Joe - we have had similar issues, in the past, with 3300 syringe drivers set-up to the manufacturers occlusion specification (4.5-5.5kgf). With a BD 50 syringe, anti-syphon, line, etc, stat rate of 200ml/hr.
Occasionally there are spurious occlusion alarms despite there being no apparent problems with the line set-up or patient. There is published literature, involving issues with nuisance occlusion alarms on 3300 syringe drivers, that highlights this problem - the solution was apparently to increase the occlusion alarm threshold to prevent nuisance alarms (on the advice/guidance of the MDA I think). I have the references if you want them.
No doubt, for the 3200 running at 200ml/hr, which may have a lower occlusion alarm specification than the 3300, that this is a nuisance. The British Standard specification that syringes have to meet, for stiction in particular, is quite wide.
I have found, in the past, that check-valves/anti-syphon devices have pretty consistent characteristics (pressure gradients across them) over the range of flows. Hence I can only assume that syringe drivers with mechanical sensing rather than in-line sensing are actually sensitive to all components in the system - driver actuator friction, syringe stiction, line restrictions (rate dependent) and site problems.
My own view is that, using adult extension lines of average length, syringe stiction probably contributes most significantly to nuisance alarms since the variation is greatest in this element of the system.
Modern devices, using dedicated lines with in-line pressure sensing, monitor both line pressure and the force on the actuator i.e. they can dfferentiate between actuator problems e.g. sticking syringe actuator and site/line problems e.g. non-patent line due to restriction in-line.
They also have externally adjusted alarm thresholds. Hence the solution may be to purchase a later generation of syringe drivers to overcome the problem of nuisance alarms.
