Real-Time Drop Chamber Monitor

Abstract

A drip chamber detection assembly for an intravenous set for use with an infusion pump is provided. The drip chamber detection assembly includes a sensor coupled to the drip chamber. The sensor is positioned to generate a signal related to the fluid level in the drip chamber. The signal data is transmitted to an infusion pump or controller. The fluid level status or condition is determined and used for closed-loop control of the infusion system, generating an alarm and / or stopping the infusion pump based on an abnormal condition. A method of operating the drip chamber detection assembly is also provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the detection of uncontrolled flow conditions in infusion pumps, and more particularly to real-time drip chamber monitoring.

Background Art

[0002] Intravenous (IV) sets are widely used in the medical field for fluid delivery applications using gravity and infusion pumps. Such IV sets typically have at least one flow control device for controlling the flow of fluid passing through the IV set, such as a drip chamber, check valve, and roller clamp. For an IV set for an infusion pump to operate properly, it is required that a free flow condition in the drip chamber can be detected and alerts and / or actions for improving that condition can be provided. As typical solutions, an external optical sensor may be used with the drip chamber to determine a free flow condition, or a camera vision system that images through the wall of the drip chamber to count the formation of drops may be used. However, these solutions are adversely affected by conditions such as discoloration of the drip chamber wall, fogging or condensation in the drip chamber, and small water droplets accumulated on the drip chamber wall due to the dripping effect, thereby preventing the system from reliably identifying and counting the drops in the drip chamber. For these reasons, it is desirable to provide a method and system that overcome these limitations to accurately monitor the fluid level in the drip chamber.

[0003] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure, and together with the detailed description serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0004]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

[0005] The detailed description provided below describes various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configuration in which the subject technology can be implemented. This detailed description includes specific details to provide a complete understanding of the subject technology. Therefore, dimensions are provided as non-limiting examples with respect to specific embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject technology can be implemented without these specific details. In some cases, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the concepts of the subject technology.

[0006] It should be understood that this disclosure includes examples of the subject technology but does not limit the scope of the appended claims. In the following, various aspects of the subject technology are disclosed according to detailed but non-limiting examples. The various embodiments described in this disclosure can be implemented according to the desired application or implementation example in different ways and variations.

[0007] As shown in FIG. 1, the patient care system 20 has a controller 60 and four infusion pumps 22, 24, 26, and 28, each infusion pump being fluidly connected to upstream fluid lines 30, 32, 34, and 36, respectively. Also, the four infusion pumps 22, 24, 26, and 28 are each fluidly connected to downstream fluid lines 31, 33, 35, and 37, respectively. These fluid lines can be any type of fluid conduit through which fluid can flow, such as an intravenous (IV) administration set. It should be noted that any of a variety of pump mechanisms can be used, including syringe pumps.

[0008] Fluid supply sources 38, 40, 42, and 44 can take various forms, but in this case are shown as bottles, inverted and suspended above the pumps. The fluid supply sources can also take the form of bags or other types of containers including syringes. Both the patient care system 20 and the fluid supply sources 38, 40, 42, and 44 are installed on a roller stand, an IV pole 46, a table top, and the like.

[0009] Separate infusion pumps 22, 24, 26, and 28 are used to inject each of the fluids from the fluid supply sources into the patient's body. These infusion pumps are flow control devices that act on their respective fluid lines to move the fluid from the fluid supply sources through the fluid lines to the patient 48. Because individual pumps are used, each pump can be individually set to the pump or operating parameters required to inject a specific medical fluid from each fluid supply source into the patient's body at a specific rate prescribed by a physician for that fluid. Such medical fluids can include drugs, nutrients, or other fluids.

[0010] Fluid supply sources 38, 40, 42, and 44 are each coupled to an electronic data tag 81, 83, 85, and 87 respectively, or to an electronic transmitter. Any device or component associated with the infusion system can be equipped with an electronic data tag, a reader, or a transmitter.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, a typical infusion set 50 can include a drip chamber 52, a check valve 54, a roller clamp 56, and a Y-junction 58, all interconnected by tubing 55. A typical infusion set 50 can include additional infusion components and can be formed in any combination of components and tubing 55. Along with the drip chamber 52, an external optical sensor or an external camera vision system can be used.

