Infusion monitoring device and medical infusion system

Abstract

The invention relates to an infusion monitoring device (7) for monitoring a gravity infusion therapy, in particular the infusion rate of the gravity infusion therapy, comprising a housing (8) having a first housing portion (9) and a second housing portion (19), wherein the first housing portion (9) and the second housing portion (19) are connected to each other via a connecting portion of the housing (8), the connecting portion forming a cutout (10), and the first housing portion (9) has a hardware component assembly (11) and the second housing portion (19) has a rechargeable battery (16), the cutout (10) being provided and designed to receive a drip chamber (5) of an infusion set (2) and extending continuously through the infusion monitoring device (7) along a cutout central axis (13) which runs in the direction of gravity. The rechargeable battery (16) is integrated into the second housing portion (19), and the mass of the rechargeable battery (16) and the mass of the hardware component assembly (11) are adapted to each other such that the center of mass (22) of the infusion monitoring device (7) lies on the cutout central axis (13) by virtue of the arrangement of the rechargeable battery (16) and the hardware component assembly (11) at a respective specified distance to the cutout central axis (13). The invention also relates to a medical infusion system.

Description

[0001] Infusion monitoring device and medical infusion system

[0002] Description

[0003] Technical field

[0004] The present disclosure relates to an infusion monitoring device for monitoring, in particular the infusion rate, of a gravity infusion therapy, which is designed and configured to accommodate an infusion set with a drip chamber. The disclosure also relates to a medical system comprising an infusion monitoring device and a (gravity) infusion set with a drip chamber.

[0005] Background of the Revelation

[0006] Conventional infusion sets used for gravity infusion therapy feature a drip chamber that connects to a medical container holding an infusion fluid via a hollow spike / piercing spike. A flexible tube is attached to one end of the drip chamber and connects to a patient port via a coupling, such as a Luer-lock fitting. The drip chamber typically includes a flexible section for manually creating a vacuum, which draws the infusion fluid from the container and allows for initial level adjustment within the chamber. The rigid section primarily serves to clearly observe the dripping behavior of the infusion fluid within the chamber, as it is not opaque, unlike the conventional flexible section.

[0007] In gravity infusion, the pressure for administering the solution is generated by the weight of the infusion fluid itself, achieved by positioning the fluid container at an elevated level relative to the patient's IV line. One advantage of gravity infusion therapy is that it eliminates the need for an electrically powered infusion pump and, consequently, a power supply. However, since such infusion sets alone cannot provide accurate information about the current infusion rate or the total volume of infusion administered, battery-operated infusion monitoring devices are known in the art. These devices can be attached to the infusion set or drip chamber. Such monitoring devices are capable of monitoring the drip rate in the drip chamber and, for example,The device uses a built-in display to show clinical staff information about the infusion, such as the current infusion rate. Furthermore, monitoring the fill level of the infusion fluid in the drip chamber is a regular part of the clinical staff's work. It is also particularly helpful if the drip rate can be estimated at a glance and, fundamentally, if an assessment can be made as to whether the infusion fluid is being administered at all. For clinical staff to reliably perform these two checks, it is crucial that the infusion set, especially the drip combs, hangs or is positioned vertically. Therefore, it is essential that such an infusion monitoring device, when connected to the infusion set, does not significantly affect the position and orientation of the drip combs.

[0008] Accordingly, the attached infusion monitoring device should be weight-balanced relative to the infusion set or drip chamber in such a way as to prevent or minimize automatic tilting of the device around the vertical axis of the drip chamber. This poses a particular challenge when components of the infusion monitoring device are exchanged or replaced during its service life, as these components can vary in weight. For example, conventional disposable batteries can weigh between approximately 15 and 31 grams, depending on the cell type used, meaning the mass of the infusion monitoring device is not constant in such cases.

[0009] Brief description of the present revelation

[0010] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to avoid or at least mitigate the disadvantages described above and, in particular, to provide an infusion monitoring device which advantageously monitors the drip rate in the drip chamber and at the same time counteracts any deflection or tilting of the drip chamber, especially relative to its vertical axis, in a simple and efficient manner.

