This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate the applicability of a flow measurement technology to the development of a low-cost, closed loop infusion pump. Despite decades of industry research into flow measurement technology, today?s infusion systems run entirely open loop, with no capability to measure the flow they deliver, and this shortcoming compromises pump safety and increases costs. The objective of this SBIR is to demonstrate the feasibility of a flow sensor for drug delivery by demonstrating its reliability in the presence of several medications. The program will provide data to show that the industry?s requirements for the accuracy and reliability of a flow sensor is met , and can be applied to next generation closed loop drug delivery systems.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the release of a new generation of low-cost, high accuracy pumps. This technology will make it possible to delivery hospital-level infusion accuracy with the cost model of a disposable pump, enabling infusions to move from the hospital to the home setting. Flow measurement will further enable these infusions to be monitored remotely by nurses, and will enable trends in infusion therapy outcomes to be identified by collecting data which is simply not available today. The technology will result in a substantial reduction in the costs associated with medical infusion by reducing hospital stays, reducing equipment and capital costs, reducing nurse hours dedicated to infusion by automating data collection, and improving outcomes. Flow monitoring will create a new standard of care for medical infusion, and in the future infusions will always be performed with this integral safety and data collection technology.
