They are devices that deliver vital fluids such as liquid nutrients,morphine, chemotherapy and anesthesia into a patients body.
However, over the past five years the food and drug administration has received reports linking more than 700 deaths to infusion pump problems.
Today at a health journalist's conference in Chicago, the FDA announced steps to improve the design and safety of the pumps.
In the past, many problems were attributed to human error.
But FDA officials believe software and design issues were at the root of many of them.
Manufacturers will now be asked to provide detailed design and engineering information to the FDA for new pumps.
