Method for characterizing a fluid flowing through a conduit using a system including a light emitter and a light detector

Abstract

A system and method for characterizing a fluid passing through a conduit. The conduit may be non-circular, and the sensor module may include emitters and detectors spaced apart by different distances so that an optical signal travels a long path and a short path through the non-circular conduit. The emitters may alternately emit light, and a second emitter may emit light when the optical signal detected by a first detector is below a sensitivity threshold. Three or more emitters and detectors may be provided, and a data-rich matrix is ​​provided based on absorbance and scattering values ​​from each of the detectors associated with each emitter. The paths and / or angles of travel of various combinations of emitters and detectors may be different. The data-rich matrix may be provided to a machine-trained neural network that implements an algorithm to determine fluid components within the fluid.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority to and the full benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 426,909, filed November 21, 2022, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] Inaccurate characterization of fluids removed from a patient, such as during a surgical procedure, can jeopardize the patient's health and can unnecessarily consume medical resources. For example, if the fluid is blood, overestimation of blood loss can result in unnecessary consumption of transfusion-grade blood, leading to unnecessary clinical risk to the patient. As another example, underestimation of blood loss, such as in the case of hemorrhage, can lead to delayed resuscitation and transfusion, increased risk of infection, tissue death, and even patient death.

[0003] Certain existing fluid characterization systems utilize optical emitter-detector pairs positioned opposite each other around a circular conduit. These systems are often inadequate when the fluid contains high concentrations of dark fluid components that attenuate a large proportion of the optical signal being transmitted through the fluid. One example of particular concern is a high concentration of blood in the fluid. In this case, the optical signal may be overly attenuated by the time it reaches the photodetector, and the sensitivity range of the photodetector may not be sufficient to produce accurate results. One solution is to increase the intensity of the light from the light source to ensure that enough light reaches the photodetector. However, increasing the light intensity may result in the light intensity falling outside the upper sensitivity limit of the photodetector when the fluid contains little or no blood. Alternatively, adjusting the gain setting of the photodetector is associated with similar drawbacks. In short, existing systems lack the detection range required to characterize in real time fluids containing high and low concentrations of blood that are rapidly drawn through a conduit and flowing unpredictably.

[0004] It is known to emit light of different wavelengths, for example, infrared light and green visible light, in detecting blood in a fluid. Yet another drawback of existing systems utilizing emitter-detector pairs is limited data. In other words, the processor receives data from only a single detector per emitter-detector pair, and from this data, only basic aspects of the fluid can be characterized. However, it would be desirable for improved fluid characterization systems to generate more robust and richer data from which, using more advanced processing techniques, a more detailed analysis of the fluid can be performed in real time. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Among other aspects, the present disclosure provides high dynamic range (HDR) sensing for characterizing fluids flowing within a conduit. HDR sensing accommodates a wider range of concentrations of darker fluids (e.g., blood) within the conduit without requiring a wider sensitivity range of the photodetector. It should be understood that HDR sensing can be used in combination with other aspects of the disclosure provided herein, such as light emitter emission sequencing, scattering signal processing, multivariate analysis, etc.

[0006] According to a first aspect, a method for characterizing a fluid flowing through a non-circular conduit is provided using a system including a first optical emitter, a second optical emitter, a first optical detector, and a processor. The method includes transmitting a first optical signal through the non-circular conduit and the fluid along a first axis using the first optical emitter. As the first optical signal is transmitted through the conduit and the fluid, the first optical detector detects the first optical signal that is at least partially absorbed by the fluid as it travels through the fluid along the first axis. Additionally, the method includes transmitting a second optical signal through the non-circular conduit along a second axis different from the first axis using a second optical detector, such that one of the first and second optical signals has a shorter relative path through the non-circular conduit than the other. Similar to the first optical signal and the first optical detector, the second optical detector detects the second optical signal that is at least partially absorbed by the fluid. Finally, the method includes determining a concentration of a fluid component in the fluid based on the first and second optical signals.

[0007] According to a second aspect, a method for characterizing a fluid flowing through a conduit using a system including a first optical emitter, a second optical emitter, a first optical detector, and a processor is provided. The method includes repeatedly transmitting optical signals through the conduit and the fluid using the optical emitter. After the optical signals are transmitted, the optical signals, at least partially absorbed and scattered by the fluid, are detected by the first optical detector and the second optical detector, respectively. Furthermore, the optical emitter and the first and second optical detectors are arranged in an array around the conduit such that the distances between the optical emitter and the first and second optical detectors vary. After the optical signals pass through the fluid, a processor is used to determine absorbance and scattering values ​​for each of the optical signals from the data from the first and second optical detectors, respectively. Finally, a concentration of a fluid component in the fluid is determined based on the absorbance and scattering values.

[0008] According to a third aspect, there is provided a method for characterizing a fluid flowing through a conduit using a system including a first optical emitter and a second optical emitter, a first optical detector and a second optical detector, and a processor. The method begins by transmitting first and second optical signals through the conduit and the fluid using the first and second optical emitters. After the optical signals pass through the fluid and are at least partially absorbed and scattered by the fluid, the optical signals are detected using the first and second optical detectors, respectively. The first and second optical emitters and the first and second optical detectors are arranged in an array around the conduit such that the distances between the first and second optical emitter and first and second optical detector pairs vary. Furthermore, using a processor, absorbance values ​​and scattering values ​​for the first and second optical signals from the first and second optical detectors, respectively, are determined to provide a data matrix, and the concentration of a fluid component in the fluid is determined based on the data matrix.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a method for characterizing a fluid flowing through a conduit using a system including optical emitters arranged in an array around the conduit, optical detectors arranged in an array around the conduit, and a processor. The method includes transmitting optical signals through the conduit and the fluid using the optical emitters. The optical emitters are activated sequentially, one at a time, in positional order around the conduit. The optical signals, which are at least partially absorbed and scattered by the fluid, are then detected using the optical detectors. Finally, the processor determines absorbance and scattering values ​​from data from the optical detectors for each of the optical signals and determines the concentration of a fluid component in the fluid based on the absorbance and scattering values.

[0010] According to a fifth aspect, there is provided a method for characterizing a fluid flowing through a conduit using a system including optical emitters arranged in an array around the conduit, optical detectors arranged in an array around the conduit, and a processor. The method includes transmitting an optical signal through the conduit and the fluid using a first of the optical emitters. Then, one of the optical detectors adjacent or closest to the first optical emitter is used to detect the optical signal that is at least partially absorbed and scattered by the fluid. Finally, the processor determines an absorbance value and a scattering value from the data from the optical detectors for each of the optical signals and determines a concentration of a fluid component in the fluid based on the absorbance value and the scattering value.

[0011] According to a sixth aspect, a medical waste collection system is provided. The medical waste collection system includes a vacuum pump and a container in fluid communication with the vacuum pump, the container configured to collect fluid under the influence of suction from the vacuum pump. The system also includes a sensor module including a housing, an emitter, and a detector. The emitter and detector are positioned external to the container adjacent an outer wall of the container, the emitter configured to emit an optical signal, and the detector configured to detect the optical signal absorbed and / or scattered by the fluid within the container. Finally, the system includes a processor in electronic communication with the sensor module, the processor configured to receive sensor data from the detector and characterize a fluid component of the fluid.

