Flow Sensor Connection Assembly for Documented IV Bolus Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to reduce medication errors during intravenous bolus delivery at the bedside by providing an automated record of medication administration and alerting healthcare professionals when delivery is inconsistent with a patient's medical record.
Innovation Solution
A flow sensor system comprising a single-use flow sensor and a reusable base unit, which includes sensors to characterize fluid attributes and generate operation modification signals for wireless transmission, ensuring accurate and documented bolus delivery, with features like cantilevered wings for secure mounting and a vault for protection against contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flow sensor system is implemented to provide automated monitoring and documentation of bolus delivery, then medication safety and measurement precision are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow sensor system is divided into two separable components: a disposable flow sensor component and a reusable base unit. The disposable component contains the flow sensor, fluid pathway, and associated electronics, while the reusable base unit houses the controller, power source, and communication interfaces. This segmentation allows the complex sensing and control functions to be isolated in a disposable unit, reducing the complexity burden on the permanent installation while maintaining high reliability through automated monitoring and documentation of each bolus delivery event.
Solution Approach 2:
A cross-component electrical circuit is established through a connection assembly that includes conductive elements on both the disposable flow sensor and the reusable base unit. This intermediary electrical connection enables the disposable sensor to communicate flow measurements and operational status to the reusable controller without requiring permanent wiring, thus improving medication safety through automated data capture while managing device complexity by allowing easy replacement of the sensor component.
2Ease of operation
If a disposable flow sensor with reusable base unit is used, then ease of operation and reliability are improved through standardized connections, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reusable base unit is designed with a standardized connection interface that can accommodate different disposable flow sensor components. The connection assembly includes universal electrical contacts and mechanical coupling features that work across multiple sensor types and revisions. This universality improves ease of operation by allowing healthcare providers to quickly swap sensors without complex calibration or reconfiguration, while the standardized design actually reduces manufacturing precision requirements compared to custom-fitted solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection assembly incorporates compliance features such as spring-loaded electrical contacts and flexible circuit board traces that can accommodate variations in assembly tolerances. These parameter changes in the electrical connection design allow for easier manufacturing of both the disposable and reusable components while maintaining reliable electrical connectivity for flow measurement and control signals.
3Ease of operation
If electrical connections are made through a connection assembly, then ease of operation is improved through plug-and-play functionality, but reliability may be compromised by connection variability
Solution Approach 1:
The flow sensor is implemented as a disposable component that is replaced after each use or after a limited number of uses. This eliminates the accumulation of connection wear and degradation over time, maintaining reliable electrical connections for the lifespan of each sensor while allowing healthcare providers to quickly swap to a fresh unit. The disposable nature ensures that connection interfaces never degrade from repeated mating cycles, preserving electrical reliability without compromising plug-and-play ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection assembly is designed with built-in compliance features such as spring elements and flexible traces that compensate for minor misalignments and tolerance variations before they can affect electrical contact quality. This beforehand cushioning of potential connection issues ensures reliable signal transmission for flow measurements and control commands while maintaining the simple plug-and-play interface that improves ease of operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively reduces medication errors by providing real-time monitoring and automatic documentation of bolus delivery, ensuring accurate recording and alerting healthcare professionals to potential inconsistencies, thus enhancing patient safety.
Implementation Method 1
first and a second piezo elements that are mounted to the end fittings
Implementation Method 2
The system incorporates rules-based clinical decision support logic to drive a flow control valve within a flow pathway... Preferably, the system has an ultrasonic flow sensor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A system for sensing medicament delivery and transmitting an operation modification signal having at least two separable components is disclosed. The system includes a flow sensor having an inlet to couple to a fluid source, an outlet for delivering fluid from the fluid source to a patient, at least one sensor to characterize at least one attribute of the fluid, and at least one pin in in electrical communication with the sensor. The system includes a second component having a base having a contact, a controller in electrical communication with the contact that generates an operation modification signal in response to an attribute matching a condition specified by a rule, a transmitter for transmitting the operation modification signal to a device, the operation modification signal, when received by the device, causing the device to modify at least one operating parameter, and a cross-component electrical circuit.