U.S. patent application number 15/962232 was filed with the patent office on 2018-11-01 for dose request systems and methods.
The applicant listed for this patent is Smiths Medical ASD, Inc.. Invention is credited to Grant Adams, Larry Zalesky.
Application Number | 20180311433 15/962232 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55163558 |
Filed Date | 2018-11-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180311433 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Adams; Grant ; et
al. |
November 1, 2018 |
DOSE REQUEST SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Abstract
A dose request device for a medicament delivery device can
include a housing, a dose request button, a short-range non-contact
identifier, a communication interface configured to communicate
with the medicament delivery device, and a controller. The
short-range non-contact identifier can be configured to be capable
of reading an identification code from a tag when the tag is
disposed within a first range and not to be able to read the
identification code from the tag when the tag is disposed beyond a
second range. The controller can be configured and programmed to
determine whether the identification code read by the short-range
non-contact identifier matches any authorized identification code
of a set of one or more authorized identification codes, and if so,
and if the dose request button is pressed, the controller can then
communicate a dose request to the medicament delivery device via
the communication interface.
Inventors: |
Adams; Grant; (Anoka,
MN) ; Zalesky; Larry; (Shoreview, MN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. |
Plymouth |
MN |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
55163558 |
Appl. No.: |
15/962232 |
Filed: |
April 25, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15327859 |
Jan 20, 2017 |
9974900 |
|
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PCT/US2015/040527 |
Jul 15, 2015 |
|
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15962232 |
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62026855 |
Jul 21, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M 2205/8206 20130101;
G16H 20/13 20180101; A61M 2205/6054 20130101; G06F 19/3462
20130101; G06F 19/00 20130101; A61M 2205/52 20130101; A61M
2205/6009 20130101; G16H 40/67 20180101; A61M 2205/502 20130101;
A61M 2205/50 20130101; G06F 19/3468 20130101; A61M 2209/01
20130101; A61M 2005/1405 20130101; G16H 20/17 20180101; A61M 5/142
20130101; A61M 2205/3569 20130101; A61M 2205/3584 20130101; H04W
4/80 20180201 |
International
Class: |
A61M 5/142 20060101
A61M005/142; G16H 40/67 20180101 G16H040/67; G16H 20/13 20180101
G16H020/13; G16H 20/17 20180101 G16H020/17; G06F 19/00 20180101
G06F019/00 |
Claims
1-26. (canceled)
27. A medicament delivery system configured to alert a caregiver to
the occurrence of an unauthorized dose request, thereby alerting
the caregiver to possible misuse, abuse and/or drug theft, the
medicament delivery system comprising: a medicament delivery device
configured to selectively deliver one or more of doses of a
medicament to a patient; an information system accessible by the
caregiver; and a dose request device including-- a dose request
button configured to accept a medicament dose request from a user;
a non-contact identifier configured to identify whether the user is
an authorized or unauthorized user of the dose request device; a
controller communicatively coupled with the non-contact identifier,
the controller including a memory configured to log medicament dose
requests, along with, for each medicament dose request, whether the
user is an authorized or unauthorized user of the dose request
device; and a communication interface communicatively coupled with
the medicament delivery device and the information system, wherein
the dose request device is configured to communicate logged
medicament dose requests by an unauthorized user to the information
system.
28. The medicament delivery system of claim 27, wherein the
information system is configured to push an alert to the
caregiver.
29. The medicament delivery system of claim 27, wherein the
medicament delivery device is a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)
pump.
30. The medicament delivery system of claim 27, wherein
communicative coupling between the communication interface of the
dose request device and information system is wireless.
31. The medicament delivery system of claim 27, wherein the
information system is at least one of a Electronic Medical Record
(EMR) system or an electronic Hospital Information System
(HIS).
32. The medicament delivery system of claim 27, wherein the
information system includes one of a personal computer, Personal
Digital Assistant (PDA), computing tablet, smartphone, or a
combination thereof.
33. The medicament delivery system of claim 27, wherein the
medicament delivery device includes a touch-screen display.
34. The medicament delivery system of claim 27, wherein
communicative coupling between the communication interface of the
dose request device and medicament delivery device is wireless.
35. The medicament delivery system of claim 27, wherein the
non-contact identifier is one of a radio-frequency identification
(RFID) reader, a near-field communications (NFC) reader, a barcode
reader, a QR code reader, optics configured to obtain an image for
at least one of facial, iris, or fingerprint recognition, or a
combination thereof.
36. The medicament delivery system of claim 27, wherein the dose
request device is shaped to encourage a user to hold the dose
request device in a particular orientation, thereby advantageously
positioning the non-contact identifier relative to the user.
37. A dose request device configured to alert a caregiver to the
occurrence of an unauthorized dose request, the dose request device
comprising: a dose request button configured to accept a medicament
dose request from a user; a non-contact identifier configured to
identify whether the user is an authorized or unauthorized user of
the dose request device; a controller communicatively coupled with
the non-contact identifier, the controller including a memory
configured to log medicament dose requests, along with, for each
medicament dose request, whether the user is an authorized or
unauthorized user of the dose request device; and a communication
interface communicatively coupled with an information system,
wherein the dose request device is configured to communicate logged
medicament dose requests by an unauthorized user to the information
system.
38. The medicament delivery system of claim 37, wherein
communicative coupling between the communication interface of the
dose request device and information system is wireless.
39. The medicament delivery system of claim 37, wherein the
information system is at least one of a Electronic Medical Record
(EMR) system or an electronic Hospital Information System
(HIS).
40. The medicament delivery system of claim 37, wherein the
medicament delivery device includes a touch-screen display.
41. The medicament delivery system of claim 37, wherein the
non-contact identifier is one of a radio-frequency identification
(RFID) reader, a near-field communications (NFC) reader, a barcode
reader, a QR code reader, optics configured to obtain an image for
at least one of facial, iris, or fingerprint recognition, or a
combination thereof.
42. The medicament delivery system of claim 37, wherein the dose
request device is shaped to encourage a user to hold the dose
request device in a particular orientation, thereby advantageously
positioning the non-contact identifier relative to the user.
43. A method of alerting a caregiver to the occurrence of an
unauthorized dose request, the method comprising: accepting a
medicament dose request from a user via a dose request device;
identify whether the user is an authorized or unauthorized user of
the dose request device via a non-contact identifier; logging the
medicament dose request, logging whether the user is an authorized
or unauthorized user of the dose request device, for each logged
medicament dose request; communicating a logged medicament dose
request by an unauthorized user to an information system, thereby
alerting a caregiver to possible misuse, abuse and/or drug
theft.
44. The method of claim 43, further comprising pushing an alert to
a caregiver.