[0012] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the subject technology is integrated within an IV set. This eliminates the need for external components added to the IV set and the additional adjustments or calibrations required to fit external components to the drip chamber. Instead, an integrated fluid level detection assembly that can be easily and efficiently coupled to the IV set is provided in the drip chamber.

[0013] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the drip chamber detection assembly 100 includes a drip chamber 110 having a chamber body 112, an inlet end 114, and an outlet end 116. The inlet end 114 includes an inlet connector 119 configured to couple with an inlet source 150 (e.g., tubing, spike) that can be coupled to a fluid source such as a fluid bag or container (not shown). The outlet end 116 includes an outlet connector 117 configured to couple with an outlet receiver 152 (e.g., tubing) that can be coupled to another component in the IV set or to a patient.

[0014] The drip chamber detection assembly 100 includes an optical sensor 120 having a transmitter 130 and a receiver 140 (e.g., a transmitter / receiver pair), each disposed at the inlet end 114 (e.g., the upper surface) of the chamber body 112. The transmitter 130 and the receiver 140 are positioned to transmit and receive an optical (e.g., light) signal OS T at an angle with respect to the fluid level 115 within the drip chamber 110. Thus, the transmitter / receiver pair is focused at a point where the fluid level 115 reflects the optical signal OS R transmitted from the transmitter 130 as the optical signal OS T to the receiver 140 when the chamber body 112 contains the fluid level 115, as shown in FIG. 3. When the chamber body 120 is empty, as shown in FIG. 4, the optical signal OS R transmitted from the transmitter 130 has no reflecting fluid, so the optical signal OS T received by the receiver 140 is the optical signal OS Rwill not exist.

[0015] The positioning of the transmitter 130 / receiver 140 pair provides an angle θ in the direction looking down on the fluid level 115, resulting in a ripple perturbation formed by droplets of fluid that impinge on the fluid level 115. By analyzing the reflected signal at the receiver 140 with respect to the frequency of the ripple perturbation and the rate of change of the fluid level 115, the processor (e.g., controller 60) determines an uncontrolled or free-flow state within the IV set. The transmission and reception of light provides an accurate determination of a very low flow rate or drop rate within the chamber body 112. Data from the receiver 140 can be interfaced, wired or wirelessly, to an infusion pump (e.g., infusion pumps 22, 24, 26, and 28) or a system processor (e.g., controller 60) to establish closed-loop control and generate an alert to the user in the event of an abnormal flow state. By detecting at the receiver 140 the absence of a reflected signal, the drip chamber detection assembly 100 can detect in real time whether the fluid source is empty or blocked, and this information can be used in the closed-loop control of the system, such as to automatically stop the pump and / or generate an alert. As used herein, the term "real time" generally refers to a level of responsiveness of a process such that a user or system perceives it to be sufficiently immediate that subsequent processes or decisions can be made in a timely manner, or that a processor is enabled to be without delay to some external process.

[0016] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the drip chamber detection assembly 200 includes the drip chamber 110 described above. The drip chamber detection assembly 200 includes a sensor 220 having a transmitter 230 and a receiver 240 (e.g., a transmitter / receiver pair), each disposed at an inlet end 114 (e.g., upper surface) of the chamber body 112. The sensor 220 can be an acoustic sensor such as an ultrasonic piezoelectric sensor, a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor, etc. The transmitter 230 and the receiver 240 transmit and receive an acoustic (e.g., audio) signal AS Tis transmitted, and is positioned to receive an acoustic signal AS regarding the fluid level 115 within the drip chamber 110. Thus, the pair of transmitter 230 / receiver 240 is positioned such that, as shown in FIG. 5, when the chamber body 112 contains some level of fluid, the acoustic signal transmitted from the transmitter 230 is reflected by the fluid level 115 and returned to the receiver 240. When the chamber body 112 is empty as shown in FIG. 6, the acoustic signal AS R transmitted from the transmitter 230 T is reflected from the inner surface 118 of the outlet end 116, and the acoustic signal AS R is received by the receiver 240. In this case, since the acoustic signal AS T travels the entire length of the chamber body 112, the reflected acoustic signal AS R requires a longer time period to reach the receiver 240.