[0012] According to a seventh aspect, there is provided a sensor module for characterizing a fluid from a patient. The sensor module includes a housing having a sidewall with a long side length and a short side length that together define a non-circular lumen. A first light emitting diode and a second light emitting diode are coupled to the housing and configured to output an optical signal at a first wavelength and an optical signal at a second wavelength, respectively. The second wavelength is lower than the first wavelength. Further, a first detector and a second detector are coupled to the housing. The first detector is configured to detect an optical signal at the first wavelength from the first light emitting diode and a scattered optical signal at the second wavelength from the second light emitting diode, and the second detector is configured to detect an optical signal at the second wavelength from the second light emitting diode and a scattered optical signal at the first wavelength from the first light emitting diode. The second light emitting diode and the second detector are positioned on or adjacent to the sidewall on the short side length so as to be separated by a major cross-sectional dimension.

[0013] According to an eighth aspect, there is provided an optical emitter for use with a sensor module for characterizing a fluid from a patient. The optical emitter includes an emitter configured to output optical signals at multiple wavelengths. To output the optical signals at multiple wavelengths, the sensor module includes a light guide coupling the optical emitter to a first light emitting diode and a second light emitting diode, respectively. The first light emitting diode is configured to output an optical signal at a first wavelength of the multiple wavelengths, and the second light emitting diode is configured to output an optical signal at a second wavelength of the multiple wavelengths. The optical signals travel from the light emitting diodes along the light guide and through the optical emitter.

[0014] According to a ninth aspect, a sensor module for characterizing a fluid from a patient is provided. The sensor module includes a housing configured to be coupled to a non-circular conduit, the housing having a first conduit sheet disposed adjacent one side of the non-circular conduit when the housing is coupled to the non-circular conduit. The housing also includes a second conduit sheet disposed adjacent an opposite side of the non-circular conduit when the housing is coupled to the non-circular conduit. More specifically, the first conduit sheet and the second conduit sheet define a lumen when the housing is coupled to the non-circular conduit. The lumen includes a minor cross-sectional dimension and a major cross-sectional dimension greater than the minor cross-sectional dimension. In addition to the housing, the sensor module further includes a first light-emitting diode coupled to the housing and configured to output an optical signal at a first wavelength, and a second light-emitting diode coupled to the housing and configured to output an optical signal at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength. To detect light from the light emitting diodes, the sensor module further includes a first detector coupled to the housing on an opposite side of the smaller cross-sectional dimension from the first light emitting diode and a second detector coupled to the housing on an opposite side of the larger cross-sectional dimension from the second light emitting diode, the first detector configured to detect an optical signal of a first wavelength from the first light emitting diode and a scattered light signal of a second wavelength from the second light emitting diode, and the second detector configured to detect an optical signal of a second wavelength from the second light emitting diode and a scattered light signal of the first wavelength from the first light emitting diode.

[0015] Any of the above aspects can be combined in part or in whole with any other aspect. Any of the above aspects, whether combined in part or in whole, can be further combined in whole or in part with any of the following embodiments:

[0016] To provide separate travel paths for the light signals from the light emitting diodes, the first and second axes along which the light signals are transmitted can be perpendicular to one another. The first and second axes can be transverse to the longitudinal axis of the non-circular conduit. The first and second axes can correspond to major and minor cross-sectional dimensions, respectively, of the non-circular conduit. The non-circular conduit can be oval, elliptical, hexagonal, octagonal, or rectangular.

[0017] To avoid signal mixing, the step of transmitting the second optical signal can occur after the step of transmitting the first optical signal, such that only one of the first optical emitter and the second optical emitter is operational at a time. To that end, the method can include alternating between the steps of transmitting the first optical signal and the step of transmitting the second optical signal. This alternating step can be performed repeatedly and continuously during operation of the system.

[0018] The method may include transmitting a first optical signal at a first wavelength and transmitting a second optical signal at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength. The method may further include, with a processor, comparing the first optical signal to a sensor sensitivity threshold and transmitting the second optical signal in response to the first optical signal being less than the sensor sensitivity threshold.

[0019] The step of determining the concentration of the fluid component can further include analyzing the first optical signal and the second optical signal using a parametric model generated by a machine-trained neural network.

[0020] The method may include using a second optical detector to generate a first scattered light value indicative of a first optical signal at least partially scattered by the fluid; using the first optical detector to generate a second scattered light value indicative of a second optical signal at least partially scattered by the fluid; and using a processor to determine a concentration of the fluid component further based on the first scattered light value and the second scattered light value.

[0021] The light emitters and light detectors can be arranged in an array around the conduit such that the distance between the first and second light emitter and first and second light detector combinations varies. The light emitters and light detectors can be coupled to an outer diameter of the conduit to form a ring. The light detectors can be arranged at different angles relative to each of the light emitters.

[0022] The sensor module may further include a processor in communication with at least one of the first light-emitting diode, the second light-emitting diode, the first detector, and the second detector. The processor may be configured to determine a concentration of a fluid component of the fluid flowing through the non-circular conduit based on the optical signals detected by the first detector and the second detector and the scattered light signals detected by the first detector and the second detector. To that end, the processor may be configured to determine the concentration of the fluid component of the fluid flowing through the non-circular conduit by analyzing the optical signals and the scattered light signals with a parametric model generated by a machine-trained neural network. The processor may also be configured to determine absorbance values ​​and scattering values ​​from data from each of the first optical detector and the second optical detector for each of the first optical signal, the second optical signal, and the scattered light signals to provide a data matrix, and to determine the concentration of the fluid component in the fluid flowing through the non-circular conduit based on the data matrix of absorbance values ​​and scattering values.

[0023] Finally, the method may include displaying the concentration of the fluid component on a display.

