Disposable Fluid Level Sensor with Flow Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid delivery systems, particularly in high-stress environments like operating rooms and emergency situations, often fail to detect when IV fluid bags or bladder irrigation systems run dry, leading to increased risks of complications such as clotting, venous air embolism, and the need for additional surgical interventions.
Innovation Solution
A device with a fluid level sensing mechanism that detects when the fluid level drops below a predetermined level, triggering an alarm and/or blocking further fluid flow through the delivery tube, using a light transmitter and sensor system and a control circuit to reconfigure a flow control mechanism, such as a shape memory wire or deformable tube, to prevent continued fluid delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If automatic infusion pumps are used to deliver fluid to patients, then fluid delivery control and safety are improved, but device cost and programming complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable fluid level monitoring device that attaches to the fluid delivery system. This single-use device eliminates the need for expensive, programmable infusion pumps while providing essential fluid level monitoring and control functions. The disposable nature ensures reliability without requiring complex programming or calibration procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring device automatically detects fluid levels and triggers flow blocking without requiring user programming. The device self-configures upon attachment to the fluid delivery system, eliminating the time-consuming programming step while maintaining reliable fluid delivery control through automated sensing and response mechanisms.
2Reliability
If health care practitioners continuously monitor fluid levels in high-stress environments, then patient safety is improved, but time consumption and operational burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device provides continuous real-time feedback on fluid levels through automated sensing mechanisms. When the fluid level drops below a predetermined threshold, the system immediately triggers an alarm and blocks fluid flow, eliminating the need for manual monitoring while maintaining high patient safety standards in high-stress environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual visual monitoring with an automated optical sensing system. The light transmitter and sensor automatically detect fluid levels and trigger responses, freeing health care practitioners from continuous manual monitoring tasks while ensuring timely detection of low fluid conditions.
3Reliability
If fluid level monitoring and flow blocking mechanisms are added to fluid delivery systems, then patient safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines fluid level sensing, alarm generation, and flow control functions into a single integrated device that attaches to the existing fluid delivery system. This merging of functions provides comprehensive safety monitoring without requiring multiple separate components, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity while maintaining improved patient safety.
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 device effectively prevents the risks associated with dry fluid delivery by ensuring continuous monitoring and control of fluid levels, alerting healthcare practitioners and preventing fluid flow when levels are critically low, thus reducing complications and the need for unnecessary surgical interventions.
Implementation Method 1
The light transmitter is configured to transmit a beam a light through the flexible delivery tube or a drip chamber that is in fluid communication with the flexible delivery tube. The light sensor is configured to output a signal indicative of an amount of the light beam incident on the light sensor
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for monitoring and/or controlling delivery of a fluid to a patient monitor a level of the fluid and generate an alarm and/or block flow of the fluid through a flexible delivery tube to the patient in response to detecting that the fluid level has dropped below a predetermined level. A device for monitoring and/or controlling delivery of the fluid to a patient is removeably mountable to a fluid delivery assembly having the delivery tube. When the device is configured to control delivery of the fluid, the device automatically reconfigures from a first configuration in which fluid is allowed to flow through the delivery tube to a second configuration in which the delivery tube is in a deformed state via the device to block flow of fluid through the delivery tube upon the device detecting that the fluid level is below the predetermined level.