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Healthcare / Medical Devices

Smart IV Infusion Pump: Stepper-Driven Infusion Control with BLE, Wi-Fi and Occlusion Detection

For a Hyderabad medical-device company we designed a smart IV infusion pump with stepper flow control, occlusion detection and BLE/Wi-Fi monitoring. Completed by early 2025; cost goal ~50% below imported pumps (design target).

What we did: We designed the pump's electronics and control firmware: precision stepper-motor drive, MCU-based infusion control, occlusion detection, a multilingual touchscreen interface, BLE and Wi-Fi connectivity for remote monitoring and alerts, and battery backup, in a modular architecture designed to ISO 13485 / IEC 60601-1 requirements.

Medical-device company, Hyderabad, India6 monthsTeam of 5

Published Last reviewed:

~50%
Lower cost than imported pumps
Design target
6 months
Project duration
BLE + Wi-Fi
Remote monitoring and alerts
IEC 60601-1
Designed to its requirements
Illustrative photo: an infusion pump on an IV pole beside a hospital bedIllustrative image

The Challenge

The client wanted a smart IV infusion pump that costs much less than imported pumps, is built entirely in India, and is designed to the international standards that hospitals and regulators expect. It also had to support wireless monitoring of each infusion and be modular, so new features could be added without replacing the whole device.

Cost against imported pumps

Imported infusion pumps are expensive for Indian hospitals. The pump had to cost far less while keeping accurate flow control.

Impact: ~50% cost-reduction goal

Medical-device standards

The design had to follow ISO 13485 quality processes and IEC 60601 electrical-safety requirements from the start, not as a retrofit.

Impact: Designed to ISO 13485 / IEC 60601-1

Wireless infusion tracking

Nurses and clinicians needed to see infusion status and receive alerts remotely, instead of only at the bedside.

Impact: Real-time remote monitoring

Upgrade without replacement

Hospitals wanted a pump that could gain features over time, so the architecture had to be modular.

Impact: Modular architecture

Our Solution

We designed a microcontroller-based pump that drives the infusion mechanism with a precision stepper motor, adjusts flow in real time, detects occlusions, and reports status over BLE and Wi-Fi. A touchscreen with multilingual support handles local control, and a battery backup keeps the infusion running through a mains interruption.

System Architecture

A modular infusion controller with local UI and wireless monitoring.

Infusion control

  • Precision stepper-motor drive for flow-rate control
  • Microcontroller-based real-time infusion adjustment
  • Occlusion detection to catch flow blockages
  • Scalable architecture for different infusion therapies

User interface and power

  • Touchscreen interface with multilingual support
  • Energy-efficient design
  • Battery backup for uninterrupted operation

Connectivity

  • BLE and Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Remote monitoring of infusion status
  • Automatic alerts to clinical staff

Key Design Points

Flow controlPrecision stepper motor
ControllerMicrocontroller-based, real-time adjustment
Safety functionOcclusion detection with alerts
WirelessBLE + Wi-Fi
InterfaceTouchscreen, multilingual
PowerMains with battery backup
Standards framingDesigned to ISO 13485 / IEC 60601-1 requirements

What We Delivered

  • Stepper-motor control for accurate flow-rate management
  • Real-time infusion adjustment on the microcontroller
  • Occlusion detection and alarm handling
  • BLE and Wi-Fi links for remote monitoring and alerts
  • Touchscreen UI with multilingual support
  • Power management with battery backup
  • Modular architecture for future upgrades

Outcome

We completed the design in six months and handed it over for production in India. The roughly 50% cost reduction against imported infusion pumps is the project's cost goal and is labelled as a design target. Rapid Circuitry holds no certificates; the design was built to ISO 13485 / IEC 60601-1 requirements, and certification testing is the device maker's step at accredited labs.

How to read the labels: Design target = an engineering target, not a field measurement.

Cost against imported pumps

Design target

~50% lower

Cost goal for the design

Design duration

6 months

Team of 5

Standards

ISO 13485 / IEC 60601-1

Designed to these requirements; not a certification claim

Patient-safety features

Occlusion alarms + remote alerts

Real-time status and automatic alerts over BLE and Wi-Fi

Technologies Used

Stepper motor controlMicrocontrollerBLEWi-FiTouchscreen UIOcclusion detectionBattery backupISO 13485IEC 60601-1

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