[0024] Advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1A] 10 is a diagram illustrating a fluid characterization system in which a sensor module is coupled to a conduit, the conduit may be coupled to a manifold configured to be housed within a medical waste collection system, and additionally or alternatively, the suction tube may be coupled to a cartridge configured to be housed within a console. [Figure 1B] 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating the fluid characterization system of FIG. 1A including a suction device, a conduit, a sensor module, a container, and a vacuum source. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sensor module of FIGS. 1A and 1B. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the sensor module shown in FIG. 2A. [Figure 2C] 2B is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the sensor module shown in FIG. 2A. [Figure 3A] 2C is a cross-sectional view of the sensor module shown in FIG. 2B, schematically illustrating the positioning of light emitters and light detectors arranged around a non-circular conduit. [Figure 3B] 2D is a cross-sectional view of the sensor module shown in FIG. 2C, schematically illustrating the positioning of light emitters and light detectors arranged around another non-circular conduit. [Figure 4A] 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical signal being transmitted from an optical emitter through a non-circular conduit and received by an optical detector. [Figure 4B] 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical signal being transmitted from an optical emitter through a non-circular conduit and received by an optical detector. [Figure 5A] 1 is a schematic diagram of detecting an optical signal passing through a non-circular conduit to determine the fill level of a fluid within the conduit. [Figure 5B] 1 is a schematic diagram of detecting an optical signal passing through a non-circular conduit to determine the fill level of a fluid within the conduit. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an optical signal and a scattered signal resulting from the optical signal passing through a non-circular conduit. [Figure 7A] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a sensor module in which a "one-to-many" arrangement is schematically depicted. [Figure 7B] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a sensor module in which a "many-to-one" arrangement is schematically depicted. [Figure 7C] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a sensor module, schematically illustrating a "many-to-many" arrangement, and shows the conduits as non-circular. [Figure 7D] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a sensor module in which a "many-to-many" arrangement is schematically depicted, and the conduits are shown as circles. [Figure 8] 1C is a diagram illustrating a container of the medical waste collection system of FIGS. 1A and 1B with a sensor module coupled thereto such that the emitter and detector are positioned adjacent to the outer wall of the container and external to the container. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates an emitter including light emitting diodes of different wavelengths and a light guide. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] 1A and 1B illustrate a fluid characterization system 100 for characterizing fluids withdrawn from and collected by a patient. The system 100 includes a conduit 104, a receptacle 106, a vacuum source 108, and a sensor module 200. Under the influence of suction from the vacuum source 108, withdrawn patient fluid may be drawn through the conduit 104 and collected in the receptacle 106. As shown, the receptacle 106 and vacuum source 108 may be integrated onto a mobile rover of a medical waste collection system 112, such as that sold under the trade name Neptune by Stryker Corporation (Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA) and disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 7,621,898, issued November 24, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. By coupling to the conduit 104, the sensor module 200 may be integrated onto a legacy waste management system without the need for significant equipment additions or modifications. For example, the conduit 104 can be coupled upstream of a manifold 114 configured to be removably received within a receptacle 116 of a medical waste collection system 112. Additionally or alternatively, the conduit 104 can be coupled to a cartridge 118 configured to be removably received within a receptacle 120 of a console 122. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1A is exemplary, and FIG. 1B shows a schematic diagram depicting another system 100 in which like reference numerals indicate like components. The container 106 and vacuum source 108 of FIG. 1B can be integrated into a medical facility, for example, to provide a fluid removal device 102 (e.g., a suction wand).

[0027] The system 100 includes a sensor module 200 configured to be coupled to the conduit 104. The sensor module 200 includes one or more sensors 230 and / or other measurement devices that detect one or more optical properties of the fluid passing through the conduit 104. The system 100 may further include at least one processor 110 in electronic communication with the one or more sensors 230 and receiving sensor data from the sensors 230. The processor 110 may be integrated with the sensor module 200 (e.g., within a sensor housing 220), and / or the sensor data may be communicated via a wireless transceiver 202 of the sensor module 200 to an auxiliary transceiver in the medical waste collection system 112 and / or console 122 that includes the processor 110 or another processor. The processor 110 is configured to execute computer-implemented instructions stored in non-transitory memory (not shown) to analyze or characterize the fluid. The fluid may be of interest for determining its fluid constituents, particularly blood concentration. From the determined blood concentration, blood loss can be estimated or quantified based on a determined collection volume of fluid measured by the fluid measurement subsystem in the container 106 of the medical waste collection system 112. Additionally or alternatively, blood loss can be estimated or quantified based on a determined volumetric flow rate per unit time, as measured by an ultrasonic sensor (not shown), camera, mass flow sensor, or other electronics of the sensor module 200. The medical waste collection system 112 and console 122 can include a display 124 that displays the results of the analysis of the fluid, for example, the average or cumulative blood loss from the patient, in real time.

[0028] 2A-2C, an exemplary configuration of a sensor module 200 is shown. The sensor module 200 may be coupled to or at least partially disposed within a housing 220 configured to couple the sensor module 200 to the conduit 104. Alternatively, the sensor 230 and at least some of the other components of the sensor module 200 may be individually coupled to the conduit 104 (e.g., outside of a single common housing). The sensor module 200 may be adjustable or generic, allowing the housing 220 to be coupled to a wide range of conduit types (e.g., without being reliant on being coupled to any particular type or brand of conduit).

[0029] The housing 220 can be configured to clamp to the conduit 104. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A , the housing 220 of the sensor module 200 can include at least a first jaw 222 and a second jaw 224, which together are configured to clamp to the conduit 104. Each jaw 222, 224 can include at least one conduit seat 226 shaped and sized to receive the conduit 104. For example, in the case of a conduit 250 that is circular in cross section, each jaw 222 or 224 can include a semicircular conduit seat 226. In embodiments in which the conduit 250 is noncircular, the conduit seats 226 can collectively form a rectangle, oval, hexagon, octagon, or other suitable geometric shape to accommodate the conduit 250. Additionally, the housing 220 can include three, four, or other suitable number of jaws sized and shaped to accommodate noncircular conduits. In an alternative embodiment, the housing 220 may be C-shaped and configured to clip onto the non-circular conduit 250. One or more of the conduit sheets 226 may include a deformable surface configured to allow the housing 220 to receive and compress to conform to the non-circular conduit. In yet another variation, the sensor module 200 may be packaged with multiple conduit sheets 226, each of different sizes and shapes to accommodate non-circular conduit geometries.

[0030] The conduit sheet 226 engages the conduit 250 to maintain the relative position of the one or more sensors 230 about the conduit 250. When the housing 220 is clamped to the conduit 250, the conduit sheets 226 collectively form a lumen that defines a longitudinal axis AL, as shown in FIG. 2A. Thus, the longitudinal axis AL is substantially parallel to the conduit 250, and the sensors 230 may be positioned radially about the longitudinal axis AL and the conduit 250.

[0031] 2B and 2C can be further defined below as an optical emitter 232 and an optical detector 234. As their names suggest, the optical emitter 232 is configured to emit an optical signal, and the optical detector 234 is configured to detect the optical signal emitted from the optical emitter 232. The detector 234 generates data to characterize the fluid flow (e.g., estimate the velocity of the flow, the mass flow rate of the flow, the volumetric flow rate of the flow, or any suitable combination thereof), estimate the concentration(s) of one or more fluid components, or both, and transmits the data to the processor 110.

[0032] Existing systems may include emitter-detector pairs, with each emitter in the pair positioned diametrically opposite the corresponding detector across a circular conduit. Therefore, the path of travel from the emitter through the conduit to the corresponding detector is the same for all emitter-detector pairs. As previously mentioned, the intensity of the optical signal may be attenuated by fluid flowing through the conduit, such as blood in the fluid, which absorbs and / or scatters the optical signal. However, for most detector sensitivity ranges, existing systems cannot accurately characterize fluids in procedures where high and low concentrations of blood may change rapidly as the fluid is drawn through the conduit 250. For example, high concentrations of blood may cause the optical signal to be excessively attenuated and therefore not detectable by the detector.

[0033] The system 100 of the present disclosure overcomes such shortcomings by providing high dynamic range (HDR) sensing and further providing more robust data to the processor 110. To that end, the sensor module 200 can be coupled to a non-circular conduit, with the emitter 232 and detector 234 positioned around the non-circular conduit in the manner described.

