second partial path 18b of the bolus path 18. However, the continuous throughflow path 16 is not provided with a manually adjustable throughflow controller. The manually adjustable throughflow controller 22 is designed to set a follow rate in a range from 0 ml/h and 14 ml/h.

[0027] The two partial paths 18a, 18b open into a common line of the bolus flow path 18. The continuous throughflow path 16 and the bolus flow 18 open into a common outlet path 28 that is connected with the patient end 14 in a fluid-conducting manner. A fluid indicator 32 is provided in the outlet path 28. The fluid indicator 32 visually indicates whether fluid flows through the outlet path 28.