[0011] This problem is solved by an infusion monitoring device according to the features of claim 1 and by a medical infusion system according to the features of claim 9. Advantageous embodiments are claimed in the dependent claims and / or are explained below.

[0012] The disclosure therefore relates initially to an infusion monitoring device for monitoring a gravity infusion therapy, in particular an infusion rate of the gravity infusion therapy or a volume of infusion fluid administered so far, with a housing comprising a first housing section and a second housing section, wherein the first housing section and the second housing section are connected to each other via a connecting section of the housing forming a recess / recess, and wherein the first housing section comprises a hardware component arrangement and the second housing section comprises a battery, wherein the recess is provided and configured to receive a drip chamber of an infusion set and the recess extends continuously through the infusion monitoring device along a recess central axis extending in the direction of gravity or perpendicularly.The battery is integrated into the second housing section, and the mass of the battery and the mass of the hardware component arrangement are adapted / coordinated to each other in such a way that the center of mass of the infusion monitoring device lies on the recess center axis at a predetermined distance from the recess center axis, due to the arrangement of the battery and the hardware component arrangement.

[0013] In other words, the first housing section of the infusion monitoring device is designed to house hardware components such as a speaker, circuit board, and buttons for operating the device. Simultaneously, the second housing section is designed to house a battery, preferably permanently integrated. The two housing sections are connected only by a rib-like connecting section, which is positioned between them in such a way that the two housing sections would otherwise be separated by a recess. This recess extends vertically through the housing of the infusion monitoring device, so that the hardware components are located on one side of the recess and the battery is located on the opposite side.Furthermore, the recess is dimensioned such that the drip chamber of the infusion set can be received / clamped into it. Therefore, if a drip chamber is integrated into the infusion device, the battery is located on one side of the drip chamber, while the hardware components are located on the opposite side.

[0014] Because the hardware components and the battery are arranged at predetermined positions within the housing of the infusion monitoring device, particularly in the respective housing halves, which are largely separated from each other by the recess, these components always maintain a predetermined distance from the recess's central axis. This ensures a mass balance of the infusion monitoring device relative to the recess's central axis by adjusting / coordinating the battery mass and the mass of the hardware components on the corresponding sides of the recess. Advantageously, by using a battery integrated within one housing section of the infusion monitoring device, the mass of this housing section remains constant. This prevents the infusion monitoring device from tilting relative to the recess's central axis.In particular, this prevents an infusion monitoring device clamped to a drip chamber from tilting relative to the drip chamber's central axis. Therefore, a vertical alignment of the infusion monitoring device or the drip chamber can always be ensured during gravity infusion therapy.

[0015] In a further advantageous aspect of the disclosure, a hardware component arrangement center of mass with a first distance / lever arm to the recess center axis and a battery center of mass with a second distance / lever arm to the recess center axis can be arranged such that a first weight moment on the side of the hardware component arrangement and a second weight moment on the side of the battery are in equilibrium.

[0016] In another preferred aspect of the disclosure, the first distance to the recess central axis may be greater than the second distance to the recess central axis if the mass of the battery is greater than the mass of the hardware component assembly, or the first distance to the recess central axis may be smaller than the second distance to the recess central axis if the mass of the battery is less than the mass of the hardware component assembly.

[0017] More precisely, the first housing section, i.e., the housing half containing the hardware component arrangement, can be balanced relative to the second housing section, i.e., the housing half containing the integrated battery, by coordinating the predetermined / defined distance of the center of mass of the entire hardware component arrangement relative to the central axis of the recess (along a horizontal x-axis) and the predetermined / defined distance of the center of mass of the battery relative to the central axis of the recess, depending on the respective, and in particular constant, masses of the hardware component arrangement and the battery, respectively. In particular, the weights of the two housing sections without the battery or without the hardware component arrangement can also play a role if the two housing sections have different shapes and sizes.This ensures that the infusion monitoring device is always in balance, after the distances of the centers of mass of the battery or the hardware component arrangement are initially determined based on the respective predefined masses, thus preventing the infusion monitoring device from tilting or rotating unintentionally during operation with a drip chamber inside.

