Automatic Catheter Recognition and Associated Methods, Systems and Circuits

1 . A medical device for pumping fluid through a conduit, said medical device comprising:

one or more sensors to detect a parameter associated with the fluid;

a circuit to (a) receive from said one or more sensor a first signal indicative of one or more characteristics associated with the fluid; (b) to determine if a conduit pressure passes a first fluid-parameter-threshold based on the first signal; and (c) if the conduit pressure passes the first fluid-parameter-threshold, determine if an occlusion is indicated or a catheter is connected to the conduit.

2 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising a feedback circuit to cause a flow rate parameter associated with said medical device to be updated if a catheter is determined to be connected so that a requested flow rate is achieved.

3 . The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein said first fluid parameter is selected from the group consisting of: a backpressure and a flow rate.

4 . The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein said circuit is configured to update said first fluid-parameter threshold to a second fluid-parameter threshold if a catheter is determined to be connected to the conduit.

5 . The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor is a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure of the fluid in the conduit.

6 . The medical device according to claim 2 , further comprising a pumping mechanism.

7 . The medical device according to claim 6 , wherein said circuit is configured to stop said pumping mechanism for a determined length of time and receive said first signal to determine if a catheter is connected.

8 . A method of detecting a catheter downstream to a medical device, the medical device configured to cause fluid to flow through a conduit, said method comprising:

receiving a signal from a sensor, the signal indicative of a fluid parameter associated with the fluid in the conduit;

analyzing the signal to identify an occlusion, a catheter or a non-catheter state; and

producing an indicator associated with the occlusion, catheter or non-catheter state.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising updating a fluid-parameter threshold based on the indicator if an occlusion was identified.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein said analyzing includes identifying the catheter group if a catheter is identified.

11 . A peristaltic pump for pumping fluid through a conduit, said pump comprising:

one or more sensors to detect a parameter associated with the fluid;

a circuit to (a) receive from said one or more sensors a first signal indicative of one or more characteristics associated with the fluid; (b) to determine if an occlusion is indicated based on a signal analysis of the first signal.

12 . The peristaltic pump according to claim 11 , wherein said signal analysis includes comparing a signal value to two or more predetermined value ranges wherein a first value range indicates an occlusion and a second value range indicates a first catheter bucket.

13 . The pump according to claim 12 , further comprising a third value range indicates a second catheter bucket.

14 . The pump according to claim 13 , wherein a fourth value range indicates either a third catheter bucket or a non-catheter indication.

15 . The pump according to claim 12 wherein said signal value is sampled at a determined sampling point.

16 . The pump according to claim 15 wherein said sampling point is a defined number of cycles, a defined number of cam rotations, a defined length of time.

17 . The pump according to claim 16 , wherein said sampling point is selected from a group of sampling points at least partially according to a selected flow rate.

18 . The pump according to claim 11 , wherein said circuit further comprises a hysteresis operator to modify a catheter bucket threshold based on the detected catheter bucket, if a catheter is indicated.