APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AIR-IN-LINE DETECTION
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting agents in a fluid delivery system in which fluid flows through a fluid conduit, the system comprising:
- an agent sensor coupled to the fluid conduit for providing agent signals in response to agents sensed in the fluid conduit, said agent signals having an age;
a processor that receives the agent signals, determines weighted agent signals by applying a weighting value to the agent signals that gives differing weighting to different agent signals depending on the age of each agent signal, and determines an agent concentration value from the weighted agent signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The concentration of air or other agents in a fluid delivery line is determined by monitoring agent signals and processing those agent signals along with information regarding the age of each agent signal. The processor determines a primary agent concentration value based on the received agent signal values, with the primary agent concentration value determined by giving greater weight to more recent agent signal values. Where the primary agent concentration value exceeds a primary threshold value, an alarm signal may be activated. The processor also may determine a secondary agent concentration value, which may be determined from the actual agent signal values instead of the weighted agent signal values. Where the secondary agent concentration value exceeds a secondary threshold value, an alarm signal may be activated.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting agents in a fluid delivery system in which fluid flows through a fluid conduit, the system comprising:
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an agent sensor coupled to the fluid conduit for providing agent signals in response to agents sensed in the fluid conduit, said agent signals having an age; a processor that receives the agent signals, determines weighted agent signals by applying a weighting value to the agent signals that gives differing weighting to different agent signals depending on the age of each agent signal, and determines an agent concentration value from the weighted agent signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A fluid delivery system for introducing fluid to a patient from a fluid source, the system comprising:
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a fluid conduit downstream of and in fluid communication with the fluid source; a cannula in fluid communication and downstream of the fluid source and fluid conduit, the cannula configured to be introduced into a patient'"'"'s body to provide fluid thereto; a sensor coupled to the fluid conduit for providing signals in response to agents sensed in the fluid conduit, said agent signals each having an age; a processor that receives the agent signals, determines weighted sensor signals by applying a weighted value to each agent signal based on the age of the agent signal, and determines an agent concentration value by processing the weighted sensor signals. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of detecting agents in a fluid delivery system in which fluid flows through a fluid conduit, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a first series of agent signal values, wherein each agent signal value is indicative of the instantaneous amount of agent in a fluid conduit, and each agent signal has an age; (b) determining one or more weighted agent signal values by applying a varying weighting value to one or more of the agent signal values based on the age of each agent signal value; and (c) determining a primary agent concentration value by processing the weighted agent signal values. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for detecting agents in a fluid delivery system in which fluid flows through a fluid conduit, the system comprising:
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an agent sensor coupled to the fluid conduit for providing agent signals in response to agents sensed in the fluid conduit; a processor that receives an agent signal, determines a weighted previous agent concentration value by applying a weighting value to a previous agent concentration value, and determines a current agent concentration value from the agent signal and the weighted previous agent concentration value. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of detecting agents in a fluid delivery system in which fluid flows through a fluid conduit, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an agent signal value which is indicative of the instantaneous amount of agent in a fluid conduit; (b) determining a weighted previous agent concentration value by applying a weighting factor to a previous agent concentration value; (c) determining a primary agent concentration value by processing the agent signal value and the weighted previous agent concentration values.
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Specification