Why Advanced Sensors Are Crucial Within Medical Pumps

Medical pumps help liquids to flow through the human body continuously without interruption and include equipment such as infusion pumps, hemodialysis, and blood flow monitoring applications. These devices utilize sensors to confirm continuous flow, detect occlusion, externally detect bubbles in lines, and measure fluid levels. 
 
Pump failure is not an option, as it could have fatal consequences. So, advanced sensors to measure force, pressure, position, temperature, and ultrasonic sensing are crucial. These sensors are integrated into smart pumps, which measure liquid levels and continuous flow, detect occlusion, and alert the user to air bubbles in lines. Overall, sensors allow medical pumps to provide better clinical data, while optimizing precision and reliability.
 
Infusion pumps provide precise control of fluids to coordinate accurate, reliable delivery of nutrients and medications into the body and they use a combination of force, position, temperature, and ultrasonic sensors. Microfused force sensors detect blockages in the tubing, and Anisotropic Magneto Resistive (AMR) sensors can detect linear or rotary position to determine flow and volume.  Temperature sensors can monitor fluid temperatures to help control body temperature. In addition, a piezo transducer can detect bubbles in the fluids, which can be fatal.
 
Medical mobility is a growing healthcare trend, providing patients an improved quality of life while still receiving life-saving care. Small, lightweight, wearable insulin pumps mimic a healthy pancreas, allowing patients to monitor glucose and insulin levels outside of a medical facility, while reducing the number of pin pricks and self-injections needed.  In the past, insulin pumps were big and bulky, roughly the size of a backpack. 
 
As a result of miniaturization, which allows for tiny, lightweight sensors to fit into smaller medical devices and connect them to the internet, insulin pumps are smaller than a smartphone and equipped with sensors to collect and communicate accurate data in these devices The sensors used in medical pumps have also followed this miniaturization trend.
 
Sensors also play a key role in the advancement of kidney dialysis machines. These machines treat kidney disease patients, purifying the blood by removing waste and toxins, and a variety of sensors are used in the machines to detect bubbles and leaks, monitor liquid level, flow, and pressure in the blood circulation and dialysate, as well as monitor collection bags. And because dialysis treatment generally makes the patient cold, temperature regulating sensors can even improve comfort.
 
Finally, there are also sensors for syringe pumps, which administer and monitor nutrients and medication.  Most syringe pumps are controlled by one control system, sometimes referred to as the ‘brain,’ which controls one or more channels, each with a pump and syringe. The ‘brain’ uses sensors to monitor fluid amounts, position, and flow rate, and detect bubbles, blockages, and empty syringes. These sensors must work with the pump, have quick response times, and integrate easily with the logic system.

Further Reading

This is the first part in a series on sensors. Don’t miss the other online exclusives also by Erin Byrne:
 

• How Advanced Sensors Improve Design & Functionality of Respiratory Care Equipment
• Sensors: The Heart of Minimally Invasive Equipment Technology
• Sensors are the Heartbeat of Vital Signs Monitoring

 

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Erin Byrne is Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for TE Sensors, a division of TE Connectivity, a $1 billion provider of advanced sensors for the industrial, medical, and transportation markets. She is an expert in developing, manufacturing, and implementing sensors for Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) and Medical applications.  She can be reached at [email protected].