45. The method of claim 43, wherein the dose request device is
operably coupled to a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump.
46. The method of claim 43, wherein the non-contact identifier is
one of a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, a near-field
communications (NFC) reader, a barcode reader, a QR code reader,
optics configured to obtain an image for at least one of facial,
iris, or fingerprint recognition, or a combination thereof.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
15/327,859 filed Jan. 20, 2017, which is a National Phase entry of
PCT Application No. PCT/US2015/040527 filed Jul. 15, 2015, which
claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/026,855
filed Jul. 21, 2014, each of which is hereby fully incorporated
herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This disclosure relates to medicament delivery, and more
particularly, to systems and methods for requesting doses of a
medicament.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A variety of medical devices for medicament delivery are
known. Such devices may be categorized according to how
administration of a medicament is controlled: self-administered by
the patient, by machine control programmed by a care provider, or
by some combination--for example, administered by machine upon
demand by a patient, in some cases subject to limits established by
a care provider. Such administration by patient demand may be
provided by so-called patient-controlled analgesia, or "PCA,"
systems. In the context of this disclosure, PCA may also refer to
patient-controlled administration of non-analgesic medication
delivery.
[0004] PCA infusion pumps have demonstrated their usefulness over a
number of years. PCA pumps are typically designed to permit a
patient to safely self-medicate with pain medications. Under the
care of a healthcare practitioner, a patient using a PCA pump may
receive a dose of medication by activating a control on or
connected to the pump such as a push-button dose request switch.
Such activation on demand by the patient may start a pumping
mechanism in the PCA pump that delivers, for example, a measured
dose of a fluidic drug (e.g., a liquid narcotic medication) to the
patient via an intravenous or other fluid line within an allowable
time interval. If a PCA command is activated during a time interval
in which an allowable dose has already been administered, the
delivery of a subsequent dose may be "locked out" until an
appropriate time interval has passed, thereby safely preventing the
patient from taking more than a maximum allowable dose of
medication during a time interval. PCA pumps may provide other
safety features to patients individually or in various
combinations, such as, for example, enforcing maximum numbers of
self-administered doses over programmable time periods and
enforcing maximum amounts of medicaments delivered over
programmable time periods. PCA pumps may also provide other
functions, such as recording and reporting the volume of the
medicament delivered over selected time intervals.
[0005] Recently, additional modes of patient-controlled medication
delivery have been proposed or made available. For example, WO
2013/158712, "Medication Dispensers," describes a medication
dispenser configured for dispensing substantially solid medication
in response to activation of a medication dose request device.
Solid medication PCA dispensers may share some characteristics with
PCA infusion pumps, but may also present new challenges for
medication management.
[0006] In view of the increasing prevalence of patient controlled
analgesia, as well as the increasing diversity of on-demand
medication dispensing or delivery systems, there is a need to
improve PCA systems to result in appropriate delivery of
medications to patients.
SUMMARY
[0007] This disclosure relates to medicament delivery, and more
particularly, to systems and methods for requesting doses of
medicaments.
[0008] In an illustrative but non-limiting example, the disclosure
provides a dose request device for a medicament delivery device
that can include a housing, a dose request button associated with
the housing, a short-range non-contact identifier associated with
the housing, a communication interface configured to communicate
with the medicament delivery device, and a controller operatively
coupled to the dose request button, the short-range non-contact
identifier, and the communication interface. The short-range
non-contact identifier can be configured to be capable of reading
an identification code from a tag when the tag is disposed within a
first range and not to be able to read the identification code from
the tag when the tag is disposed beyond a second range. In some
cases, the second range can be about 15 cm. The controller can be
configured and programmed to determine whether the identification
code read by the short-range non-contact identifier matches any
authorized identification code of a set of one or more authorized
identification codes, and if the identification code read by the
short-range non-contact identifier matches any authorized
identification code of the set of one or more authorized
identification codes, and if the dose request button is pressed,
communicate a dose request to the medicament delivery device via
the communication interface.
[0009] In some cases, when the controller communicates the dose
request to the medicament delivery device, the controller also
communicates that the dose request is an authorized dose request.
In some cases, when the controller communicates the dose request to
the medicament delivery device, the controller also communicates
the identification code read by the short-range non-contact
identifier to the medicament delivery device.
[0010] In some examples, the controller can be configured and
programmed to, if the identification code read by the short-range
non-contact identifier does not match any authorized identification
code of the set of authorized identification codes, and if the dose
request button is pressed, not communicate the dose request to the
medicament delivery device via the communication interface. In some
other examples, under such conditions, the controller can be
configured and programmed to communicate a non-authorized dose
request to the medicament delivery device via the communication
interface. Additionally, the controller can be configured and
programmed to communicate a non-authorized dose request to the
medicament delivery device along with the identification code read
by the short-range non-contact identifier.
[0011] In some examples, the controller can be configured and
programmed to, if the short-range non-contact identifier fails to
read an identification code, and if the dose request button is
pressed, not communicate the dose request to the medicament
delivery device via the communication interface. In some other
examples, under such conditions, the controller can be configured
and programmed to communicate a non-authorized dose request to the
medicament delivery device via the communication interface. In some
other examples, under such conditions, the controller can be
configured and programmed to communicate a non-identified dose
request to the medicament delivery device via the communication
interface.
[0012] In some examples, the communication interface can be
configured to communicate with the medicament delivery device via a
wired connection. In some examples, the communication interface can
be configured to communicate with the medicament delivery device
via a wireless connection.
[0013] In some cases, the short-range non-contact identifier is an
RFID device, and the tag is an RFID tag.
[0014] In some examples, the controller can be configured and
programmed to command the short-range non-contact identifier to
attempt to read the identification code from the tag when the dose
request button is pressed. Optionally, the controller can be
configured and programmed to command the short-range non-contact
identifier to attempt to read the identification code from the tag
when the dose request button is pressed only if a time interval
since a most recent preceding match of an authorized identification
code exceeds a predetermined time interval. In some examples, the
short-range non-contact identifier can be configured to
periodically attempt to read the identification code from the tag,
either under command from the controller, or independently of the
controller.
[0015] The dose request device can include a memory operatively
coupled to the controller. In some cases, the controller can be
configured and programmed to store in the memory a log of presses
of the dose request button along with, for each of the presses, a
corresponding identification code or a lack of identification
code.
[0016] The dose request device can include an indicator disposed
with the housing that communicates an identification and/or dose
request status.
[0017] In some examples, the dose request does not identify a type
of medicament requested.
