SYRINGE PUMP

Saturday, June 6, 2020

SYRINGE PUMP

Hi friends!!!

In a typical hospital setting, in some cases medications that would normally be administered orally can't be taken up by a patient for various physiological reasons like difficulty in swallowing, adverse side effects in oral administration. One of the alternate for oral administration is subcutaneous administration via syringe pump.

Therefore it is important for every healthcare professional to know in detail about syringe pump.

Let’s get into the topic.

WHY SYRINGE PUMP?

The syringe pump is a micro infusion pump used to gradually deliver precise volume of fluids into patients body.

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WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF SYRINGE PUMPS?

Following are the types of syringe pump.

INFUSION ONLY PUMPS

Syringe plunger is pushed forward by the motor to deliver the fluid.

INFUSION/WITHDRAWAL PUMPS

This type of syringe pump functions the same as the infusion only pumps but at the end of the run, motor reverses causing the syringe plunger moves in opposite direction causing the syringe to refill.

WHAT IS THE TECHNOLOGY USED?

Since the flow rate of syringe pump depends on the number of steps the motor can make, syringe pump usually consists of stepper motor with micro stepping control. It has lead screw threaded with pusher block. This lead screw is driven by the stepper motor which in turn makes the pusher block to move at a controlled rate. Meanwhile syringes are held in a U-Shaped or V-Shaped grooves held by syringe clamps. The fluid ejects at a accurate rate when the pusher block pushes against the plunger of the syringe.

The brackets of the pusher block holds the syringe plunger for withdrawal purpose. when the stepper motor rotates in opposite direction, the pusher block moves such that the syringe plunger is pulled back drawing fluid into the syringe.

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WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF SYRINGE PUMP OVER INFUSION PUMPS?

Syringe pumps are highly precise while administering smaller doses when compared to infusion pumps.

Flow pulsations of syringe pump is smaller.

WHAT ARE THE BASIC FEATURES TO LOOK OUT FOR?

1. Volume To Be Infused (VTBI) : 0.1 - 9999 ml.

2. Compatibility of syringe: 10, 20, 30, 50/60 ml.

3. Keep Vein Open (KVO): 0.1 - 1 ml/h (in 0.1 ml/h increments).

4. Infusion Mode: Flow rate based - ml/min, ml/hr & Time based.

5. Emergency Alarms like occlusion alarm, low battery, syringe installation error, syringe drop off alarm, AC Power off, motor malfunction alarm, pressure sensor error.

TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

1. Clamps does not fix the barrel of the syringe.

SOLUTION: Pull the clamp, turn it left up to 90 degrees and put the finger grips of the syringe into the slit.

2. The pump does not start even when the START BUTTON is pushed.

The syringe might not be set properly in the syringe pump. The value of flow rate, delivery limit, drug volume is not set properly.

SOLUTION: Set the syringe correctly, recharge the battery fully for more than 24 hrs by connecting to an AC power. Confirm the values that were set.