[0017] Due to the positioning of the pair of transmitter 230 / receiver 240, a bounce-back of the acoustic signal AS T from the fluid level 115 or the inner aspect 118 occurs as the acoustic signal AS R to the receiver 240. By analyzing the time (e.g., the signal time lag) between the transmission of the acoustic signal AS T from the transmitter 230 and the reception of the acoustic signal AS R by the receiver 240, a processor (e.g., the controller 60) measures / determines the level of fluid within the chamber body 112, and that level can be compared with the known pump / IV set-up and / or previous measurements of the fluid level in order to determine the flow rate of the fluid. In this case, the fluid level 115 within the drip chamber 110 can be known in real time, and it becomes possible to determine the rate of change of the fluid level 115, and thus to distinguish the difference between a normal fluid state and an abnormal fluid state.

[0018] The acoustic signal AS T , AS RTransmission and reception are not affected by lighting conditions and optical reflections, and detection of such signals provides very accurate fluid level detection within the chamber body 112. Data from the receiver 240 can be interfaced, wired or wirelessly, to the injection pumps (e.g., injection pumps 22, 24, 26, 28) or the system processor (e.g., controller 60) to establish closed loop control and generate alerts to the user in the event of an abnormal flow condition. The acoustic signal AS reflected from the inner surface 118 R By detecting at the receiver 240, the drip chamber detection assembly 200 can detect in real time whether the fluid source is empty or blocked, and that information can be used in the closed loop control of the system. The closed loop control can take actions such as automatic stopping of the pump and / or generation of an alert based on the fluid source information.

[0019] Based on the varying level of fluid within the chamber body 112, a series of alarms can be provided to the interface and / or the user. For example, a first alarm can be provided when the fluid level drops below a certain level, and more urgent alarms can also be generated as the fluid level continues to drop through successive threshold levels. Determination of the fluid level can be used to provide information for pump operation. For example, if the chamber body 112 is determined to have no fluid level at all (e.g., the chamber is empty), it can be determined that the fluid source (e.g., fluid supplies 38, 40, 42, 44) is empty or that the pump (e.g., injection pumps 22, 24, 26, 28) is not operating properly (e.g., operating as in a gravity IV set) during the fill / delivery cycle.

[0020] Next, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the drip chamber detector assembly 300 includes the drip chamber 110 described above. The drip chamber detector assembly 300 includes a sensor 320 disposed inside or outside the chamber body 112. The sensor 320 can be a wireless sensor, a radio frequency (RF) sensor, etc. As shown in FIG. 7, when the sensor 320 is shielded by the fluid level 115 within the chamber body 112, it may not be possible for the sensor 320 to be read by the scanner read signal SRS, or for the sensor transmission signal STS from the sensor 320 to pass outside the chamber body 112. However, as shown in FIG. 8, when the chamber body 112 is empty, the sensor 320 can reflect the scanner read signal SRS transmitted from the signal source / scanner, or transmit the sensor transmission signal STS from the sensor 320 outside the drip chamber 110. The reflected scanner read signal SRS or the transmitted sensor transmission signal STS can be received by the query scanner or any other reader.

[0021] For example, the sensor 320 can be a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag with an antenna, and the degradation of the power characteristics of the RFID tag can be related to the change in physical parameters. Thus, monitoring the change in RFID tag detection can be related to the state of the IV container (e.g., fluid sources 38, 40, 42, 44). In the full state, the background dielectric for the RFID tag is the fluid-based drug. The main component of the IV drug is water, and water is a polar dielectric that cancels out most of the electric field coming from the RFID reader. Therefore, when the RFID tag is adjacent to the fluid, the RFID tag cannot be read. However, in the empty state, the background dielectric for the RFID tag is air, and as a result, it becomes readable. Thus, by observing the detection of the RFID tag, the state change of the drip chamber 110 from the full state to the empty state, and thus the state change of the IV container (e.g., fluid sources 38, 40, 42, 44) from the full state to the empty state, can be inferred.

[0022] The sensor 320 can be positioned at any desired level of the chamber body 112. For example, the sensor 320 can be positioned at the bottom of the chamber body 112 as shown in FIG. 8. As another example, the sensor 320 can be positioned slightly below a threshold fluid level (e.g., the fluid level 115) such that a signal is reflected or transmitted from the sensor 320 when the fluid level drops below the sensor 320. As yet another example, a plurality of sensors 320 can be arranged at a plurality of different positions of the chamber body 112 to provide a newly reflected / transmitted signal each time the fluid level drops below another one of the plurality of sensors 320. Such one or more sensors 320 integrated with the IV set provide monitoring of the fluid level within the drip chamber 110 in normal and adverse conditions (e.g., when the fluid source is empty, when the fluid inlet is blocked).