[0034] 3A and 3B, an exemplary non-circular cross-section of a conduit 250 is shown. The conduit 250 includes at least two distinct side lengths, a first side length L1 and a second side length L2. The longer side length may be referred to as the major cross-sectional dimension, while the shorter side length may be referred to as the minor cross-sectional dimension. In the illustrated embodiment, the first side length L1 is the major cross-sectional dimension, and the second side length L2 is the minor cross-sectional dimension. The conduit 250 may be substantially rectangular, oval, or elliptical, or another suitable geometric shape. Alternatively, the conduit 250 may be initially formed with a circular cross-section and deformed or compressed by the conduit sheet 226 into a non-circular shape. FIGS. 3A and 3B schematically depict an exemplary arrangement of the emitters 232 and detectors 234 around the conduit 250, with the remainder of the sensor module 200 omitted for clarity of illustration.

[0035] The sensor module 200 generally defines two axes, such as a first transverse axis AT1 and a second transverse axis AT2. The transverse axes AT1, AT2 may be perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis AL, or may be any two axes non-parallel to each other and non-parallel to the longitudinal axis AL. The emitters 232 and detectors 234 in FIGS. 3A and 3B may be disposed at the same axial position along the conduit 250. Alternatively, the emitters 232 may be axially spaced apart along the conduit 250 relative to each other and / or relative to the detectors 234, in which case the transverse axes AT1, AT2 may not be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis AL. In addition to the radial arrangements disclosed herein, additional sets of emitters 232 and detectors 234 may be axially spaced apart along the conduit 250.

[0036] 4A and 4B, a cross section of conduit 250 is shown along with a diagram of optical signals being transmitted from emitter 232 to detector 234. The optical signals are designated as first optical signal S1 and second optical signal S2. For purposes of illustration, optical signals S1 and S2 are depicted as being transmitted substantially along first and second lateral axes AT1 and AT2, respectively, which are substantially parallel to side lengths L1 and L2 of conduit 250. Accordingly, the respective travel paths of optical signals S1 and S2 have different lengths. The travel path of first optical signal L1 is greater or longer than the travel path of second optical signal L2. For example, the travel path of first optical signal S1 can be at least 1.25 times, 1.5 times, 2 times, or more longer than the travel path of second optical signal S2. Other dimensions are contemplated based on the aspect ratio of non-circular conduit 250.

[0037] Because the travel paths of the optical signals S1 and S2 have different lengths, several advantages are realized. First, the sensor module 200 provides HDR sensing to accommodate high and low blood concentrations within the sensitivity range of the detectors 234. As previously described, the fluid contents may vary between high and low blood concentrations. As a result, the optical signal is attenuated due to absorption and / or scattering by the fluid. The operating parameters of the emitter 232 and the detectors 234 may be specifically adjusted to account for the relative lengths of the first travel path S1 and the second travel path S2 so that a sufficient intensity of light is detectable by at least one of the detectors 234, regardless of the blood concentration in the fluid. More specifically, the intensity of light emitted by emitter 232 (or the gain of detector 243) can be adjusted or selected taking into account different side lengths L1, L2 so that (i) when blood concentration is high (e.g., greater than 95%), the second optical signal S2 traveling along the shorter path exceeds the lower sensitivity limit of detector 234 even after attenuation by the fluid, and (ii) when blood concentration is low (e.g., 0%), the first optical signal S1 is lower than the upper sensitivity limit of detector 234 even after attenuation (or no attenuation) by the fluid. The inner diameter of the circular conduit may be narrowed to maintain high sensitivity to high blood concentrations, but as a result, the cross-sectional area of ​​the circular conduit is too small to be sensitive to low blood concentrations. The same is true for wider circular conduits, because the wider circular conduit maintains high sensitivity to low blood concentrations but loses sensitivity to high blood concentrations. Using a non-circular conduit 250 overcomes these challenges.

[0038] It is contemplated that the emitters 232 may emit optical signals at different intensities and / or the detectors 234 may have different sensitivity ranges. As one example, a first emitter 232A configured to emit a first optical signal S1 along a longer travel path may be brighter than a second optical signal S2 emitted by a second emitter 232B. As another example, a first detector 234A configured to detect a first optical signal S1 along a longer travel path may be more sensitive than a second detector 234B.

[0039] The detector 234 detects the optical signals and generates data or signal values. The signal values ​​are transmitted to the processor 110, from which the processor 110 can determine the concentration of a fluid component, e.g., hemoglobin concentration. Thus, an example method may include transmitting a first optical signal S1 through the non-circular conduit 250 and the fluid along a first axis AT1 using a first emitter 232A and detecting the first optical signal S1 using a first detector 234A. The first optical signal S1 may be at least partially absorbed and / or scattered by the fluid. Similarly, a second optical signal S2 is transmitted through the non-circular conduit 250 along a second axis AT2 using a second detector 232B and detected by a second detector 234B. The second optical signal S2 may be at least partially absorbed and / or scattered by the fluid.

[0040] In certain embodiments, the second optical signal S1 is transmitted after the first optical signal S1 is transmitted so that only one of the first emitter 232A and the second emitter 232B is active, activated, or "fired" at a time. In other words, the first optical signal and the second optical signal can be alternately fired. The alternating firing can be continuous and repeated during system operation, can be based on a defined criteria, or a combination of both. In one example, the alternating firing can be at a fixed time interval or at a varying time interval. As another example, one of the first emitter 232A and the second emitter 232B can be fired at a first fixed time interval, and the other can be fired at a second time interval that is different from the first fixed time interval.

[0041] In certain embodiments, only one of the first emitter 232A and the second emitter 232B is repeatedly illuminated, while the other emitter is “idling.” The other emitter is illuminated only in response to the processor 110 determining a lack of an optical signal or other detectable characteristic sensed by the detector(s) 234. For example, the first emitter 232A can be illuminated at fixed or varying time intervals, and the first detector 234A detects the first optical signal S1. The processor 110 can compare the first optical signal S1 with a predetermined sensor sensitivity threshold. If the processor 110 determines that the first optical signal S1 has decreased below the sensor sensitivity threshold (e.g., the first detector 234A is not detecting the first optical signal S1), the processor 110 can activate the second emitter 232B to begin emitting light at fixed or varying time intervals to compensate for the decrease in the first optical signal S1. The sensor sensitivity threshold can be an instantaneous threshold or an average threshold over a predetermined period of time (e.g., 3 seconds). In this regard, the system 100 can compensate in real time for significantly varying blood concentrations within the fluid.

[0042] In certain embodiments, the first emitter 232A can emit a first optical signal S1 at a first wavelength, and the second emitter 232B can emit a second optical signal S2 at a second wavelength. The second wavelength is different from the first wavelength. For example, the first emitter can be an infrared light emitting diode (LED) and the second emitter can be a visible light LED, such as a green LED. The infrared LED can be configured to emit light having a wavelength generally in the range of 700 nanometers (nm) to 1000 nm, more particularly in the range of 750 nm to 850 nm, and even more particularly in the range of 770 nm to 810 nm. The visible light LED can be configured to emit light having a wavelength generally in the range of 400 nm to 600 nm, more particularly in the range of 550 nm to 600 nm, and even more particularly in the range of 570 nm to 580 nm.