[0018] In a further advantageous aspect of the disclosure, the first weight moment can be the product of a first weight force, which depends on the sum of the mass of the hardware component arrangement and the mass of the first housing section / housing half, and a third distance of a common center of mass of the hardware component arrangement and the first housing section to the recess center axis, and the second weight moment can be the product of a second weight force, which depends on the sum of the mass of the battery and the mass of the second housing section / housing half, and a fourth distance of a common center of mass of the battery and the second housing section to the recess center axis. In this case, where the masses of the first and second housing sections and the distances of a combined center of mass of the first housing section and the hardware components are known, respectively, the weight moment can be calculated as follows:By incorporating the combined center of mass of the second housing section and the battery into the calculation of the moments of weight on the respective sides of the housing sections, it is possible to establish a constant equilibrium between the two sides of the infusion monitoring device even for different masses of the first and second housing sections (without the battery or hardware component, i.e., only the respective housing halves). In a further preferred embodiment of the disclosure, the recess can be designed in the form of a through-hole and intersect and / or penetrate a front face of the housing, such that the side of the recess furthest from the connecting section of the housing can be open along the entire central axis of the recess.

[0019] In other words, the recess can extend from one end of the housing to the opposite end and is located between the battery and the hardware component assembly, that is, between the first and second housing sections, along the connecting section between the two housing sections. Furthermore, the recess can be designed as a kind of through-hole adjacent to an edge of a front side surface, so that the recess has a partially open inner (cylindrical) shell surface. The shell surface can therefore be open on the side that intersects the (front) side surface / front of the housing. A user / caregiver thus always has a view of a drip chamber contained within the infusion monitoring device.This allows the nurse to determine at a glance whether the infusion fluid is currently passing through the infusion set and to visually monitor the current drip rate / infusion rate.

[0020] Preferably, the connecting section of the housing can be at least partially open. In other words, the connecting section that joins the first and second housing sections can have recesses / cutouts / openings, particularly along the entire length of the section in which a drip chamber is located. The recesses are designed to connect the outside of the infusion monitoring device or the surrounding environment to the opening. This advantageously improves the view of the drip chamber within the infusion monitoring device, as it allows a view through the drip chamber. In other words, a user can have a clear view through the drip chamber without any reflections that might be caused, for example, by a back panel or the connecting section.At the same time, the darkening of the drip chamber is also reduced. In particular, the infusion monitoring device can be designed such that the centers of mass of all perpendicular sections of the infusion monitoring device, which pass through the hardware components and the battery, i.e., the centers of mass of the sections in the x-y planes, are summed up in the z-direction (from the front of the housing towards the connecting section) to form a summed overall center of mass on the recess center axis.

[0021] In a further advantageous aspect of the disclosure, the housing of the infusion monitoring device can be made of a plastic material. This allows at least a large part of the housing of the infusion monitoring device to be manufactured in one piece, thereby minimizing the manufacturing costs and effort of the infusion monitoring device.

[0022] Preferably, the second housing section can have a port for a charging cable, especially a USB-C type, for charging the battery. This eliminates the need to replace the power source as with a conventional disposable battery, thus keeping the mass of the power source, in this case the battery, constant.

[0023] The disclosure further relates to a medical infusion system with an infusion monitoring device as disclosed and a drip chamber of an infusion set received in the infusion monitoring device. The center of mass of the drip chamber or the infusion set, which is received vertically in the recess, is also located on the recess's central axis, thus ensuring that the entire medical infusion system is in equilibrium.

[0024] In another preferred aspect of the disclosure, the drip chamber or infusion set can be held securely in the vertical direction or in the direction of gravity along the recess axis by retaining structures inside the housing. This prevents unintentional relative displacement of the drip chamber held in the infusion monitoring device.

[0025] Brief description of the characters

[0026] The disclosure is explained in more detail below with reference to advantageous embodiments and the accompanying figures. These show:

[0027] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a conventional infusion set that can be inserted into the infusion monitoring device;

[0028] Fig. 2 shows a schematic front view of a medical infusion system with an infusion monitoring device and a drip chamber of an infusion set included therein, according to an advantageous design; and

[0029] Fig. 3 shows a schematic front view of a non-disclosing medical infusion system with the infusion monitoring device and the drip chamber of the infusion set included therein.