[0018] In another illustrative but non-limiting example, the
disclosure provides a medicament delivery system that includes a
medicament delivery device and a dose request device. The
medicament delivery device can include a container configured to
house a plurality of doses of a medicament, a controller configured
to command release of a dose of the medicament upon receipt of a
dose request if dose release criteria are satisfied, and a
communication interface operatively coupled to the controller. The
communication interface can be configured to receive a dose request
from external the medicament delivery device and relate the dose
request to the controller. The dose request device can include a
housing, a dose request button disposed with the housing, a
short-range non-contact identifier associated with the housing, a
communication interface configured to communicate with the
medicament delivery device, and a controller operatively coupled to
the dose request button and the short-range non-contact identifier.
The short-range non-contact identifier can be configured to be
capable of reading an identification code from a tag when the tag
is disposed within a first range and not being able to read the
identification code from the tag when the tag is disposed beyond a
second range. The controller can be configured and programmed to
determine whether the identification code read by the short-range
non-contact identifier matches any authorized identification code
of a set of one or more authorized identification codes, if the
identification code read by the short-range non-contact identifier
matches any authorized identification code of the set of one or
more authorized identification codes, and if the dose request
button is pressed, communicate a dose request to the medicament
delivery device via the communication interface.
[0019] In some examples, the medicament delivery device of the
medicament delivery system can be configured to house and release
only a single variety of medicament. In some examples, the
medicament delivery device includes an infusion pump. In some
examples of the medicament delivery system, the dose of the
medicament is provided in an orally-ingestible solid.
[0020] In yet another illustrative but non-limiting example, the
disclosure provides a method of providing a substance from a
medicament delivery device. The medicament delivery device can be
communicatively coupled to a dose request device. The dose request
device can include a housing, a dose request button disposed with
the housing, a short-range non-contact identifier associated with
the housing, a communication interface configured to communicate
with the medicament delivery device, and a controller. The method
can include (without a particular temporal sequence necessarily
being implied by the following order of description): the
short-range non-contact identifier attempting to read an
identification code from a tag, where the short-range non-contact
identifier can be configured to be capable of reading
identification codes from tags disposed within a first range and
not being able to read identification codes from tags disposed
beyond a second range; the controller determining whether the
identification code read by the short-range non-contact identifier
matches any authorized identification code of a set of one or more
authorized identification codes; the controller, if the dose
request button is pressed and if the identification code read by
the short-range non-contact identifier matches any authorized
identification code of the set of one or more authorized
identification codes, communicating a dose request to the
medicament delivery device via the communication interface; and the
medicament delivery device delivering a dose of the substance after
receiving the dose request from the communication interface of the
remote dose apparatus. The method can further include the
medicament delivery device subsequently delivering another dose of
the substance after receiving another dose request from the
communication interface of the dose request device.
[0021] The above summary is not intended to describe each and every
example or every implementation of the disclosure. The Description
that follows more particularly exemplifies various illustrative
embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0022] The following description should be read with reference to
the drawings. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale,
depict several examples and are not intended to limit the scope of
the disclosure. The disclosure may be more completely understood in
consideration of the following description with respect to various
examples in connection with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an example of a
medicament delivery system;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an example
medicament delivery device that illustrates some of the features of
the system of FIG. 1;
[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an example of a
dose request device configured to operate in conjunction with a
medicament delivery device; and
[0026] FIG. 4 is a schematic flow diagram of a method of providing
a medicament from a medicament delivery device.
DESCRIPTION
[0027] The following description should be read with reference to
the drawings, in which like elements in different drawings may be
numbered in like fashion. The drawings, which are not necessarily
to scale, depict selected examples and are not intended to limit
the scope of the disclosure. Although examples of construction,
dimensions, and materials may be illustrated for the various
elements, those skilled in the art will recognize that many of the
examples provided have suitable alternatives that may be
utilized.
[0028] With the use of PCA come attendant risks of misuse, mal-use,
abuse, and drug theft. In many or most implementations of PCA, drug
delivery may take place without the presence and/or direct
observation of a responsible medical professional. A patient may be
provided with a PCA medicament delivery device in a relatively
uncontrolled area of a hospital or other healthcare site where they
may be visited by friends, relatives, and others. In some cases,
patients may use PCA devices at home or other settings, such as a
hospice facility. Inappropriate use of a PCA medicament delivery
device may occur in a number of ways. In some cases, a
well-intentioned but perhaps uninformed relative or friend may
attempt to utilize a PCA request device on behalf of or as a proxy
for the patient, such as for example when the patient is sleeping
or unconscious. Such "PCA by proxy" actions can lead to significant
injury to the patient, or even death. In other cases, unauthorized
actuation of PCA mechanisms may be used to steal or otherwise
misappropriate drugs such as narcotics. While a PCA infusion pump
generally entails a physical connection between the patient and the
pump via an medication delivery tubing set, other PCA delivery
modes such as solid medication delivery devices may operate outside
this physical connection and association that nominally would have
existed between patient and PCA device, creating new avenues for
misdirection of drugs to other than the medically-intended
recipient. Other scenarios are also contemplated in which an
unauthorized individual attempts to actuate a PCA dosing mechanism,
consciously or not, and with or without malicious intent.
[0029] The present disclosure provides dose request devices,
systems, mechanisms, and methods that identify (or attempt to
identify) a user who requests a dose. With correlated
identification and dose request information, a medicament delivery
device can be controlled such that a dose may be provided only when
an authorized/authenticated user is identified as having made the
request, reducing the possibility of delivering drugs
inappropriately.
[0030] Within the scope of this disclosure, "medicament delivery
device" may refer to an apparatus configured to deliver to an
individual a medicament, which can be any fluid, solid, or other
substance prescribed: to cure or treat symptoms of an illness or
medical condition; as a preventative measure; or to otherwise
enhance physical or mental well-being.
[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an example of a
medicament delivery system 100 that includes a medicament delivery
device having a control module 102 and an optional cassette 104.
Cassette 104 can be a replaceable container configured to house and
deliver a plurality of doses of a medicament under the control of
control module 102. Various implementations of cassette 104 can
store and deliver medicaments in any suitable form. For example,
some examples of cassette 104 can include a reservoir configured to
store a liquid infusate that can be delivered to a patient through
an infusion set or catheter (not shown). In other examples, a
cassette 104 can include a dispensing device configured to dispense
substantially solid medication (for example, orally-ingestible
solids), as described, for example, in PCT Publication WO
2013/158712, "Medication Dispensers." In another example,
replaceable cassette 104 can include a dispensing device configured
to dispense medication in an inhalable form under the control of
control module 102. In some examples, cassette 104 can be
configured to deliver multiple separate doses of substantially the
same medicament with each dose. In some examples, cassette 104 can
be configured to house and dispense only a single type of
medicament.