[0043] It has been found that lower wavelengths of light scatter more easily than higher wavelengths of light. Therefore, it can be difficult to detect higher wavelengths over greater distances. The sensor module 200 addresses this issue by relating the wavelengths of the emitters 232 (via the sensor housing 220) to the various side lengths L1, L2 of the conduit 250. More specifically, for example, a lower wavelength LED can be positioned across the narrower side length L2 of the conduit 250, and a higher wavelength LED can be positioned across the wider side length L1 of the conduit 250. Thus, the optical signals S1, S2 can include light of different frequencies, and the processor 110 can characterize the fluid contents based on the effect of the fluid contents on the different frequencies of light (e.g., via the Beer-Lambert law). In other words, the processor 110 can be configured to associate signal values ​​with the wavelengths of the optical signals S1, S2, thereby providing more robust data from which the fluid contents can be characterized using an algorithm implemented by the processor 110.

[0044] In addition to absorption of optical signals, optical signals may be scattered by particles within the fluid. For example, referring to FIG. 6, optical signals S1 and S2 are shown passing through illustrated particles in a fluid flowing through a conduit 250. A first scattering signal SS1 and a second scattering signal SS2 corresponding to each optical signal S1 and S2 are shown. The scattering signals SS1 and SS2 result from a portion of the respective signals S1 and S2 being scattered by the particles. The detector 234 can be configured to receive one of the scattering signals SS1 and SS2 in addition to one of the optical signals S1 and S2. More specifically, the second detector 234B can receive the first scattering signal SS1 (in addition to the second optical signal S2), and the first detector 234A can receive the second scattering signal SS2 (in addition to the first optical signal S2). These optical signals S1, S2 and scattered signals SS1, SS2 can be associated with different wavelengths (and / or emission timing of emitter 232) such that processor 110 is configured to detect whether the received signal is an optical signal or a scattered signal. Signal values ​​of signals S1, S2, SS1, SS2 received by corresponding detectors 234 can be transmitted to processor 110 to provide an even richer data matrix. Processor 110 can be configured to determine fluid properties of the fluid contents based on the optical signals S1, S2 received by first detector 234A and second detector 234B, respectively, and the scattered signals SS1, SS2 received by second detector 234B and first detector 234A, respectively. Thus, an example method can include using second detector 232B to generate a first scattered light value SS1 indicative of first optical signal S1 being at least partially scattered by the fluid. A second scattered light value SS2 indicative of the second optical signal S2 being at least partially scattered by the fluid is generated using the first detector 234A. The fluid composition is determined using the processor 110 further based on the first scattered light value SS1 and the second scattered light value SS2.

[0045] Additionally or alternatively, the optical signals S1 and S2 can be used to determine the fill level within the conduit 250. For purposes of illustration, the first lateral axis AT1 in FIGS. 3A and 3B can be oriented perpendicular to gravity, while the second lateral axis AT2 can be oriented parallel to gravity. With further reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the conduit 250 is shown partially filled with different levels of fluid by the shaded portions of the conduit 250. It has been recognized that at high suction levels from the vacuum source 108, the fluid may not actually "settled" in the lower portions of the conduit 250. However, even within a highly irregular flow path through the conduit 250, the principles herein remain applicable, as the optical signals S1 and S2 may continue to be attenuated and scattered. Referring initially to FIG. 5A, the fill level is above the path of travel of the second optical signal S2, and therefore the second optical signal S2 may be attenuated accordingly. The processor 110 can be configured to correlate the respective data from the first detector 234A and the second detector 234B to estimate the fill level. On the other hand, FIG. 5B illustrates a lower fill level where the second optical signal S2 has little or no attenuation (and the attenuation of the first optical signal S1 is reduced compared to FIG. 5A). Again, the fluid characterization algorithm executed by the processor 110 can be configured to correlate the respective data from the first detector 234A and the second detector 234B to estimate the fill level. In embodiments having additional emitters 232 and detectors 234 positioned around the conduit 250 (see FIGS. 7A-7D), the additional data (e.g., attenuation data and scattering data) from the combination of each of the detectors 234 and each of the emitters 232 can provide a data-rich matrix for the processor 110 to determine the percentage of the conduit 250 that is filled with fluid.

[0046] Previous embodiments described herein have included two emitter-detector pairs (i.e., 232A-234A and 232B-234B). In exemplary embodiments, the sensor module 200 may include three or more emitters 232 and three or more detectors 234. The sensor module 200 may include three, four, six (see FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 7A-7D), ten, or more emitters 232 and detectors 234. It is further contemplated that the sensor module 200 may include more emitters 232 than detectors 234, or more detectors 234 than emitters 232. FIGS. 7A-7D show exemplary arrangements of emitters 232 and detectors 234, along with diagrams of various optical and scatter signals transmitted through conduits and fluids (which have been removed for clarity). For clarity, not all of the optical and scatter signals are shown.

[0047] 7A, a "one-to-many" arrangement is shown in which an outgoing emitter 232O emits an optical signal configured to be received by two or more of the detectors 234. The outgoing emitters 232O can be configured to emit optical signals each directed to a specific detector 234. For example, the outgoing emitter 232O can be configured to emit an optical signal of multiple wavelengths of light, and each of the detectors 234 can be configured to receive one of the multiple wavelengths of light. Alternatively, the outgoing emitter 232O can be configured to emit an optical signal configured to be received by all of the detectors 234 substantially simultaneously.

[0048] It can be seen from FIG. 7A that the paths of travel between the emitter 232 and most or all of the detectors 234 are different. Moreover, the detectors 234 are positioned at different angles relative to the emitter 232. For example, the outgoing emitter 232O sends out an optical signal that is received by various detectors 234B, 234C, 234D, and 234E. The two detectors 234C and 234D, positioned opposite the outgoing emitter 232O, effectively measure the absorbance of the optical signal throughout the entire fluid. In contrast, the two detectors 234B and 234E measure the absorbance of the optical signal through a shorter path of travel. Furthermore, the scattering signal SS is also detected by the detector 234. In this case, the array D of sensor data collected at regular intervals (in the hundreds of hertz range, which captures fluid changes in the flow) can be expressed by the following equation:

number

[0049] Thus, certain exemplary methods can include repeatedly transmitting optical signals through the conduit 250 and the fluid using the emitter 232. The optical signals, at least partially absorbed and scattered by the fluid, are detected using the first and second detectors 234, respectively. The emitter 232 and the first and second detectors 234 are arranged in an array around the conduit 250 such that the distances between the emitter and the first and second detectors vary. The processor determines absorbance and scattering values ​​from the data from the first and second detectors for each of the first and second optical signals. The processor 110 determines the concentration of a fluid component in the fluid based on the absorbance and scattering values.

[0050] 7B, a "many-to-one arrangement" is shown in which multiple emitters 232 each emit an optical signal that is received by the same receiving detector 234R. In a many-to-one arrangement, the receiving detector 234R can be configured to receive light of multiple wavelengths, and the emitters 232 can each be configured to emit an optical signal corresponding to a particular wavelength. Alternatively, each of the emitters 232 can be configured to transmit an optical signal at a different time. The processor 110 is configured to associate a signal value from the receiving detector 234R at a particular time with a single one of the emitters 232.