[0023] The described embodiments of the drip chamber detection assembly (e.g., assembly 100, assembly 200, or assembly 300) may include additional elements to support the described detection functions. For example, the drip chamber detection assembly may include a power source to power the elements included in the assembly. The power source may be, for example, an inductive power source that generates power from a wireless signal received from an infusion pump or an intravenous (IV) pole from which a fluid source is suspended. In some implementations, the power source may be a battery. In some implementations, power may be received via a conductive path formed between the assembly and another device such as an infusion pump or an IV pole to which the fluid source is attached. This conductive path may be formed as part of the administration set. Other examples of elements that may be included in the assembly include a microprocessor for adjusting all or part of the detection process, a transceiver for communicating information between the assembly, a memory for storing measurements or settings for the detection processor, or an output element that provides a human-perceivable output (e.g., audio, visual, tactile) indicating the status or state of the assembly or an infusion session that includes the assembly.

[0024] Examples of closed-loop control actions include actions that change the infusion rate, such as adjusting the pumping speed or the height of the infusion fluid source. Other examples of closed-loop control actions include disabling one or more functions of the infusion pump until the status is adjusted or new information is provided to the infusion pump (e.g., scanning for a new fluid source), dynamically updating the user interface based on information received from the detection assembly, or playing media content such as an audio file and providing content in words that enable correction of the detected occlusion (e.g., since a patient may accidentally occlude the infusion line, for example, by the way they position their arm, the audio file can provide an incentive to lift or move the arm).

[0025] The assembly describes how acoustic or optical signals can be used to evaluate the fluid level in a drip chamber. This evaluation can be based on the measurement of the signal. In some implementations, the signal can be converted to provide a measurement of the fluid level (e.g., signal intensity n corresponds to x milliliters of fluid). This conversion can be dynamically based on the characteristics of the infusion, such as the fluid being infused, the height of the fluid source, the settings of the administration set, or other detectable parameters closely related to the infusion pump. In some implementations, this evaluation can include time, such as determining a rate or trend. In such implementations, a single measured or converted value may not, by itself, cause a response in the system, but the observation of a series of values (e.g., 3, 5, 10, 100) can be used to detect the infusion state (e.g., occlusion, empty container, etc.). This detection can include identifying the correspondence between one or more measured or converted values and a threshold value. The threshold value for detection can be a static value stored by the system or a dynamic value generated based on the characteristics of the infusion, such as the fluid being infused, the height of the fluid source, the flow rate of the infusion pump, the settings of the administration set, or other detectable parameters closely related to the infusion pump.

[0026] Figure 9 shows a method 900 for operating an IV set using a drip chamber detection assembly (e.g., drip chamber detection assemblies 100, 200, 300). Method 900 can be executed or adjusted by one or more adjustment devices, such as an infusion pump, an infusion pump module, a patient care unit (PCU) associated with the infusion pump carrying the fluid, a server, an infusion pump controller, a microprocessor included in the detection assembly.

[0027] In step 910, a drip chamber (e.g., drip chamber 110) is fluidly coupled to a fluid container (e.g., fluid sources 38, 40, 42, 44). For example, tubing (e.g., tubing 55) may be coupled between the drip chamber (e.g., inlet connector 119) and the fluid container, or a spike may directly couple the drip chamber and the fluid container. In step 920, fluid is released from the fluid source into the drip chamber until the drip chamber has a desired fluid level (e.g., fluid level 115). In step 930, the fluid state within the drip chamber is monitored by a drip chamber detector (e.g., drip chamber detection assemblies 100, 200, 300) during operation of the IV set. For example, an optical signal (e.g., a pair of transmitter 130 / receiver 140), an ultrasonic / time-of-flight signal (e.g., a pair of transmitter 230 / receiver 240), or an RF signal (e.g., RFID tag 320) may be used to monitor the fluid level within the drip chamber.