[0032] Some examples of individual cassettes can enclose a supply,
reservoir, magazine, or other storage space that can hold an
entirety of the quantity of medication or substance that the
individual cassette may be configured to dispense. Some examples of
other cassettes can be configured to dispense medication or
substances drawn from a non-enclosed supply or reservoir such as an
external conventional IV (intra-venous) bag. It may be appreciated
that aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced with a
medicament delivery device that includes a control module 102 and
any suitable cassette 104, where the cassette can be configured to
dispense any suitable medication under the control of the control
module. In some examples, a syringe infusion pump may be considered
to be a control module and a syringe operable with the syringe
infusion pump may be considered to be a cassette or replaceable
container.
[0033] In some examples, aspects of the present disclosure may be
practiced with a medicament delivery device that includes a control
module, but without a replaceable or detachable cassette. For
example, a medicament delivery device control module could deliver
a substance from a non-removable/replaceable enclosed storage
volume, or could deliver a substance drawn from a non-enclosed
supply or reservoir such as an IV bag, without the need of a
removable/replaceable cassette or cassette-like component. In some
examples, the medicament delivery device can be configured to house
and release only a single variety of medicament.
[0034] Medicament delivery system 100 can be communicatively
coupled to an information system 105, which can be an electronic
medical record ("EMR") system, an electronic Hospital Information
System ("HIS"), or another appropriate computing system, via any
appropriate communication link 107, which can be wired or wireless.
Any appropriate information can be transferred between control
module 102 and the information system 105 via the communication
link 107.
[0035] The control module 102 can include a controller (not shown)
configured to command release of a dose of medicament (from
cassette 104 or via other mechanism) upon receipt of a dose
request, as further described elsewhere herein, if dose release
criteria are satisfied. Control module 102 also can include a
communication interface (not shown) operatively coupled to the
controller. The communication interface of control module 102 can
be configured to receive a dose request externally from the
medicament delivery device and relate the dose request to the
controller.
[0036] Medicament delivery system 100 can include a dose request
device 150, which can be a novel dose request device of the present
disclosure described in further detail herein. Dose request device
150 can be communicatively coupled to control module 102 (via, for
example, the communication interface of the control module) via any
appropriate communication link 152, which can be wired or wireless.
Dose request device 150 can be configured to accept input from a
patient in PCA fashion or other authorized individual and relay a
request for a dose of medication to control module 102. In some
examples, a request for a dose of medication can be communicated to
a control module 102 from a dose request device 150 by way of a
dose request device jack 118 of the control module. Some known dose
request devices may be referred-to as remote dose cords ("RDC"s),
with a corresponding dose request device jack being referred-to as
a remote dose cord jack. It is to be understood that a remote dose
"cord" may refer to a remote dose request device that includes both
a cable and an attached handheld unit such as device 150.
[0037] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an example
medicament delivery device 200 that exhibits at least some of the
features of the medicament delivery device of system 100 of FIG. 1.
Medicament delivery device 200 includes a control module 202 and an
optional cassette 204. Medicament delivery device 200 may be a
CADD.RTM. (Computerized Ambulatory Drug Delivery) device from
Smiths Medical ASD, Inc., although the teachings of the present
disclosure are not limited to CADD.RTM. devices and may be
practiced with any suitable medicament delivery device.
[0038] Control module 202 of medicament delivery device 200 can
include a user interface having a display screen 206 and a control
pad 208 (buttons, etc., of the control pad are not illustrated).
Control module 202 can also include a battery door 210, including a
knob 212 for locking and unlocking the door 210, which can cover a
battery compartment in which batteries for internally powering the
medicament delivery device 200 can be housed. In some examples, a
combination battery and wireless communication module can be
present approximately where battery door 210 is illustrated.
Control module 202 can also include any of the following
components: a power switch (not visible); an input/output port 214
such as a USB port or other appropriate interface for connecting
the control module to a computer having software designed to
interface with the control module; a power jack 216 for connecting
a power cord for externally powering device 200; and a remote dose
cord jack 218, as aforementioned, for connecting a dose request
device that provides a way to activate doses of patient-controlled
analgesia/administration (PCA) from device 200.
[0039] Medicament delivery device 200 can include a replaceable
cassette 204 that is a reservoir cassette housing a reservoir
containing medication to be delivered to a patient. Tubing 220 can
extend from the cassette 204 and communicate with an infusion set
or catheter (not shown) to deliver the medication to the patient.
The control module 202 can be used to control the flow of
medication from the cassette. One example of such a cassette is the
CADD.RTM. Medication Cassette Reservoir from Smiths Medical ASD,
Inc., though other cassettes can be used in other examples. Control
module 202 in conjunction with a replaceable cassette 204 that is a
reservoir cassette can constitute major components of a medicament
delivery system. Aspects of the present disclosure can be practiced
with infusion pumps like or similar to the illustrated example of
delivery device 200 of FIG. 2, and more generally with the example
of delivery system 100 of FIG. 1.
[0040] The present disclosure describes dose request devices that
can be configured to communicate with the delivery device of
medicament delivery system 100 via dose request device jack 118 of
control module 102, a more particular example of which is remote
dose cord jack 218 of medicament delivery device 200. However,
system 100 and device 200 are not limited to dose request devices
that communicate via a jack such as jacks 118 and 218, nor are they
limited to dose request devices configured for use with delivery
devices such as the device of medicament delivery system 100 of
FIG. 1 or medicament delivery device 200 of FIG. 2. Dose request
devices incorporating aspects of the present disclosure can be
used, for example, with infusion pumps or other medicament delivery
devices that do not employ cassettes. Dose request devices having
features of the present disclosure can be used with any suitable
medicament delivery device.
[0041] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an illustrative
dose request device 300 configured to operate in conjunction with a
medicament delivery device. Dose request device 300 can be used in
any suitable medicament delivery system. For example, dose request
device 300 can be used as dose request device 150 of delivery
system 100 of FIG. 1, or can be coupled to delivery device 200 of
FIG. 2, for example, via remote dose cord jack 218. In FIG. 3, dose
request device 300 is illustrated in relation to a human hand 400
and arm 402. While FIG. 3 illustrates a particular physical form
for a dose request device 300, this is merely by way of example,
and dose request devices of the present disclosure can take any
suitable physical form.