[0051] 7C and 7D, a "many-to-many" arrangement is shown in which multiple emitters 232A-232F each emit multiple optical signals that are received by multiple detectors 234A-234F, respectively. These optical signals can be distinguished based on wavelength, timing, or any other signal characteristic. Thus, this combination of light sources and sensors provides an exemplary rich data array of absorbance and scattering information from many wavelengths of light. In other words, this arrangement can include all combinations of emitter-detector pairs that provide signal values ​​for optical signals and all combinations of emitter-detector pairs that provide other signal values ​​for scattering signals. For example, each emitter 232 can be illuminated in sequence, and each detector 234 measures the absorbance and scattering from that emitter 232. For example, if Si corresponds to the ith signal received by the ith detector 234 and Li corresponds to the ith emitting emitter 232, the pattern begins with illumination of L1, and measurements from S1, S2, through S5 are recorded. L1 is then deactivated, L2 is turned on, and measurements from all sensors are again recorded. This sequence continues until each light source has been turned on and sensor data recorded. Once all light sources have been turned on, the sequence starts again with the first light source. This sequence repeats at regular intervals in the hundreds of hertz range to provide timely updates of fluid changes in the flow. Each iteration of this sequence generates a matrix of data D', as follows:

number

[0052] The rich data matrix is ​​provided to processor 110, which uses it to characterize the fluid contents flowing through conduit 250. In other words, processor 110 can perform mathematical operations on the rich data matrix to characterize the fluid contents. A model, such as a neural network, Gaussian regression model, or other machine learning model trained with representative test data, can use the information in this matrix to determine the characteristics (e.g., blood concentration) of the fluid in the tube at each time interval. Processor 110 can determine the concentration from the absorbance through the Beer-Lambert law, which states that there is a linear relationship between the absorbance of a solution and its concentration. It is recognized that the optical signal can have additional, distinct signal characteristics. These signal characteristics can provide processor 110 with additional data characterizing the fluid contents. Furthermore, it should be understood that the multivariate analysis implementation described with reference to FIGS. 7A-7D can be used with conduits of non-circular cross-section (FIGS. 7A-7C) or circular cross-section (FIG. 7D).

[0053] One particular example method may therefore include: transmitting a first optical signal through the conduit and the fluid using a first emitter; transmitting a second optical signal through the conduit and the fluid using a second emitter; detecting the first optical signal and the second optical signal at least partially absorbed and scattered by the fluid using a first detector and a second detector, respectively, wherein the first emitter and the second emitter and the first detector and the second detector are arranged in an array around the conduit such that distances between combinations of the first emitter and the second emitter and the first detector and the second detector vary; determining, using a processor, absorbance values ​​and scattering values ​​from data from each of the first detector and the second detector for each of the first optical signal and the second optical signal to provide a data matrix; and determining, using the processor, a concentration of a fluid component in the fluid based on the data matrix of absorbance values ​​and scattering values.

[0054] Even more information can be added to this matrix by illuminating the emitters 232 in different sequences, patterns, groupings, etc. As one example, the emitters 232 are activated one at a time in sequential positional order around the conduit (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise). As another example, a first subset of the emitters 232 are activated together, followed by a second subset of the emitters 232. The emitters 232 can also be illuminated at a particular frequency, which can be applied to any illumination pattern. For example, the emitters 232 can be illuminated at regular intervals, such as in the range of several hundred hertz. Each iteration of illumination can provide the processor 110 with a rich data matrix used to characterize the fluid contents. The timing of the optical signals can also be controlled by the processor 110 based on data received from the detector(s) 234. For example, the processor 110 can transmit a first optical signal S1 at a first time point and transmit a second optical signal S2 at a second time point only if the first optical signal S1 is not received by the detectors 234, so that the processor 110 is provided with sufficient information to characterize the fluid contents. More specifically, the processor 110 can determine the signal strength of the first optical signal S1 received by one of the detectors 234 and compare this signal strength to a sensor sensitivity threshold. This sensor sensitivity threshold corresponds to the lowest signal strength required to characterize the fluid contents. If a first optical signal S1 having a signal strength exceeding the sensor sensitivity threshold is not received, the processor 110 can transmit a second optical signal S2. This process can be repeated until the processor 110 has sufficient information to accurately characterize the fluid contents flowing through the conduit 250. In this regard, these embodiments also provide HDR sensing, as the travel paths between various combinations of emitters 232 and detectors 234 are partially or entirely different.

[0055] The sensor data can then be provided to the processor 110, which can execute a fluid characterization algorithm or model, such as a neural network, a Gaussian regression model, a parametric model, or other machine learning model trained using representative test data. In one exemplary embodiment, the fluid characterization algorithm is a parametric model based on a machine-trained dataset in one or more neural networks. For example, artificial intelligence can employ a parametric model to determine what characteristics of the fluid contents are associated with signal values ​​from several detectors 234. More specifically, the fluid contents can be characterized by the processor 110 as having a particular blood concentration based on a known relationship between blood concentration and the effect on the optical signal caused by a particular blood concentration. As another example, the processor 110 can characterize the fluid contents using a known relationship between signal attenuation and material properties. As yet another example, the processor 110 can characterize the fluid contents using a known relationship between signal timing and material properties. These relationships can be used alone or in combination. The known relationships can be developed by training a parametric model (or other machine learning model) using training data. Once the processor 110 utilizes the known relationship, the processor 110 can characterize the fluid contents by providing the signal transmission and detection characteristics (along with other characteristics described herein) as inputs to a parametric model.

[0056] In another embodiment, the fluid characterization algorithm may include the algorithmic modules disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0008637, published January 13, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The fluid characterization algorithm may include a feature extraction module that utilizes digital signals from a processor as input and returns a set of digital signals representing one or more characteristic properties of the fluid for algorithmic analysis. When there are no strong features to track during a period of fluid flow, such as laminar or continuous patches of fluid flow, the fluid motion model module may estimate the flow of the fluid contents. The fluid characterization algorithm may further include an optical mass estimation module that analyzes substances measured in the fluid contents as the fluid contents pass through a conduit paired with a sensor module having a detector. The fluid scattering estimation module may determine the presence of scattering particles. This can be done as part of estimating the hemoglobin concentration of blood at various hemolysis levels, which cause changes in scattering parameters. The fluid characterization algorithm can further include a fluid type classification module that classifies the fluid contents within a given time frame (e.g., determines the fluid type of the fluid contents). The fluid type classification module automatically categorizes different fluid contents having different properties based on the output of the sensor modules or other measurement modalities. The sensor merge module can combine measurements of measured substances between different sensors (e.g., having different measurement modalities or different emitter-detector arrangements). Additionally or alternatively, the processor 110 can characterize the fluid contents using a known relationship between signal attenuation and material properties. For example, the processor 110 can use the Beer-Lambert law to characterize the fluid contents based on the wavelength of the optical signal and the attenuation of that signal. This attenuation is known based on the intensity of the optical signal received by one of the detectors 234.Additionally or alternatively, processor 110 may perform other forms of spectroscopic analysis. For example, processor 110 may perform the spectroscopic analysis described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0008637. Other mathematical phenomena are also contemplated.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 8 , an alternative embodiment is provided in which a sensor module 200 is coupled to a container 106, such as a container 106 of a medical waste collection system 112. While the sensor module 200 is shown having a single emitter 232 and a single detector 234 positioned adjacent to the emitter 232, more than one emitter or detector may be provided. The sensor module 200, coupled to the outer wall of the container 106, is outside the volume defined by the outer wall. The arrangement of the emitter 232 and detector 234, e.g., positioned adjacent to each other and adjacent the outer wall, is configured to enable reflectance spectroscopy. In such an embodiment, an optical signal is directed toward the fluid contents within the container 106, with some of the light being absorbed and some being reflected. A first optical signal S1 is shown being transmitted into the container 106, and a first scattered signal SS1 is shown reflecting back toward the detector 234. Once received by detector 234, an analysis of the amount of absorbed and scattered light can be used by processor 110 to characterize the fluid contents. More specifically, first scattered signal SS1 can include light at multiple wavelengths, with the intensity of each wavelength received by detector 234 corresponding to the absorbance and reflectance spectra of the fluid contents. If the fluid contents contain a known substance, such as blood, the absorbance and reflectance spectra of the known substance(s) can be considered by processor 110 to determine the concentration of the known substance(s) according to the algorithms disclosed herein.

