04. FluidSense - Infusion Pump
The next stage of evolution in IV therapy systems
With the increasing need to monitor and control all aspects of medical care, care providers needed a product that would reduce their patients risks associated with delivery of IV therapy.
According to Jeff Carlisle, President and CEO of FluidSense, "IV therapy has emerged over the last thirty years as one of the most pervasive tools of modern medicine. Yet critical elements of the basic technology and technique have not changed in those thirty years." Continuum was asked to integrate a revolutionary infusion therapy technology into a comprehensive system that would increase nurse efficiency and hospital patient satisfaction. The Fluidsense infusion pump is a small, lightweight, battery operated device that offers care providers and their patients reduced risk associated with delivery of IV therapy. By means of advanced, yet simple to use data transmission technologies, the pump can be customized to the specific patient and IV drug regime, closing the information loop at the point of care. Sophisticated software permits the storage and retrieval of information associated with administering and managing the infusion - including the identity of each user. By intelligently providing and controlling access to information, controls, and IV fluids, the product also detects and corrects potential problems sooner than later. Opening up a large, previously untapped market in the healthcare arena, Fluidsense enables consistent delivery of care, maintenance, service, and data tracking. The original specification called for a handheld, battery-operated pump that would integrate security, control, data collection, and infra-red data transfer capabilities with 96-hour battery life. Continuum's Electrical Engineering group responded with a multiprocessor circuit design featuring an advanced power management system that beat FluidSense's original performance specification. The team evaluated various wireless communication schemes leveraging established and emerging standards. The final design incorporated IRDA communication between pumps, to manage multiple infusions, and the novel iButton for authentication and data upload. Related Content |