[0030] The figures are merely schematic and serve solely to illustrate the present disclosure. It should be noted that the features of the individual embodiments may be interchangeable and may occur in a specific combination.

[0031] Detailed description of the embodiments

[0032] The present disclosure is described below with reference to the preferred embodiment and Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an infusion set 2. Figure 2 shows a medical infusion system with an infusion monitoring device 7 according to an advantageous embodiment. Figure 3 shows a non-disclosing medical infusion system that is not balanced.

[0033] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a conventional infusion set 2 that can be inserted into the infusion monitoring device 7. The infusion set 2 has a drip chamber 5 which can be connected to a medical container with infusion fluid by means of a piercing spike. The drip chamber 5 has a rigid transparent part 3 and a flexible part 4. An initial fill level of the infusion fluid in the drip chamber 5 can be set via the flexible part 4 by the user repeatedly manually pressing the flexible part 4 to create a vacuum in the drip chamber 5. A flexible tube 6 is arranged at one end of the drip chamber 5, which does not have the piercing spike, and which conveys the infusion fluid from the drip chamber 5 to a patient. Preferably, a roller clamp for setting a drip rate is arranged in a central section of the tube 6.The transparent rigid part 3 of the drip chamber 5 serves to clearly detect the dripping behavior of the infusion fluid within the drip chamber 5, since the flexible part 4 of the drip chamber 5 is opaque.

[0034] Figure 2 shows a medical infusion system with an infusion monitoring device 7 as disclosed and an infusion set 2 in the drip chamber section 5. The infusion monitoring device 7 has a housing 8, which in turn has a first housing section 9 and a second housing section 19. Furthermore, a vertically extending recess 10 with a vertical recess center axis 13 is formed in / on the housing 8, into which the drip chamber 5 of the infusion set 2 is received / received. A hardware component assembly 11 is arranged in the first housing section 9 (here on the left side of the housing 8). A battery 16 is arranged in and integrated into the second housing section 19. In this illustration, the hardware component assembly 11 is arranged to the left of the recess 10 and the battery 16 to the right of the recess 10.Furthermore, a hardware component assembly center of mass 15 and a battery center of mass 17 are shown, on which a corresponding first weight force 14 (of the hardware component assembly 11) and a second weight force 20 (of the battery 16) act, respectively (shown as arrows in this Figure 2). The hardware component assembly center of mass 15 is arranged at a first distance 12 horizontally to the recess center axis 13. Simultaneously, the battery center of mass 17 is arranged at a second distance 18 horizontally to the recess center axis 13. The first distance 12 and the second distance 18 depend on the respective mass of the battery 16 and the hardware component assembly 11, respectively, and are related to each other such that a center of mass 22 of the entire infusion monitoring device 7 lies on the recess center axis 13, thereby balancing the infusion monitoring device.Both housing sections 9, 19 are in equilibrium relative to the recess center axis 13. In the example shown in Figure 2, the battery 16 is heavier than the hardware component assembly 11; therefore, the second weight force 20 of the battery 17 is greater than the first weight force 14 of the hardware component assembly 11. Consequently, the center of mass 15 of the hardware component assembly is located at a first distance 12 from the recess center axis 13, which is greater than the second distance 18 between the battery center of mass 17 and the recess center axis 13, thus increasing the lever arm of the first weight force 14.

[0035] Figure 3 shows a non-disclosing medical infusion system with an infusion monitoring device 7 and the infusion set 2 in the section of the drip chamber 5. In a manner that is disadvantageous compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the battery 16 is heavier or has a greater mass. However, the first distance 12 and the second distance 18 correspond to those in Figure 2, meaning that both distances 12 and 18 are not adapted to the masses of the battery 16 and the hardware arrangement 11, respectively. This creates an imbalance in the infusion monitoring device 7, such that the center of mass 22 of the infusion monitoring device 7 is not located on the recess center axis 13, but is shifted to the right, towards the side of the battery 16.Thus, the medical infusion system tilts towards the side of the heavier battery 16 due to the greater second weight force 20, causing the axis of the drip chamber 5 to no longer run in the direction of gravity G. The disclosed medical infusion system or the disclosed infusion monitoring device 7 overcomes this disadvantage.