[0028] In step 940, data from the drip chamber detector is sent, either wired or wirelessly, to control devices (e.g., controller 60, infusion pumps 22, 24, 26, 28). In step 950, the received data is analyzed or measured to determine whether an abnormal or undesirable fluid state exists (e.g., the fluid source is empty or blocked, incorrect fluid flow rate). For example, an optical signal from a drip chamber detection assembly (e.g., drip chamber detection assembly 100) is analyzed with respect to the frequency of ripple perturbations and / or the rate of change of the fluid level, and a real-time indication that the fluid source is empty or blocked can be provided. As another example, an ultrasonic signal from a drip chamber detection assembly (e.g., drip chamber detection assembly 200) is analyzed to measure the fluid level within the drip chamber, and the fluid level is used to determine the fluid flow rate and distinguish the difference between a normal fluid state and an abnormal fluid state. In yet another example, an RFID signal from a drip chamber detection assembly (e.g., drip chamber detection assembly 300) is analyzed to determine whether the drip chamber is empty and, further, to determine whether the fluid source is empty or blocked.

[0029] In step 960, the determined state is used for closed-loop control of the infusion system. In step 970, an alarm is generated by the closed-loop control. For example, the alarm can be generated on the display of the infusion pump and / or on a user device. In step 980, the infusion pump is stopped by the closed-loop control. For example, the software of the infusion pump can automatically stop the pump upon occurrence or reception of the determined state. In another example, the user can also manually stop the infusion pump based on receiving the alarm from step 970.

[0030] Any particular order or hierarchy of blocks in the disclosed process method is understood to be an illustration of an exemplary approach. Based on preferences in design or implementation, a particular order or hierarchy of blocks in the process can be rearranged, or it is understood that all of the illustrated blocks are executed. In some implementation examples, any of the blocks can be executed simultaneously.

[0031] This disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. This disclosure provides various examples of the subject technology, and the subject technology is not limited to these examples. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects.

[0032] References to elements in the singular are not intended to mean "one and only one" unless specifically stated otherwise, but rather "one or more." Unless stated otherwise, the term "some" refers to one or more. Masculine pronouns (e.g., his) include feminine and neuter genders (e.g., her and its), and vice versa. Headings and subheadings, if present, are used for convenience only and do not limit the invention.

[0033] The term "exemplary" as used herein is intended to mean "serving as an example or illustration." It should not necessarily be construed that any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" is more preferred or advantageous than other aspects or designs. In one aspect, the various alternative configurations and operations described herein can be considered at least equivalent.

[0034] As used herein, the phrase "at least one of" preceding a series of items and accompanied by the term "or" to separate any of those items modifies the list as a whole, rather than modifying each item in the list. The phrase "at least one of" does not require the selection of at least one item, but rather can mean at least one of any of the items, and / or at least one of any combination of the items, and / or at least one of each of the items. By way of example, the phrase "at least one of A, B, or C" can refer to only A, only B, or only C, or any combination of A, B, and C.

[0035] Phrases such as "aspect" do not imply that such an aspect is essential to the technology of the subject matter or that such an aspect applies to all configurations of the technology of the subject matter. The disclosure regarding an aspect may apply to all configurations, or to one or more configurations. An aspect may provide one or more examples. Phrases such as "an aspect" may refer to one or more aspects, and vice versa. Phrases such as "example" do not imply that such an example is essential to the technology of the subject matter or that such an example applies to all configurations of the technology of the subject matter. The disclosure regarding an example may apply to all examples, or to one or more examples. An example may provide one or more instances. Phrases such as "an example" may refer to one or more examples, and vice versa. Phrases such as "configuration" do not imply that such a configuration is essential to the technology of the subject matter or that such a configuration applies to all configurations of the technology of the subject matter. The disclosure regarding a configuration may apply to all configurations, or to one or more configurations. A configuration may provide one or more instances. Phrases such as "a configuration" may refer to one or more configurations, and vice versa.

[0036] As used herein, the term "user interface" (which may also be referred to as an interactive user interface, a graphical user interface, or UI) can mean a network-based interface that includes data fields and / or other control elements for receiving input signals, providing electronic information, and / or providing information to a user in response to any received input signal. The control elements can include dials, buttons, icons, selectable areas, or other perceptible indicia, which are presented via the UI to initiate data exchange for the device presenting the UI when an interaction occurs (e.g., clicked, touched, selected, etc.). The UI can be implemented, in whole or in part, using technologies such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), FLASH (trademark), JAVA (trademark),.NET (trademark), C, C++, web services, or Rich Site Summary (RSS). In some implementation examples, the UI can be included in a stand-alone client (e.g., a thin client, a fat client) configured to communicate (e.g., send or receive data) according to one or more of the described manners. This communication can be between a medical device or server in a communication state.