[0058] 8 may be useful when the fluid in the container 106 has high absorbance and scattering characteristics (e.g., high concentrations of blood) or when the container 106 is too wide for the optical signal from the sensor module 200 to traverse. Because the optical signal sent into the container 106 may be completely absorbed and / or scattered by the fluid contents before traversing the entire container, the detector 234 may be positioned proximate to the emitter 232 to receive the scattered portion of the optical signal (e.g., the first scattered signal SS1 from the first signal S1). The scattered signal SS1 received by the detector 234 may be used by the processor 110 to characterize the fluid contents according to any of the methods described herein.

[0059] FIG. 9 illustrates one embodiment of the emitter 232. In situations where the fluid contents are highly heterogeneous, the fluid may contain concentrated and diluted portions of a patient fluid, such as blood. The emitter 232 includes a light guide 240 disposed between an outgoing emitter 232O and a plurality of LEDs 232A, 232B, and 232C. The LEDs 232A, 232B, and 232C can have different wavelengths. For example, the first LED 232A can be blue, the second LED 232B can be green, and the third LED 232C can be red. More than three LEDs can be provided, and other colors are also contemplated. The LEDs 232A, 232B, and 232C can be activated simultaneously or sequentially. A particular advantage is that the different wavelengths are output from the same location, i.e., the outgoing emitter 232O. Therefore, the light signals have the same travel path through the fluid despite their different wavelengths. For example, by eliminating cases where the optical signal travels through high and low blood "sections" in a highly heterogeneous fluid due to different sources, the absorbance and / or scattering characteristics of the fluid contents can be more accurately determined by processor 110. It is understood that emitter 232 of Figure 9 can be implemented as any one or more of emitters 232 of other embodiments disclosed herein.

[0060] Several embodiments have been discussed in the above description. However, the embodiments discussed herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to any particular form. The terms used are intended to be descriptive in nature, rather than limiting. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings, and the present invention may be practiced in ways other than as specifically described. While much of the above description refers to blood concentration, it is understood that the sensor module 200 and its associated methods can be used to characterize fluid contents based on the passage of any fluid through the conduit 250. For example, when the fluid is a more complex mixture, such as blood, where there is absorbance and light scattering due to the presence of cells, the multidimensional data in the rich data matrix (D') can facilitate determining additional compound variables, such as the level of hemolysis in the blood (i.e., cells rupture and leak their contents into solution). This variable characteristic of blood can make determining blood concentration difficult in existing systems that use a single emitter-detector pair.

[0061] An exemplary system for implementing the methods described herein may include a computing device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet computer, or wearable device) including processor 110 and a memory. The term “memory,” as used herein, refers to a machine-readable medium capable of temporarily or permanently storing data and may be interpreted to include, but is not limited to, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), buffer memory, flash memory, and cache memory. The term “machine-readable medium” is also interpreted to include any medium, or combination of media, that can carry (e.g., store or communicate) instructions for execution by a machine, such that the instructions, when executed by one or more processors (e.g., a processor) of system 100, cause the machine to perform, in whole or in part, any one or more of the methodologies described herein. The term “machine-readable medium” is therefore interpreted to include, but is not limited to, one or more tangible, non-transitory data repositories (e.g., data volumes). "Non-transitory" machine-readable medium, as used herein, specifically excludes propagating signals per se.

[0062] Various operations of the example methods described herein may be performed, at least in part, by one or more processors that are temporarily or permanently configured (e.g., by software) to perform the associated operations. Moreover, such one or more processors may perform the operations in a "cloud computing" environment or as a service (e.g., within a "software as a service" (SaaS) implementation). At least some operations in any one or more of the methods discussed herein may be performed by a cluster of computers (e.g., as an example of a machine that includes a processor), and these operations are accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet) and one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., application program interfaces (APIs)). These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are within the scope of the subject matter of this specification.

[0063] Further inventive aspects are disclosed in the following exemplifying appendix.

[0064] Appendix 1 - Vacuum pump and a vessel in fluid communication with the vacuum pump and having an outer wall, the vessel configured to collect fluid under suction from the vacuum pump; a sensor module comprising a housing, an emitter, and a detector, the emitter and the detector positioned outside the vessel adjacent the outer wall, the emitter configured to emit an optical signal, and the detector configured to detect the optical signal absorbed and / or scattered by the fluid within the vessel; a processor in electronic communication with the sensor module and configured to receive sensor data from the detector and characterize a fluid component of the fluid; A medical waste collection system comprising:

[0065] Clause 2 - A sensor module for characterizing a fluid from a patient, comprising: a housing configured to be coupled to a non-circular conduit, the housing including: a first conduit sheet arranged to be positioned adjacent one side of the non-circular conduit when the housing is coupled to the non-circular conduit; a second conduit sheet arranged to be positioned adjacent an opposite side of the non-circular conduit when the housing is coupled to the non-circular conduit; and a lumen defined by the first conduit sheet and the second conduit sheet when the housing is coupled to the non-circular conduit, the lumen including a minor cross-sectional dimension and a major cross-sectional dimension larger than the minor cross-sectional dimension; a first light emitting diode coupled to the housing and configured to output an optical signal at a first wavelength; a second light emitting diode coupled to the housing and configured to output an optical signal at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength; a first detector coupled to the housing on an opposite side of the smaller cross-sectional dimension from the first light emitting diode, the first detector configured to detect the light signal at the first wavelength from the first light emitting diode and the scattered light signal at the second wavelength from the second light emitting diode; a second detector coupled to the housing on an opposite side of the major cross-sectional dimension from the second light emitting diode, the second detector configured to detect the light signal at the second wavelength from the second light emitting diode and the scattered light signal at the first wavelength from the first light emitting diode; A sensor module comprising:

[0066] Appendix 3 - The sensor module of claim 2, further comprising a processor in communication with at least one of the first light-emitting diode, the second light-emitting diode, the first detector, and the second detector.

[0067] Appendix 4 - The sensor module of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to determine a concentration of a fluid component of the fluid flowing through the non-circular conduit based on the optical signal detected by the first detector and the second detector and the scattered light signal detected by the first detector and the second detector.