[0036] List of reference signs

[0037] 2 IV sets

[0038] 3 rigid part

[0039] 4 flexible part

[0040] 5 drip chamber

[0041] 6 hoses

[0042] 7 Infusion monitoring device

[0043] 8 cases

[0044] 9 first housing section

[0045] 10 recesses

[0046] 11 Hardware component arrangement

[0047] 12 first distance

[0048] 13 Recess center axis

[0049] 14 first weight force

[0050] 15 Hardware component arrangement - center of mass

[0051] 16 batteries

[0052] 17 Battery center of mass

[0053] 18 second gap

[0054] 19 second housing section

[0055] 20 second weight force

[0056] 22 Center of mass

[0057] G Gravity

Claims

Claims 1. Infusion monitoring device (7) for monitoring a gravity infusion therapy, in particular an infusion rate of the gravity infusion therapy, comprising a housing (8) with a first housing section (9) and a second housing section (19), wherein the first housing section (9) and the second housing section (19) are connected to each other via a connecting section of the housing (8) forming a recess (10), and the first housing section (9) has a hardware component arrangement (11) and the second housing section (19) has a battery (16), wherein the recess (10) is provided and configured to receive a drip chamber (5) of an infusion set (2) and the recess (10) extends continuously through the infusion monitoring device (7) along a recess center axis (13) extending in the direction of gravity, characterized in thatthat the battery (16) is integrated in the second housing section (19) and a mass of the battery (16) and a mass of the hardware component arrangement (11) are adapted to each other such that a center of mass (22) of the infusion monitoring device (7) lies on the recess center axis (13) at a respective predetermined distance from the recess center axis (13) by means of an arrangement of the battery (16) and the hardware component arrangement (11).

2. Infusion monitoring device (7) according to claim 1 , characterized in that a hardware component arrangement center of mass (15) with a first distance (12) to the recess central axis (13) and a battery center of mass (17) with a second distance (18) to the recess central axis (13) are arranged such that a first moment of weight on the side of the hardware component arrangement (11 ) and a second moment of weight on the side of the battery (16) are in equilibrium.

3. Infusion monitoring device (7) according to claim 2, characterized in that the first distance (12) to the recess central axis (13) is greater than the second distance (18) to the recess center axis (13) if the mass of the battery (16) is greater than the mass of the hardware component assembly (11), or the first distance (12) to the recess center axis (13) is less than the second distance (18) to the recess center axis (13) if the mass of the battery (16) is less than the mass of the hardware component assembly (11).

4. Infusion monitoring device (7) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the first weight moment is the product of a first weight force (14), which depends on the sum of the mass of the hardware component arrangement (11) and the mass of the first housing section (9), and a third distance of a common center of mass of the hardware component arrangement (11) and the first housing section (9) to the recess central axis (13), and the second weight moment is the product of a second weight force (20), which depends on the sum of the mass of the battery (16) and the mass of the second housing section (19), and a fourth distance of a common center of mass of the battery (16) and the second housing section (19) to the recess central axis (13).

5. Infusion monitoring device (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recess (10) is designed in the form of a through-hole and cuts and / or breaks through a front side of the housing (8), such that the side of the recess (10) which is located furthest from the connecting section of the housing (8) is open along the entire recess central axis (13).

6. Infusion monitoring device (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting section of the housing (8) is at least partially open.

7. Infusion monitoring device (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (8) is made of a plastic material.

8. Infusion monitoring device (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second housing section (19) has a connection for a charging cable, in particular of USB-C type, for charging the battery (16).

9. Medical infusion system with an infusion monitoring device (7) according to one of the preceding claims and a drip chamber (5) of an infusion set (2) received in the infusion monitoring device (7), characterized in that the center of mass of the drip chamber (5) received vertically in the recess (10) is also located on the recess central axis (13) of the recess (10).

10. Medical infusion system according to claim 9, characterized in that the drip chamber (5) of the infusion set (2) is held in a non-slip manner in the vertical direction along the recess means axis (13) by retaining structures inside the housing (8).

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