[0042] Dose request device 300 can include a housing 302 and a dose
request button 304 disposed in or on the housing. Dose request
device 300 can include a short-range non-contact identifier 306
associated with the housing. Dose request device 300 can also
include a communication interface 308 configured to communicate
with a medicament delivery device, such as by communicating to
control module 102, and a controller 310 operatively coupled to the
dose request button 304, the short-range non-contact identifier
306, and the communication interface 308. Various features of dose
request device 300 are shown schematically in phantom lines,
indicating that they may not be visible from outside of housing
302. Various features are illustrated as being linked by dotted
lines, which schematically indicate operative couplings between
said features. The operative couplings indicated by the dotted
lines should not be considered limiting, and any appropriate
operative couplings between features/components may exist. For
example, while FIG. 3 may topologically appear to illustrate
controller 310 as being operatively coupled to short-range
non-contact identifier 306 through communication interface 308,
this is merely for convenience of illustration, and controller 310
and identifier 306 can be coupled directly, or through a bus, etc.,
potentially bypassing interface 308.
[0043] Dose request device 300 can be a distinct device separate
from a medicament delivery device with which it may be associated.
Housing 302 of dose request device 300 can be distinct and separate
from any housing of a medicament delivery device with which it may
be associated. While dose request device 300 and a medicament
delivery device can be physically connected by one or more cables,
tethers, and the like, such connections may be selectively
breakable. In some other instances, a dose request device or
mechanism could be physically integrated with a medicament delivery
device such that it cannot be readily separated from the medicament
delivery device. Such an integrated dose request device/mechanism
could otherwise be configured with the same features of any dose
request device of the present disclosure.
[0044] Dose request button 304 can be any suitable button or
device, sensor, or user input mechanism capable of detecting or
sensing a press, touch, squeeze, or any other suitable activation
motion or intentional manipulation, pressure, or indication. Any
suitable technology can be employed for button 304. Button 304 can,
for example, be a mechanical switch such as a domed membrane
switch, or a touch sensor relying upon capacitance, resistance, or
other physical principle. Dose request button 304 can have a fixed
location relative to housing 302 of dose request device 300, but
this is not limiting, and it can, for example, be a virtual button
(such as on a touch-screen) with a changeable location. In some
examples, dose request button 304 can be an unconventional button
that may be "pressed" or otherwise actuated in any suitable manner.
For example, the dose request button 304 could be implemented with
a camera and suitable image processing, and "pressing" the button
could be accomplished by a user executing a particular body motion,
or by looking at a particular location in space or with a
particular gaze pattern, or by any other suitable detectable
intentional action of the user. In the present disclosure, a
"press" of a dose request "button" may describe any intentional
actuation of a dose request input mechanism by a user. In some
examples, dose request button 304 can share hardware (such as, for
example, a camera) with other components (such as, for example,
short-range non-contact identifier 306) of dose request device
300.
[0045] Communication interface 308 can be structured and configured
to communicate with a medicament delivery device in any suitable
manner. Any suitable communication protocol can be used to
communicate from dose request device 300 to a medicament delivery
device. Wired and/or wireless connections can be employed by the
communication interface 308. In some examples, communication
interface 308 can include a cable 312 configured to mate with dose
request device jack 118/218 of control module 102/202.
[0046] In some examples, a known dose request device jack presents
a plurality of conductors to a known dose request device or known
remote dose cord. A dose request button of such a known dose
request device can include a single pole double throw (SPDT) switch
having a common input line and first and second output signal
lines. The SPDT switch can be configured as normally-closed for the
first output signal line and normally-open for the second output
signal line. Electrical power can be supplied from a control module
to the known dose request device via the normally-closed first
output signal line. In circumstances when the second output signal
line is closed, power could be supplied via that route. Depression
or actuation of the dose request button of the known dose request
device can, in normal operation, reverse the states of the first
and second output signal lines. This multiple output line
arrangement can provide a measure of redundancy to prevent failure
of a single output line from signaling an undesired dose request.
Some examples of novel dose request devices of the present
disclosure can be configured to interface with such a known dose
request device jack that is configured to interface with known dose
request devices. In such cases, the novel dose request devices of
the present disclosure can substantially present to the known dose
request device jack signals that emulate, from the perspective of
the known dose request device jack, signals that would be presented
by a known dose request device. Such backward-compatible novel dose
request devices can thus advantageously provide new functionality
to known medicament delivery devices without requiring modification
of the known delivery devices.
[0047] Communication interface 308 can be configured to communicate
with a medicament delivery device using a protocol that allows
transmission of extended information beyond the simple button
depressed/not depressed ("BD/ND") information of known dose request
devices. Transmission of information, whether extended or simple,
can involve one or more known standard
technologies/architectures/protocols/etc., such as USB, TCP/IP,
Ethernet, RS-232, WiFi, ZigBee, Bluetooth, NFC, IrDA, ANT, etc.,
and/or it can involve one or more novel and/or proprietary
communication protocols. A communication port 318 can be
operatively coupled to communication interface 308 of dose request
device 300.
[0048] In some instances, it is contemplated that communication
interfaces of backward-compatible novel dose request devices can be
configured to transmit extended information via conductors that can
interface to the conductors of a known dose request device jack.
For example, extended information could be transmitted on an
information signal overlaid upon the electrical power provided over
a normally-closed first output signal line. In another example,
information could be transmitted over the normally-open second
output signal line. Such information transmission over the second
output signal line could be performed when the second signal line
is closed, as it nominally would be when indicating "button
depressed" in the BD/ND protocol. Information could also be
transmitted over the normally-open second output signal line when
the second signal line is nominally open, by closing the second
output line in a modulated manner that would not be interpreted by
a known medicament delivery device as indicating "button depressed"
in the BD/ND protocol (for example, while the normally-closed first
signal line remains closed). Extended information in such cases can
be receivable and usable by novel medicament delivery devices,
whereas known delivery devices that are not configured to receive
such information can simply function with the backward-compatible
normally-closed/open switch logic also provided by the novel dose
request device. In some other examples, a communication interface
308 of a novel dose request device can be configured to communicate
via multiple communication channels. For example, a novel dose
request device can include a communication interface 308 that
provides simple BD/ND information via the protocol of a known dose
request device jack, and extended information via any other
suitable protocol/avenue. Any suitable communication interface and
communication protocol(s)/technologies can be used in dose request
devices of the present disclosure.
[0049] In some instances, a dose request device can include a
device or dongle that attaches to a known dose request device jack,
with the dongle providing at least part of a communication link
with a remote portion of the dose request device. For example, a
remote handheld portion of a dose request device can include at
least a housing 302, dose request button 304, short-range
non-contact identifier 306, and controller 310, and the
communication interface 308 can include a wireless link between the
remote handheld portion and the dongle, thereby providing a
wireless dose request device capability to a known medicament
delivery device having a wired known dose request device jack.
