INFUSION SYSTEM AND METHOD WHICH UTILIZES DUAL WAVELENGTH OPTICAL AIR-IN-LINE DETECTION

• US 20150246175A1
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Published: 09/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Inventors: Shubinsky, Gary David, Ban, Tamas, Markey, Brian G.
• Granted Patent: US 10,342,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3313 used specific wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14 Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16831 Monitoring, detecting, signalling or eliminating infusion flow anomalies low-level float-valves causing cut-off A61M5/40; indicating or recording presence, absence or direction of flow in general G01P13/0066
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/365 Air detectors A61M5/1684 takes precedence; in extracorporeal blood circuits A61M1/3626

Abstract

Infusion fluid is flowed through a fluid delivery line of an infusion system. Optical signals having different wavelengths are transmitted through the fluid delivery line. The transmitted optical signals having the different wavelengths are received. At least one processor determines whether air or infusion fluid is disposed in the fluid delivery line based on the received optical signals having the different wavelengths.

Claims

1. An infusion system for being operatively connected to a fluid delivery line and to an infusion container containing an infusion fluid, the infusion system comprising:

at least two optical transmitters configured to transmit optical signals having different wavelengths through the fluid delivery line;

at least one optical receiver configured to receive the optical signals having the different wavelengths transmitted from the at least two optical transmitters;

at least one processor in electronic communication with the at least two optical transmitters, and the at least one optical receiver; and

a memory in electronic communication with the at least one processor, wherein the memory comprises programming code for execution by the at least one processor, and the programming code is configured to determine whether air or the infusion fluid is disposed in the fluid delivery line based on the received optical signals having the different wavelengths which are received by the at least one optical receiver.

2. The infusion system of claim 1 wherein the programing code is configured to determine whether the air or the infusion fluid is disposed in the fluid delivery line based on how a ratio of the received optical signals having the different wavelengths which are received by the at least one optical receiver compares to a threshold.

3. The infusion system of claim 1 wherein the optical signals comprise near infrared spectrum light.

4. The infusion system of claim 1 wherein a first optical signal transmitted by a first optical transmitter has a first wavelength and a second optical signal transmitted by a second optical transmitter has a second wavelength different than the first wavelength, wherein if the air is disposed in the fluid delivery line the air will have a substantially greater impact on the first optical signal received by the at least one optical receiver than on the second optical signal received by the at least one optical receiver.

5. The infusion system of claim 1 wherein the wavelengths of the optical signals are optimized for the particular type of the infusion fluid disposed in the fluid delivery line to achieve maximum differentiation between the air disposed in the fluid delivery line and the infusion fluid disposed in the fluid delivery line.

6. The infusion system of claim 1 wherein the at least two optical transmitters are configured to transmit the optical signals along a same optical beam axis using at least one optical beam splitter, at least one mirror, at least one reflective surface, or at least one refractive surface.

7. The infusion system of claim 1 wherein the at least two optical transmitters are configured to transmit the optical signals alternatively and sequentially.

8. A method for infusing an infusion fluid comprising:

flowing the infusion fluid through a fluid delivery line of an infusion system;

transmitting optical signals having different wavelengths through the fluid delivery line;

receiving the transmitted optical signals having the different wavelengths; and

determining, with at least one processor, whether air or infusion fluid is disposed in the fluid delivery line based on the received optical signals having the different wavelengths.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one processor determines whether the air or the infusion fluid is disposed in the fluid delivery line based on how a ratio of the received optical signals having the different wavelengths compares to a threshold.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the optical signals comprise near infrared spectrum light.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the transmitting the optical signals having the different wavelengths through the fluid delivery line comprises transmitting a first optical signal having a first wavelength and transmitting a second optical signal having a second wavelength different than the first wavelength through the fluid delivery line, the receiving the transmitted optical signals having the different wavelengths comprises receiving the first optical signal and the second optical signal, and the determining with the at least one processor whether the air or the infusion fluid is disposed in the fluid delivery line based on the received optical signals having the different wavelengths comprises the at least one processor determining that the air disposed in the fluid delivery line has a substantially greater impact on the received first optical signal than on the second received optical signal.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising optimizing the wavelengths of the optical signals for the particular type of infusion fluid disposed in the fluid delivery line to achieve maximum differentiation between the air disposed in the fluid delivery line and the infusion fluid disposed in the fluid delivery line.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the transmitting the optical signals having different wavelengths through the fluid delivery line comprises at least two optical transmitters alternatively and sequentially transmitting the optical signals having the different wavelengths through the fluid delivery line along a same optical beam axis using at least one optical beam splitter, at least one mirror, at least one reflective surface, or at least one refractive surface.

14. An infusion system for being operatively connected to a fluid delivery line and to an infusion container containing an infusion fluid, the infusion system comprising:

one optical transmitter configured to transmit a broad spectrum optical signal;

at least one optical beam splitter configured to split the broad spectrum optical signal into two separate beams;

at least two optical filters configured to filter the two separate beams so that that the two separate beams have two distinctively different wavelengths with respect to each other;

at least two optical receivers configured to receive the filtered two separate beams having the two distinctively different wavelengths;

at least one processor in electronic communication with the one optical transmitter, and the at least two optical receivers; and

a memory in electronic communication with the at least one processor, wherein the memory comprises programming code for execution by the at least one processor, and the programming code is configured to determine whether air or the infusion fluid is disposed in the fluid delivery line based on the received filtered two separate beams having the two distinctively different wavelengths which are received by the at least two optical receivers.

15. The infusion system of claim 14 wherein the one optical transmitter is configured to transmit the broad spectrum optical signal continuously, and the programming code is configured to determine whether the air or the infusion fluid is disposed in the fluid delivery line based on how a ratio of the received filtered two separate beams received by the at least two optical receivers compares to a threshold.