Operating a portable medical device
Some embodiments of a portable medical device, such as an infusion pump, can receive an external reference signal (e.g., a radio, cellular and/or satellite signal) to provide an automatic time-setting and maintenance operation. In these circumstances, the medical device can maintain accurate time and date information even in the event of a power interruption, a time-zone change and/or an internal clock error, for example. In this manner, the portable medical device provides safe operation and added convenience to the user.
1. A method of operating an infusion pump system that includes a pump device and portable control circuitry, comprising:
identifying a re-powering of at least a portion of the infusion pump system;
wirelessly communicating, (1) by the portable control circuitry, (2) in response to identifying the re-powering of the at least a portion of the infusion pump system, and (3) to an external portable computing device, a request for an external reference signal indicative of a current time;
after communicating the request for the external reference signal, wirelessly receiving, at the portable control circuitry, the external reference signal indicative of the current time which is transmitted from the external portable computing device;
updating an internal time setting of the infusion pump system using the external reference signal in response to receiving the external reference signal from the external portable computing device; and
operating the infusion pump system based on the updated time setting to deliver one or more dosages of medicine, wherein an amount of time between dosages or an amount of at least one of the one or more dosages of medicine depends upon the updated time setting.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external reference signal indicative of the current time is indicative of a current time of day and date and wherein updating the internal time setting of the infusion pump system using the external reference signal comprises updating a time of day setting and a date setting.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external reference signal indicative of the current time is indicative of a current time of day and wherein updating the internal time setting of the infusion pump system using the external reference signal comprises updating a time of day setting.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a dosing schedule based on the updated time setting.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising identifying a time-zone change based on the external reference signal and shifting the dosing schedule based on the time-zone change.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of updating the internal time setting of the infusion pump system is performed repeatedly at predetermined intervals of time.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the re-powering of at least a portion of the infusion pump system comprises replacing of a battery of the infusion pump system.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a basal dosing rate based on the updated time setting.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing data in a computer-readable memory of the infusion pump system; and
time-stamping the data based on the updated time setting.
10. A portable infusion pump system, comprising:
a pump drive system configured to dispense medicine from a portable housing of the portable infusion pump system;
portable control circuitry that is configured to electrically communicate with the pump drive system to control dispensation of the medicine from the portable housing; and
memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the portable control circuitry, cause the portable control circuitry to perform operations of:
identifying a re-powering of at least a portion of the portable infusion pump system;
wirelessly communicating, (1) by the portable control circuitry, (2) in response to identifying the re-powering of the at least a portion of the portable infusion pump system, and (3) to an external portable computing device, a request for an external reference signal indicative of a current time;
after communicating the request for the external reference signal, wirelessly receiving, at the portable control circuitry, the external reference signal indicative of the current time which is transmitted from the external portable computing device;
updating an internal time setting of the portable infusion pump system using the external reference signal in response to receiving the external reference signal from the external portable computing device; and
operating the portable infusion pump system based on the updated time setting to deliver one or more dosages of medicine, wherein an amount of time between dosages or an amount of at least one of the one or more dosages of medicine depends upon the updated time setting.
11. The portable infusion pump system of claim 10 , wherein the external reference signal indicative of the current time is indicative of a current time of day and date and wherein updating the internal time setting of the infusion pump system using the external reference signal comprises updating a time of day setting and a date setting.
12. The portable infusion pump system of claim 10 , the operations further comprising adjusting a dosing schedule based on the updated time setting.
13. The portable infusion pump system of claim 10 , wherein the step of updating the internal time setting of the infusion pump system is performed repeatedly at predetermined intervals of time.
14. The portable infusion pump system of claim 10 , wherein the re-powering of at least a portion of the infusion pump system comprises replacing of a battery of the infusion pump system.
15. The portable infusion pump system of claim 10 , the operations further comprising adjusting a basal dosing rate based on the updated time setting.
16. A method of operating an infusion pump system that includes a pump device and portable control circuitry, comprising:
identifying a re-powering for at least a portion of the infusion pump system;
initiating, (1) by the portable control circuitr, and (2) in response to identifying the re-powering of the at least a portion of the infusion pump system, communications with an external portable computing device to request for an update to an internal time setting of the infusion pump system using an external reference signal indicative of the current time which is provided by the external portable computing device;
operating the infusion pump system based on the updated time setting to deliver one or more dosages of medicine.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising adjusting a dosing schedule based on the updated time setting.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising adjusting a basal dosing rate based on the updated time setting.
19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
storing data in a computer-readable memory of the infusion pump system; and
time-stamping the data based on the updated time setting.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the external reference signal indicative of the current time is indicative of a current time of day and date and wherein updating the internal time setting of the infusion pump system using the external reference signal comprises updating a time of day setting and a date setting.