[0068] Clause 5 - The sensor module of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the concentration of the fluid component of the fluid flowing through the non-circular conduit by analyzing the optical signal and the scattered optical signal with a parametric model generated by a machine-trained neural network.

[0069] APPENDIX 6 - The sensor module of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to determine absorbance values ​​and scattering values ​​from data from each of the first and second photodetectors for the first optical signal, the second optical signal, and each of the scattered optical signals to provide a data matrix, and to determine a concentration of a fluid component in the fluid flowing through the non-circular conduit based on the data matrix of absorbance values ​​and scattering values.

[0070] APPENDIX 7 - An optical emitter for use with a sensor module for characterizing fluid from a patient, comprising: an outgoing emitter configured to output optical signals of multiple wavelengths; a first light emitting diode configured to output an optical signal at a first wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths; a second light emitting diode configured to output an optical signal at a second wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths; a light guide coupling each of the first light emitting diode and the second light emitting diode to the outgoing emitter; A light emitter comprising:

Claims

1. 1. A method for characterizing a fluid flowing through a non-circular conduit using a system including a first light emitter and a second light emitter, a first light detector and a second light detector, and a processor, comprising: transmitting a first optical signal along a first axis through the non-circular conduit and the fluid using the first optical emitter; detecting, with the first optical detector, the first optical signal at least partially absorbed by the fluid; using the second optical emitter to transmit the second optical signal through the non-circular conduit along a second axis different from the first axis such that one of the first and second optical signals has a shorter relative path through the non-circular conduit than the other; detecting the second optical signal at least partially absorbed by the fluid with the second optical detector; determining, with the processor, a concentration of a fluid component in the fluid based on the first optical signal and the second optical signal; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are perpendicular to each other.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first axis and the second axis are transverse to a longitudinal axis of the non-circular conduit.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first axis and the second axis correspond to major and minor cross-sectional dimensions, respectively, of the non-circular conduit.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the non-circular conduit is at least one of oval, elliptical, hexagonal, octagonal, and rectangular.

6. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the second optical signal occurs after the step of transmitting the first optical signal, such that only one of the first optical emitter and the second optical emitter is operative at a time.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising alternately transmitting the first optical signal and the second optical signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of alternately transmitting the first optical signal and the second optical signal is performed repeatedly and continuously during operation of the system.

9. using the processor to compare the first optical signal to a sensor sensitivity threshold; performing the step of transmitting the second optical signal in response to the first optical signal being less than the sensor sensitivity threshold; The method of claim 6 further comprising:

10. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the concentration of the fluid component further comprises analyzing the first optical signal and the second optical signal using a parametric model generated by a machine-trained neural network.

11. generating, with the processor, a first scattered light value indicative of the first light signal detected by the second light detector as being at least partially scattered by the fluid; generating, with the processor, a second scattered light value indicative of the second light signal detected by the first light detector as being at least partially scattered by the fluid; determining, with the processor, the concentration of the fluid component further based on the first scattered light value and the second scattered light value; The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising:

12. 1. A method of characterizing a fluid flowing through a conduit using a system including a first light emitter and a second light emitter, a first light detector and a second light detector, and a processor, comprising: repeatedly transmitting optical signals through the conduit and the fluid using the optical emitter; detecting the optical signal at least partially absorbed and scattered by the fluid with each of the first and second optical detectors, wherein the first and second optical emitters and the first and second optical detectors are arranged in an array around the conduit such that distances between the optical emitters and each of the first and second optical detectors are different; determining, with the processor, absorbance and scatter values ​​for each of the optical signals detected by each of the first and second optical detectors; determining, with the processor, a concentration of a fluid component in the fluid based on the absorbance value and the scattering value; A method comprising:

13. 1. A method of characterizing a fluid flowing through a conduit using a system including a first light emitter and a second light emitter, a first light detector and a second light detector, and a processor, comprising: transmitting a first optical signal through the conduit and the fluid using the first optical emitter; transmitting a second optical signal through the conduit and the fluid using the second optical emitter; detecting the first and second optical signals at least partially absorbed and scattered by the fluid using the first and second optical detectors, respectively, wherein the first and second optical emitters and the first and second optical detectors are arranged in an array around the conduit such that distances between pairs of the first and second optical emitters and the first and second optical detectors vary; using the processor to determine absorbance and scattering values ​​from data from each of the first and second photodetectors for each of the first and second optical signals to provide a data matrix; determining, with the processor, a concentration of a fluid component in the fluid based on the data matrix of the absorbance values ​​and the scattering values; A method comprising:

14. transmitting the first optical signal at a first wavelength; transmitting the second optical signal at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength; The method of claim 13 further comprising:

15. 15. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the step of transmitting the second optical signal occurs after the step of transmitting the first optical signal, such that only one of the first optical emitter and the second optical emitter is operative at a time.

16. The method of any one of claims 13 to 15, further comprising alternately transmitting the first optical signal and the second optical signal.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of alternately transmitting the first optical signal and the second optical signal is performed repeatedly and continuously during operation of the system.

18. 1. A method of characterizing a fluid flowing through a conduit using a system including optical emitters arranged in an array around the conduit, optical detectors arranged in the array around the conduit, and a processor, comprising: transmitting optical signals through the conduit and the fluid using the optical emitters, the optical emitters being activated one at a time sequentially in positional order around the conduit; detecting the optical signal at least partially absorbed and scattered by the fluid with the optical detector; using the processor to determine absorbance and scatter values ​​from the data from the photodetector for each of the optical signals; determining, with the processor, a concentration of a fluid component in the fluid based on the absorbance value and the scattering value; A method comprising:

19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the light emitters and light detectors are arranged in an array around the conduit such that the distances between the light emitter and light detector combinations vary.

20. 1. A method of characterizing a fluid flowing through a conduit using a system including optical emitters arranged in an array around the conduit, optical detectors arranged in the array around the conduit, and a processor, comprising: transmitting an optical signal through the conduit and the fluid using a first one of the optical emitters; detecting the optical signal at least partially absorbed and scattered by the fluid using one of the optical detectors adjacent or closest to the first optical emitter; using the processor to determine absorbance and scatter values ​​from the data from the photodetector for each of the optical signals; determining, with the processor, a concentration of a fluid component in the fluid based on the absorbance value and the scattering value; A method comprising:

21. 21. The method of any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein the step of determining the concentration of the fluid component further comprises analyzing the first optical signal and the second optical signal using a parametric model generated by a machine-trained neural network.

22. The method of any one of claims 14 to 21, wherein the conduit is non-circular, and optionally the non-circular conduit is at least one of oval, elliptical, and rectangular.

23. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein the light emitter and the light detector are bonded to an outer diameter of the conduit to form an annulus.

24. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the photodetectors are positioned at different angles relative to each of the photoemitters.

25. The method of any one of claims 1 to 24, further comprising displaying the concentration of the fluid component on a display.

26. A sensor module; a processor in electronic communication with the sensor module and configured to characterize a fluid flowing through a conduit according to a method of any one of claims 1 to 25; Optionally, a display in electronic communication with said processor and configured to display an analysis from said characterization of said fluid. A system comprising:

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable on one or more processors to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 25.

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