[0037] As used herein, the phrases "determine" or "determining" encompass a wide variety of actions. For example, "determining" can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, generating, obtaining, referencing (e.g., referencing in a table, database, or other data structure), verifying, etc., via hardware elements without user intervention. Also, "determining" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (accessing data in memory), etc., via hardware elements without user intervention. "Determining" can include solving, selecting, choosing, establishing, etc., via hardware elements without user intervention.

[0038] As used herein, the terms "provide" or "providing" encompass a wide variety of actions. For example, "providing" can include storing a value in a location in a memory device for a later search, directly transmitting a value to a recipient via at least one wired or wireless communication medium, transmitting or storing a reference to a value, and the like. "Providing" can also include encoding, decoding, encrypting, decrypting, verifying, authenticating, etc. via hardware elements.

[0039] As used herein, the term "message" encompasses a wide variety of formats for communicating information (e.g., transmitting or receiving). A message can include a machine-readable aggregate of information such as an XML document, a fixed-field message, a comma-separated message, JSON, a custom protocol, or the like. In some implementations, a message can include a signal used to transmit one or more representations of information. Even when written in the singular, a message is to be understood as being composable, transmissible, storable, receivable, etc. as multiple parts.

[0040] As used herein, the terms "selectively" or "selective" can encompass a wide variety of actions. For example, a "selective" process can include determining one option from a plurality of options. A "selective" process can include one or more of a dynamically determined input, a preset input, or an input initiated by a user for making a decision. In some implementations, an n-input switch can be included to provide selective functionality, where n is the number of inputs used to make a selection.

[0041] As used herein, the terms "correspond" or "corresponding" include a structural, functional, quantitative, and / or qualitative correlation or relationship between two or more objects, data sets, information, and / or others, and preferably, the correspondence or relationship can be used to transform one or more of two or more objects, data sets, information, and / or others to appear identical or equal. The correspondence can be evaluated using one or more of a threshold value, a range of values, fuzzy logic, pattern matching, a machine learning evaluation model, or a combination thereof.

[0042] In any embodiment, the generated or detected data can be transferred to a "remote" device or location. Here, "remote" means a location or device separate from the location or device where the program is executed. For example, a remote location can be another location in the same city (e.g., an office, a laboratory, etc.), another location in a different city, another location in a different state, another location in a different country, etc. Thus, when an item is shown to be "remote" from another item, what is meant is that these two items may be in the same room and separated, or at least in different rooms or different buildings and separated by at least 1.61 km (1 mile), 16.1 km (10 miles), or 161 km (100 miles). "Communicating" information means transmitting data that represents that information as an electrical signal via an appropriate communication channel (e.g., a private or public network). "Transferring" an item refers to any means of moving the item from one location to the next, whether by physically carrying the item or (if possible) by other means, and in the case of at least data, includes physically transporting the medium that carries the data or communicating the data. Examples of communication media include wireless or infrared transmission channels, and further include a network connection between the Internet and another computer or network-connected device, or include sending an email and information recorded on a website, etc.

[0043] In one aspect, unless stated otherwise, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, sizes, dimensions, and other specifications given herein, including the following claims, are approximate and not exact. In one aspect, they are intended to have a reasonable range consistent with the functions to which they relate and that is customary in the art to which they pertain.

[0044] The specific order or hierarchy of steps, operations, or processes disclosed is understood to be an illustration of exemplary approaches. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps, operations, or processes is understood to be rearrangeable. Some of the steps, operations, or processes may be performed simultaneously. Some or all of the steps, operations, or processes may be performed automatically without user intervention. The appended method claims (if any) present the elements of the various steps, operations, or processes in a sample order and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0045] All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure, known or later to become known to those skilled in the art, are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Further, what is disclosed herein is not intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is expressly recited in the claims. No element of a claim should be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for" or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase "step for". Additionally, as long as terms such as "include", "have", etc. are used, such terms are intended to be inclusive in the same manner as the term "comprise" when construed in claims where "comprise" is used as a transitional phrase.

