Automated enteral nutrition

1. A pump system for delivering an enteral nutrition composition, the pump system comprising:

a pump, an input device, a controller, a memory device and a processor, the processor configured to execute instructions stored on the memory device to cause the controller to:

via the input device, enable a user to input a first nutrition parameter and a first duration of a nutrition delivery (T1), wherein the first nutrition parameter is a first nutrition volume to be delivered (V1);

calculate a first delivery flow rate (F1) of the pump based upon the first nutrition volume (V1) and the first duration (T1);

start the pump according to the first delivery flow rate (F1);

stop the pump in the event of a pump interruption of a second duration, wherein the second duration is an interruption duration (I);

determine if the interruption duration exceeds an interruption duration threshold;

if the interruption duration does not exceed the interruption duration threshold, continue operating the pump according to the first delivery flow rate; and

if the interruption duration exceeds the interruption duration threshold, after the conclusion the pump interruption:

calculate a partial nutrition volume delivered (V2) and a remaining nutrition volume to be delivered (V3), wherein: V1=V2+V3;

calculate a partial time duration completed (T2) and a remaining time duration (T3), wherein T1=T2+T3; and

calculate a proposed delivery flow rate (F2) of the pump based upon the remaining nutrition volume to be delivered and the remaining time duration, wherein the instructions include a maximum allowable flow rate of the pump;

determine if the proposed delivery flow rate exceeds the maximum allowable flow rate; and

if the proposed delivery flow rate does not exceed the maximum allowable flow rate, resume the pump according to the proposed delivery flow rate, wherein the proposed delivery flow rate of the pump is higher than the first delivery flow rate of the pump.

2. The pump system of claim 1 , wherein the first delivery flow rate of the pump is calculated based additionally on at least one of a first nutrition energy target to be delivered (E1) or a first nutrition protein target to be delivered (P1).

3. The pump system of claim 1 , which includes calculating a proposed nutrition regimen for intermittent feeding.

4. A method for controlling a pump for delivering an enteral nutritional composition, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first nutrition parameter and a first duration of nutrition delivery (T1) defining at least a portion of a prescription, wherein the first nutrition parameter is a first nutrition volume to be delivered (V1);

starting the pump with a first delivery flow rate calculated based upon the first nutrition volume to be delivered (V1) and the first duration of nutrition delivery (T1) of the prescription;

stopping the pump in the event of a pump interruption of a second duration, wherein the second duration is an interruption duration;

determining if the interruption duration exceeds an interruption duration threshold:

if the interruption duration does not exceed the interruption duration threshold, continue operating the pump according to the first delivery flow rate; and

if the interruption duration exceeds the interruption duration threshold:

after the second duration, calculate a proposed delivery flow rate based upon a duration of partial time remaining (TR) from the first duration of nutrition delivery of the prescription and a partial volume of the nutrition delivered (VR) from the first nutrition volume of the prescription;

determining if the proposed delivery flow rate exceeds a maximum allowable flow rate of the pump;

wherein, if the proposed delivery flow rate does not exceed the maximum allowable flow rate, restarting the pump after the pump interruption has concluded at the proposed delivery flow rate for the duration of partial time remaining or until a subsequent interruption, wherein the proposed delivery flow rate of the pump is higher than the first delivery flow rate of the pump, and wherein the proposed delivery flow rate is calculated to enable the pump to deliver the first nutrition volume within the first duration of nutrition delivery of the prescription notwithstanding the pump interruption.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first delivery flow rate of the pump is calculated based additionally on at least one of a first nutrition energy target to be delivered (E1) or a first nutrition protein target to be delivered (P1).

6. The method of claim 4 , which includes calculating a proposed nutrition regimen for intermittent feeding.

7. The method of claim 4 , which includes defining the maximum allowable flow rate of the pump.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for use with a medical device and an associated pump to automate enteral nutrition delivery, the method comprising:

receiving a first nutrition parameter and a first duration of nutrition delivery (T1) defining at least a portion of a prescription, wherein the first nutrition parameter is a first nutrition volume to be delivered (V1);

starting the pump at a first delivery flow rate calculated based upon the first nutrition volume to be delivered (V1) and the first duration of nutrition delivery (T1) of the prescription;

stopping the pump in the event of a pump interruption of a second duration, wherein the second duration is an interruption duration;

determining if the interruption duration exceeds an interruption duration threshold:

if the interruption duration does not exceed the interruption duration threshold, continue operating the pump according to the first delivery flow rate; and

if the interruption duration exceeds the interruption duration threshold, after the second duration has concluded, calculate a proposed delivery flow rate based upon a duration of partial time remaining (TR) from the first duration of nutrition delivery of the prescription and a partial volume of the nutrition delivered (VR) from the first nutrition volume of the prescription; and

comparing the proposed delivery flow rate with a maximum allowable flow rate:

if the proposed delivery flow rate exceeds the maximum allowable flow rate:

restarting the pump at the maximum allowable flow rate; and

calculating and displaying the maximum allowable flow rate on a display device associated with the pump; and

if the proposed delivery flow rate does not exceed the maximum allowable flow rate, restarting the pump at the proposed delivery flow rate, wherein the proposed delivery flow rate of the pump is higher than the first delivery flow rate of the pump.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the first delivery flow rate of the pump is calculated based additionally on a first nutrition energy target to be delivered (E1).

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9 , further comprising the step of defining an energy density of the prescription.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the first delivery flow rate of the pump is calculated based additionally on a first nutrition protein target to be delivered (P1).

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising defining a protein ratio of the prescription.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising defining at least one maximum allowed intermittent feeding parameter.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the maximum allowable flow rate and the at least one maximum allowed intermittent feeding parameter can be modified by a user.