Smarter Infusion Pumps, Safer Care for Patients
Infusion pumps are lifelines in hospitals, delivering medicine patients depend on. Yet programming errors put lives at risk and added stress for caregivers. A global medical device leader partnered with SEP to change that by adding wireless connectivity, PC-based setup and configuration, and safeguards that made caregivers’ work easier and patient care safer.
Opportunity
Caregivers needed pumps that cut programming errors—mistakes that put patients at risk—while hospitals sought safer care and better control of devices.
Results
- Fewer dosing errors for safer patient care
- Wireless-enabled pumps integrated with hospital systems
- Stronger FDA documentation for compliance confidence
Client
Leading Provider of Infusion Technologies
Founded in 1999, our client is an American global pharmaceutical and medical device company. They are the world’s leading provider of injectable drugs and infusion technologies. Their mission is to improve patient and caregiver safety while reducing healthcare costs.
Products include generic injectable drugs (such as antibiotics and anesthetics), infusion pumps and supplies, medication management systems, and oncology drugs.
About The Client
Founded
1999
Headquarters
Lake Forest, IL
Employees
19,000
Industry
Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices
Opportunity
Protecting Patients by Reducing Medication Errors
Infusion pumps are a lifeline in hospitals, delivering critical medicines to patients who depend on their accuracy. Yet manual programming left too much room for error—mistakes that could put lives at risk and add stress for caregivers.
Hospitals needed a safer, more reliable way to configure pumps and enforce dosing safeguards. At the same time, our client prepared to expand into new international markets, requiring devices that could support multiple languages and meet strict regulatory standards.
What We Did
Embedded Development
Product Localization
Regulated Environment
Visual Design
Solution
Partnering to Build Safer, Smarter Pumps
Behind every infusion pump is a caregiver who needs tools they can trust and a patient whose safety depends on accuracy. SEP worked side by side with the client’s medical experts, engineers, and regulatory teams to put those people first. Our collaboration balanced strict FDA requirements with the daily pressures of hospital staff and the critical outcomes for patients.
Together, we modernized the pumps with both technical upgrades and human-centered improvements:
- Wireless connectivity integrated pumps into hospital-wide medication systems, giving staff real-time visibility.
- PC-based programming let hospitals set safety limits once and push them to every pump, easing clinician workload and reducing errors.
- Redesigned workflows reflected human factors research, making programming safer and more intuitive.
- New firmware and communication protocols (XML, barcode integration, serial transfer) ensured reliable performance.
- Field-upgradability and multi-language UI prepared devices for long-term global use.
- FDA 510(k) documentation and safety analyses gave the client confidence in compliance and market readiness.
This partnership approach combined SEP’s embedded development expertise with a shared commitment to patient safety and caregiver support.
Tech Stack
ARM 
Barcode 
ClearCase 
Embedded C 
XML Results
Advancing Patient Safety Through Embedded Innovation
For patients and caregivers, every error prevented matters. The upgraded pumps now help protect lives by reducing clinical mistakes and giving hospitals greater control over dosing. Wireless integration means staff can monitor pumps in real time, easing stress and improving safety. Field-upgradability and localized for global markets, the devices are backed by FDA-ready documentation— partnership-driven improvements that save lives and support worldwide care.
Fewer dosing errors improve patient safety
Easier workflows to reduce caregiver errors
Wireless hospital-wide integration
PC-configurable pumps replaced manual configuration for each device
Expanded product to new global markets
Field-upgradable and language-ready