[0046] The title, background art, summary of the invention, brief description of the drawings, and abstract of the present disclosure are hereby incorporated into the present disclosure and provided as illustrative examples rather than as a limiting description thereof. They are submitted with the understanding that they are not to be used to limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the detailed description, it can be seen that the description provides illustrative examples and that various features are grouped as various embodiments for streamlining the present disclosure. This method of disclosure should not be construed as reflecting an intention that the claimed subject matter requires more features than those expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, the subject matter of the present invention resides in fewer features than all the features of a single disclosed configuration or operation. The following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, and each claim exists by itself as a separately claimed subject matter.

[0047] The claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects described herein, but rather are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the claim language, including all legal equivalents. Nevertheless, no claim is intended to cover, nor should any claim be construed to cover, subject matter that fails to meet the requirements of 35 U.S.C. § 101, 102, or 103.

Claims

1. A drip chamber comprising a chamber body, an inlet end having an inlet connector configured to couple with a fluid inlet source, and an outlet end having an outlet connector configured to couple with an outlet receiver , and a sensor integrally coupled to the drip chamber and configured to generate a signal indicative of a fluid state within the chamber body within the chamber body , wherein the sensor is disposed at the inlet end of the drip chamber, and the sensor comprises a pair of transmitter / receivers configured to transmit a signal downwardly to an upper surface of a fluid level within the chamber body and receive the signal reflected upwardly from the upper surface of the fluid level within the chamber body, a drip chamber detection assembly.

2. The transmitter is an optical transmitter aligned to transmit an optical signal downwardly to the upper surface of the fluid level within the chamber body, and the receiver is an optical receiver aligned to receive the optical signal reflected upwardly from the upper surface of the fluid level within the chamber body. The drip chamber detection assembly according to claim 1.

3. The optical signal is transmitted from the inlet end at an angle that is not vertical, and the reflected optical signal is received at the inlet end at an angle that is not vertical. The drip chamber detection assembly according to claim 2.

4. The chamber body is configured such that when the fluid in the chamber body is empty, the optical signal is not reflected upwardly to the optical receiver. The drip chamber detection assembly according to claim 2.

5. The transmitter is an acoustic transmitter aligned to transmit an acoustic signal downwardly to the upper surface of the fluid level within the chamber body, and the receiver is an acoustic receiver aligned to receive the acoustic signal reflected upwardly from the upper surface of the fluid level within the chamber body. The drip chamber detection assembly according to claim 1.

6. The acoustic receiver is aligned to receive the acoustic signal reflected upwardly from an inner surface of the outlet end when the fluid in the chamber body is empty. The drip chamber detection assembly according to claim 5.

7. The drip chamber detection assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to transmit fluid state data to one of the infusion pump and the controller.

8. An intravenous (IV) set comprising: A fluid source connector configured to be coupled to a fluid source; An IV tube; A drip chamber detection assembly comprising: A drip chamber body; An inlet end having an inlet connector coupled to the fluid source connector; An outlet end having an outlet connector coupled to the IV tube; and A sensor integrally coupled to one of the inlet end and the drip chamber body and configured to generate a signal indicative of a fluid state within the drip chamber body within the drip chamber body. Comprising: The sensor is disposed at the inlet end of the drip chamber, and the sensor comprises a pair of transmitter / receivers configured to transmit a signal downward to the upper surface of the fluid level within the chamber body and receive the signal reflected upward from the upper surface of the fluid level within the chamber body. A drip chamber detection assembly. An intravenous (IV) set comprising.

9. The IV set according to claim 8, wherein the transmitter is aligned to transmit a signal downward into the drip chamber body from the inlet end at an angle that is not vertical, and the receiver is aligned to receive the signal reflected upward from the drip chamber body to the inlet end at an angle that is not vertical.

10. The IV set according to claim 8, wherein the transmitter is an optical transmitter aligned to transmit an optical signal downward into the drip chamber body, and the receiver is an optical receiver aligned to receive the optical signal reflected upward from the upper surface of the fluid level when a fluid level exists within the drip chamber body, and the drip chamber body is configured such that the optical signal is not reflected upward to the optical receiver when the fluid in the drip chamber body is empty.

11. The transmitter is an acoustic transmitter positioned to transmit an acoustic signal downward into the drip chamber body, and the receiver is an acoustic receiver positioned to receive the acoustic signal reflected upward from one of the upper surface of the fluid level in the drip chamber body and the inner surface of the outlet end when the fluid in the drip chamber body is empty. The IV set according to claim 8.

Images