[0050] Communication interface 308 or another communication
interface of dose request device 300 can be configured to provide
communication between the dose request device 300 and other systems
and/or devices other than medicament delivery devices. For example,
communication interface 308 can provide communication (for example,
via communication port 318, or via a wireless communication link)
between the device and an EMR system and/or a computing device such
as a personal computer, PDA, computing tablet, smartphone, or any
other suitable device or information system. Dose request device
can include a port or other interface (in addition to or as an
alternative to port 318; not shown) to permit connection to or
insertion of a memory device such as a USB drive, flash memory card
such as any of the variants of SD (micro-, mini-, SDHC, SDXC,
etc.), or any other suitable device. Any appropriate information
may be transferred to or from the dose request device via these
mechanisms, for example, as discussed elsewhere herein.
[0051] The short-range non-contact identifier 306 can be any
suitable device employing any suitable technology. In some
examples, the short-range non-contact identifier 306 employs
radio-frequency identification (RFID) or near-field communication
(NFC) technology. In other examples, the short-range non-contact
identifier 306 can employ optics to read a barcode, QR code, or
other optical code, and/or obtain an image for facial, iris,
fingerprint, or other biometric recognition. The short-range
non-contact identifier 306 can be capable of reading an
identification code from a tag 404 when the tag is disposed within
a first range 406 and not being able to read the identification
code from the tag when the tag is disposed beyond a second range
408. When the short-range non-contact identifier 306 is an RFID
device, the tag 404 can be an RFID tag. In FIG. 3, the tag 404 is
illustrated as being integrated with a wristband 410, and is shown
in phantom lines, suggesting that the tag may not be readily
visible to an observer, though this is not required. A tag 404 that
is not apparent to an observer may be advantageous, for example, in
that both authorized and unauthorized users of the dose request
device 300 might be kept unaware of the identification and
authentication functionality of the dose request device, such that
they may be less able to deliberately thwart it. An RFID tag can be
disposed at or on an inner surface of a wristband, or entirely
within inner and outer layers of a wristband, obscuring it from
view. An optical code nominally can be visible, but could, by the
nature of the coding, not be obvious as a code--hidden in plain
sight, so to speak. Alternatively, an optical code could be written
with "invisible" infra-red markings.
[0052] With the tag 404 disposed on the user's wrist, and the dose
request device 300 held in the user's hand 400, the tag can be
disposed within both the first and the second ranges of the
short-range non-contact identifier 306. If the second range is
sufficiently limited, the probability of the short-range
non-contact identifier 306 reading an identification code from tag
that is not in a wristband worn by a user handling the dose request
device 300 can be decreased significantly. This may be desirable in
the interest of verifying (or at least increasing the likelihood)
that the person handling the dose request device 300 is an
authorized user. As such, the second range can have a value of
approximately 20 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm, 5 cm, or any other suitable
value.
[0053] In some examples, reading sensitivity of the short-range
non-contact identifier 306 can be anisotropic, being more sensitive
in some spatial directions than others. Appropriate orientation of
such a short-range non-contact identifier 306 can be used
advantageously to reduce the likelihood that a tag not disposed on
a user's wrist (or any other appropriate selected location) is
read. An antenna of an RFID reader, for example, can be configured
to be more sensitive in a given direction. A laser scanner, for
example, can be very precisely controlled with regard to direction
of operation. A camera generally can have a limited field-of-view,
which may establish directional sensitivity, and can feature focus
characteristics that can be exploited to control a range over which
it can identify a target. In the context of the present disclosure,
"range" may be understood to incorporate a directional aspect as
well as a distance aspect, and descriptions such as "within a first
range" may be further qualified by aspects such as "in a direction
of interest"; "in a hemisphere oriented in a direction of
interest", "in a pre-determined solid angle oriented in a direction
of interest" where the solid angle has a value such as 2.pi., .pi.,
.pi./2, or any other appropriate value. In some examples, the
ranges of "within a first range" and "beyond a second range" may be
described more precisely by the concepts of "within a first region"
and "outside a second region," where the second region can enclose
the first region.
[0054] The placement of the short-range non-contact identifier 306
relative to the housing 302 of dose request device 300 can be
selected to result generally in its placement a position close to a
user's wrist when the short-range non-contact identifier 306 is
held by the user in a standard or usual orientation. The shape of
the housing 302 and possibly other aspects of the short-range
non-contact identifier 306 can be selected to encourage a user to
hold it in a particular orientation (and discourage a user from
holding it in a less desirable orientation), which may in turn
result in an advantageous disposition of the short-range
non-contact identifier 306 relative to the user's wrist. Those of
skill in the art may readily contemplate such relatively ergonomic
shapes and arrangements, for example, a pistol grip, a joystick,
etc.
[0055] In some examples, a non-contact identifier 306 can operate
in conjunction with another non-contact identifier or another
identifier technology. For example, an RFID reader can read an RFID
tag and a camera can capture one or more images used to read a
barcode or perform facial and/or iris recognition. Correlated
identification matches can be interpreted as increased likelihood
that a correct identification of a user has been made. In another
example, a camera can capture an image upon which image analysis is
performed, for example, to establish that a wristband is disposed
on an arm of a user pressing a dose request button of a dose
request device. Such a scheme could substantially verify that a
RFID identification code read in conjunction is that of an RFID tag
disposed in the wristband on the user's wrist, which can also be
interpreted as increased likelihood that a correct identification
of a user has been made.
[0056] The controller 310 can be any suitable controller,
microcontroller, microprocessor, or the like. Controller 310 can
include or be operatively coupled to a memory 314 of the dose
request device 300. Memory 314 can be any suitable memory of any
suitable capacity, and can be a non-volatile memory such as flash,
EEPROM, and so on. Memory 314 can store any suitable information,
such as one or more authorized identification codes, activity logs,
executable code, operational parameters, and so on. Controller 310
of dose request device 300 can be configured and programmed to
execute, command, and/or perform any suitable actions, tasks,
steps, and/or methods for controlling the dose request device.
Other controllers or processors (not shown) can also be employed in
dose request device 300 (for example, short-range non-contact
identifier 306 and/or communication interface 308 can include one
or more dedicated processors). Regardless, these other controllers
or processors can be considered part of the controller or
microprocessor component 310 of FIG. 3.
[0057] In an example operation, the short-range non-contact
identifier 306 reads an identification code from a tag. The tag can
be a tag 404 integrated with a wristband 410 on a user's wrist, but
this is not necessary, and the tag may be provided separately from
a wristband. Controller 310 can be configured and programmed to
determine whether the identification code read by the short-range
non-contact identifier matches an authorized identification code of
a set of one or more authorized identification codes, which can be
any authorized identification code of the set. If the
identification code read by the short-range non-contact identifier
306 matches an authorized identification code, then if the dose
request button 304 is pressed, the controller 310 can communicate a
dose request to a corresponding medicament delivery device via the
communication interface 308.
