Single Plate Capacitive Bubble Detector Parasitic Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air bubble detectors in medical contexts require complex placement of tubing between opposing detectors, are costly, and suffer from inaccuracies due to environmental interference, limiting their effectiveness in detecting changes between air and liquid in tubing.
Innovation Solution
A single plate capacitive bubble detector utilizing parasitic capacitance to sense changes in tubing without a ground source, allowing for accurate detection of air and liquid without specific positioning requirements and minimizing environmental interference through baseline establishment and signal processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If opposing plate capacitive detectors are used to monitor tubing, then detection capability is provided, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ground source requirement from the capacitive detection system, using a single active plate that measures parasitic capacitance to ground without needing a specific ground electrode or opposing plate. This simplifies the detector structure while maintaining bubble detection capability through single-plate parasitic capacitance measurement.
2Reliability
If tubing must be disposed between opposing detectors, then detection is enabled, but ease of operation decreases due to placement requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the requirement for tubing to be positioned between detectors by using a single active plate that detects bubbles through parasitic capacitance changes. The tubing only needs to be adjacent to the single plate, eliminating complex placement requirements while maintaining detection functionality.
3Reliability
If paired plate capacitive detectors are used, then air bubble detection is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for paired plates and ground electrodes by measuring parasitic capacitance of a single active plate. This reduces component count and assembly complexity, lowering manufacturing costs while achieving the same air bubble detection function through single-plate capacitance measurement.
4Device complexity
If single plate capacitive detector without ground source is used, then device size and complexity are reduced, but measurement precision may be affected by environmental interference
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback signal processing to compensate for environmental interference. By continuously monitoring and comparing capacitance values against established baselines and using digital signal processing algorithms, the system filters out environmental noise and maintains precise bubble detection despite the simplified single-plate structure without ground source.
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 single plate capacitive bubble detector provides highly accurate and sensitive monitoring of air and liquid changes with reduced size and complexity, enabling its use in space-constrained applications and multiple tube monitoring systems, while minimizing false readings from environmental factors.
Implementation Method 1
A single plate capacitive bubble detector utilizing parasitic capacitance to sense changes in tubing without a ground source
Implementation Method 2
measurement of a parasitic capacitance of the active plate in relation to an environment surrounding the active plate
Implementation Method 3
The single plate capacitive bubble detector may be operative to sense fluid in a tube, air in a tube, or an interface (i.e., a change) between fluid and air in a tube
Data Source
AI summary
A single plate capacitive bubble detection sensor. The detector may employ a single active plate. A parasitic capacitance of the active plate relative to the environment may be monitored without reference to any particular ground source. In this regard, highly sensitive measurements may be made of a tube disposed adjacent to the active plate to detect, for example, the presence of air, liquid, or a change between liquid and air in the tube.