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Multitherapy infusion pumps design to deliver from very small to large volumes of liquid medications and other therapeutic solutions stored in bags, vials, bottles (or, with an adaptor, syringes), at programmed flow rates. Large-volume pumps typically deliver fluid through intravenous (IV) or epidural routes, although subcutaneous and peritoneal infusion may be performed as well. These infusion pumps usually consist of a pumping mechanism to move fluid from the solution container through the IV set to the patient. Three common types are: (1) the linear peristaltic mechanism which uses fingerlike disks to occlude the IV tubing successively in a rippling, wavelike motion; (2) the rotatory peristaltic mechanism that uses a short length of silicone rubber tubing held taut around rollers mounted on a rotor; and (3) the cassette-type mechanism that periodically fills a compartment from the upstream side and empties to the downstream side. The pumps may deliver infusion liquids through only one channel (i.e., single-channel pumps) or simultaneously using several channels (i.e., multi-channel pumps). They also include controls used to select the dose or volume to be infused; recording capabilities to register the actual infusion volume and rate; and audible and/or visual alarms to indicate abnormal conditions. Many pumps can deliver secondary (piggyback) infusions, controlling two different solutions sequentially per pumping channel. Some pumps (known as \'smart pumps\') include software capable of detecting medication administration errors (i.e., dose error reduction systems) are also available. Large-volume multitherapy infusion pumps are usually intended for IV pole mounting; they are used mainly in hospitals, other healthcare facilities, and at home.
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