[0058] The communication of the dose request to the medicament
delivery device can include different amounts of information in
various examples. In some examples, dose request device 300 is
connected to a known dose request device jack and can provide
simple BD/ND information. From the perspective of the receiving
medicament delivery device, the BD/ND information can be
indistinguishable from that provided by a known remote dose cord
that does not include any identification capability. In some other
examples, extended information can be communicated. In some
examples, when the controller 310 communicates the dose request to
the medicament delivery device, it can communicate that the dose
request is an authorized dose request, that is, a dose request
associated with a determination that an identification code read by
the short-range non-contact identifier 306 matches an authorized
identification code. (As discussed elsewhere herein, in some cases
non-authorized dose requests can be communicated when explicitly
identified as non-authorized dose requests.) In some examples, when
the controller 310 communicates the dose request to the medicament
delivery device, it can also communicate to the delivery device the
identification code that was read by the short-range non-contact
identifier.
[0059] In some examples, it is contemplated that a dose request
communicated by a dose request device 300 to a medicament delivery
device does not identify a particular or specific drug, infusate,
substance, or therapy that is being requested, but rather, simply
communicates that a dose is requested. Such a dose request may be
referred-to as a non-specific dose request or a binary dose
request.
[0060] The controller 310 of dose request device 306 can be
configured and programmed to respond to a variety of instances in
which an identification code read by the short-range non-contact
identifier 306 does not match any of a set of one or more
authorized identification codes. In some such examples, when the
dose request button 304 is pressed, the controller 310 does not
communicate the dose request to the medicament delivery device via
the communication interface 308. In cases in which a dose request
device 300 is connected to a known dose request device jack, this
means that BD/ND information in the form of "button not depressed"
would be read at the known dose request device jack when dose
request button 304 was pressed, but an identification code read by
the short-range non-contact identifier 306 did not match an
authorized identification code.
[0061] When extended information beyond BD/ND information can be
communicated by the communication interface 308 of the dose request
device 300, additional communication possibilities exist when an
identification code read by the short-range non-contact identifier
306 does not match any of a set of one or more authorized
identification codes and dose request button 304 is pressed. In
some examples, when the dose request button 304 is pressed, the
controller 310 can communicate a non-authorized dose request to the
medicament delivery device via the communication interface. The
delivery device can be configured and programmed to handle a
non-authorized dose request in any suitable manner. It can, for
example, maintain a log of non-authorized dose requests, and/or
alert a caregiver to their occurrences. In some other examples,
when the dose request button 304 is pressed, the controller 310 can
communicate a non-authorized dose request to the medicament
delivery device along with the identification code read by the
short-range non-contact identifier. The delivery device can be
configured and programmed to handle the non-authorized dose request
along with any associated identification code provided therewith in
any suitable manner.
[0062] In some cases, the dose request button 304 can be pressed,
but the short-range non-contact identifier 306 may fail (or may
have failed) to read any identification code at all. In some such
instances, the controller 310 can be configured not to communicate
the dose request to the medicament delivery device, or in other
instances, it can communicate a non-authorized dose request to the
delivery device. In yet other instances, it can communicate a
non-identified dose request to the delivery device, with these
possibilities communicated via the communication interface to the
medicament delivery device and/or one or more systems such as an
EMR or HIS system.
[0063] The short-range non-contact identifier 306 can read (or at
least attempt to read) a tag at any appropriate time, under any
appropriate circumstance. The controller 310 (which can be a
central controller, or can be a de-centralized controller, such as
a dedicated controller of the short-range non-contact identifier)
can be configured and programmed to command the short-range
non-contact identifier 306 to attempt to read the identification
code from a tag when the dose request button 304 is pressed,
meaning that the short-range non-contact identifier can be
commanded to attempt to read an identification code from a tag as a
consequence of the dose request button having been pressed,
generally as soon as practicable after the button is pressed. In
some examples, the controller 310 can be configured and programmed
to command the short-range non-contact identifier 306 to attempt to
read the identification code from a tag when the dose request
button 304 is pressed only if a time interval since a most recent
preceding match of an authorized identification code exceeds a
predetermined time interval. In some examples, the short-range
non-contact identifier is configured to periodically attempt to
read the identification code from the tag, either under command
from the controller, or independently of the controller. In some
examples, a match of a code read by the short-range non-contact
identifier 306 with an authorized identification code can be
considered to be valid for a pre-determined time interval. In some
such examples, if a match has been made and is still considered
valid (i.e., the pre-determined time interval has not expired),
then the controller 310 can be configured not to command the
short-range non-contact identifier 306 to attempt to read an
identification code regardless of other considerations such as
button presses. In some examples, the controller 310 can be
configured and programmed to command the short-range non-contact
identifier 306 not to attempt to read the identification code from
a tag when the dose request button is pressed excessively (for
example, at a frequency substantially exceeding a frequency at
which doses of a medicament might be delivered).
[0064] Dose request device 300 can include an indicator 316
disposed in or on housing 302 and operatively coupled to the
controller 310. The indicator 316 can be a visual indicator, an
audio indicator, a tactile indicator, or any other suitable
indicator or combination of indicators. Indicator 316 can
communicate any appropriate information, such as an identification
status (e.g., an icon or a color could indicate when an authorized
identification code has been read from a tag) and/or a dose request
status (e.g., a beep could indicate that a dose request has been
communicated, while a buzz could indicate that a button press did
not result in a dose request communication). These are just some
examples of ways in which an indicator could be incorporated with
device 300.
[0065] Dose request device 300 with a short range non-contact
identifier 306 can manage any related information in any suitable
manner. As disclosed elsewhere herein, a dose request device 300
can communicate BD/ND information and/or extended information to a
medicament delivery device that can include, without limitation,
whether a dose request is authorized or not-authorized, and an
identification code (authorized or not) associated with a dose
request. In some examples, a dose request device 300 can
communicate additional and/or other information to a medicament
delivery device, such as identification codes read by the
short-range non-contact identifier 306 (not all of which are
associated necessarily with dose requests), time stamps for dose
request button 304 presses and/or identification code readings, and
any other relevant information. Any suitable combination(s) of
information can be communicated. In some examples, controller 310
of dose request device 300 can be configured and programmed to
store in memory 314 a log of any relevant information, such as a
log of presses of the dose request button 304 along with, for each
of the presses, a corresponding identification code or a lack of
identification code, and/or any other relevant information. In
various examples, appropriate information can be logged in memory
314 and/or communicated essentially in real-time as it is generated
to a medicament delivery device and/or EMR or HIS system with which
dose request device 300 is associated. In some examples,
information can be communicated to a medicament delivery device
and/or EMR system upon the occurrence of one or more types of
events, such as button presses, attempts of the short range
non-contact identifier to read a tag, and the like. In some
examples, aggregated log information can be communicated to a
medicament delivery device and/or EMR system upon demand or
request, and/or according to a schedule.
[0066] Dose request device 300 can be configured to manage
identification codes in any suitable manner. A list or set of
authorized identification codes can be stored in and accessed from
memory 314. In some examples, authorized identification codes can
be stored in and accessed from an attached memory device such as a
flash memory device. Authorized identification codes can be
transferred to and/or from memory 314 from an operatively coupled
memory device and/or via data connection to an external computing
device or server such as an HIS or EMR system. In some examples,
controller 310 can be configured and programmed to record or remove
one or more authorized identification codes from memory 314 without
attaching or otherwise connecting thereto a memory device or
connecting to an external computing device. Any appropriate
programming mode can be employed. In some examples, pre-determined
sequences of presses of the dose request button 304 could be used
to enter programming commands. In some examples, the short-range
non-contact identifier 306 could read codes of one or more special
tags to enter, authorize, or authenticate programming commands. In
some examples, a dose request device 300 could employ a learning
mode in which the short-range non-contact identifier 306 could be
used to read an identification code from a tag, which could be
deemed an authorized identification code by merit of having been
read while in the learning mode. It is to be appreciated and
understood that the aforedescribed systems, devices, and methods
are just some examples pertaining to the novel and inventive
subject matter hereof.
[0067] In some example medicament delivery systems such as system
100, a dose request device such as devices 150 or 300 may not
always necessarily perform a determination of whether an
identification code read by the dose request device matches an
authorized identification code. The dose request device could, for
example, communicate an identification code that it reads to a
medicament delivery device (such as device 102 or 202), where the
determination could be performed. The medicament delivery device,
after performing the determination, could then appropriate respond
to a dose request conveyed from the dose request device, depending
on the positive or negative result of the determination. In some
examples, the medicament delivery device, after performing the
determination, can communicate the positive or negative result of
the determination back to the dose request device that provided the
read identification code, which in turn could provide an indication
to a user based at least in part upon the result of the
determination. In some examples, after receiving such information
from the medicament delivery device, the dose request device, upon
subsequent reads of the same identification code, could perform the
determination as to whether the same read identification code was
authorized or not, without relying upon the medicament delivery
device to perform the determination. Other scenarios for
information handing and determination of identification code
authorization are contemplated. For example, the determination of
whether an identification code read by a dose request device is
authorized could be performed at an EMR or HIS system such as
system 105, after receiving a read identification code communicated
from the dose request device either directly or routed through a
medicament delivery device, or by any other suitable path. The EMR
or HIS system could then communicate the results of its
determination to the dose request device and/or medicament delivery
device for appropriate further action consistent with the
determination. After receiving information from the EMR/HIS system,
either the dose request device and/or medicament delivery device
could perform subsequent identification code authorization
determinations consistent with the determination performed by the
EMR/HIS system, without necessitating further involvement of the
EMR/HIS system.
[0068] In some examples, dose request devices can be used for
additional access control functionality beyond dose request
authentication. For example, reading of identification codes from
tags could be used to help control access to pump settings such as
flow rate, clinician boluses, infusion parameters, and any other
appropriate settings. A dose request device could simply pass
identification codes to a medicament delivery device, EMR, or HIS
system, any of which could be configured to determine whether an
identification code is associated with a user authorized to access
settings, or a dose request device could check itself for a match
between an identification code read from a tag and a list of users
authorized to access pump settings, and pass along an appropriate
indication of its findings to the pump.
[0069] Dose request device 300 can be powered by any suitable
means. When the communication interface communicatively couples to
a medicament delivery device by way of a hard wired connection, as
for example via a known dose request device jack that is configured
to provide electrical power via conductors, the dose request device
can draw power via the hard wired connection. The dose request
device 300 can include any suitable energy storage component(s),
such as a chemical battery or capacitor. The energy storage
component(s), if present, can be disposable or rechargeable.
Rechargeable energy storage component(s) can be recharged by any
suitable means, such as via a hard wired communication link, or by
another wired connection, which may be transient. Other energy
sources, such as energy harvesting devices, may also be
contemplated. In some examples, a dose request device can lack an
energy storage component with sufficient capacity to power the
device for more than a brief interruption of a hard wired power
supply.
[0070] The present disclosure contemplates a method 500 of
providing a substance from a medicament delivery device,
illustrated in the flow diagram of FIG. 4. Method 500 can be
performed with a medicament delivery system like or similar to
delivery system 100 of FIG. 1, in any of the many possible
compatible variations contemplated in the present disclosure. The
medicament delivery device can be communicatively coupled to a dose
request device like or similar to dose request device 300 in any of
the many possible compatible variations contemplated in the present
disclosure. Method 500 can include, at 510, a short-range
non-contact identifier of the dose request device reading or
attempting to read an identification code from a tag. Method 500
can include, at 520, a controller of the dose request device
determining whether the identification code read by the short-range
non-contact identifier matches an authorized identification code of
a set of one or more authorized identification codes. At 530, an
individual can press the dose request button of the dose request
device. Method 500 can include, at 540, the controller, if the dose
request button is pressed and if the identification code read by
the short-range non-contact identifier matches the authorized
identification code, communicating a dose request to the medicament
delivery device via a communication interface of the dose request
device. Method 500 can include, at 550, the medicament delivery
device delivering a dose after receiving the dose request from the
communication interface of the remote dose apparatus. Any or all of
510-550 of method 500 can be repeated such that the medicament
delivery device can deliver another dose after receiving another
dose request from the communication interface of the dose request
device.
[0071] While the description of method 500 may imply a particular
temporal sequence, any such implied sequence should not be
considered limiting. For example, reading or attempting to read an
identification code from a tag at 510 can precede or follow a press
of a dose request button, as discussed elsewhere herein. Also, not
all steps necessarily need be repeated every time to result in
subsequent dose requests and/or deliveries after a first dose
request/delivery. For example, in some cases a match of an
identification code read by the short-range non-contact identifier
with an authorized identification code can be considered to be
valid for a defined period of time, during which a subsequent press
of the dose request button can result in communication of another
dose request, without necessarily requiring repeating 510 and
520.
[0072] The disclosure should not be considered limited to the
particular examples described herein, but rather should be
understood to cover all aspects of the disclosure and equivalents
thereof. Various modifications, equivalent processes, as well as
numerous structures to which the disclosure can be applicable will
be readily apparent to those of skill in the art upon review of the
instant specification.
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