FLOW METER AND RELATED SYSTEM AND APPARATUS

• US 20160055649A1
• Filed: 11/04/2015
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Peret, Bob D., Kane, Derek G., Kamen, Dean, Murphy, Colin H., Kerwin, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,746,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14208 with a programmable infusion control system, characterised by the infusion program
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3334 Measuring or controlling the flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3576 with non implanted data transmission devices, e.g. using external transmitter or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/281 Automatic tube cut-off devices, e.g. squeezing tube on detection of air
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/284 Lever clamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14 Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1411 Drip chambers A61M5/162, A61M5/1689, A61M5/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14212 Pumping with an aspiration and an expulsion action
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16804 Flow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16877 Adjusting flow; Devices for setting a flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16881 Regulating valves on-off valves, e.g. clamps A61M39/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16886 for measuring fluid flow rate, i.e. flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1689 Drip counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/2018 comprising a valve or like element which is opened or closed by deformation of the container or closure
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/00 Lift valves or globe valves, i.e. cut-off apparatus with closure members having at least a component of their opening and closing motion perpendicular to the closing faces in combination with sliding valves F16K3/246, F16K3/267 ; diaphragm valves F16K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/00 Construction of housing methods for welding housings B23K; Use of materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/02 : electric F16K31/004 takes precedence; magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 7/04 : constrictable by external radial force
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 7/06 : by means of a screw-spindle, cam, or other mechanical means F16K7/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/041 : Allowing quick release of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/00 : Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles heads thereof F16M11/02 ; undercarriages thereof F16M11/20 ; adapted to be stuck in the ground A45F3/44 ; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22; Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles supports for measuring instruments G01D11/30; supports for casings of remote control switching devices H01H9/025
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 : repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/661 : using light
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/30 : with supply and discharge valves of the lift or plug-lift type
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 : electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 : by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 : Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20182 : Noise reduction or smoothing in the temporal domain; Spatio-temporal filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20224 : Image subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 : Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 : Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/18 : Image warping, e.g. rearranging pixels individually
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 : using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 : Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 : Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 : Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 : Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 : Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/30 : Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/42 : Global feature extraction by analysis of the whole pattern, e.g. using frequency domain transformations or autocorrelation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/75 : Organisation of the matching processes, e.g. simultaneous or sequential comparisons of image or video features; Coarse-fine approaches, e.g. multi-scale approaches; using context analysis; Selection of dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/758 : Involving statistics of pixels or of feature values, e.g. histogram matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/761 : Proximity, similarity or dissimilarity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/19073 : Comparing statistics of pixel or of feature values, e.g. histogram matching
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 : delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 : for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7287 : Liquid level responsive or maintaining systems

Abstract

A flow meter includes an image sensor and a processor. The image sensor is configured to capture an image of a drip chamber. The processor is configured to determine whether the captured image of the drip chamber contains a match to a template, and to apply a blurring function to the image captured by the image sensor of the drip chamber such that the processor can determine if the captured image contains a match to the template.

Claims

1. A system for regulating fluid flow, comprising:

a fluid reservoir for infusing fluid contained therein into a patient;

a drip chamber in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir, wherein the drip chamber is configured to allow a drop of the fluid to exit the fluid reservoir and travel through the drip chamber;

a backlight disposed near the drip chamber such that the backlight provides at least partial illumination to the drip chamber;

a valve configured to regulate the fluid flowing from the drip chamber to the patient; and

a flow meter for monitoring the flow rate of the fluid passing through the drip chamber, the flow meter including;

an image sensor configured to capture an image of the drip chamber, and

a processor configured to;

determine whether the captured image of the drip chamber contains a match to a template, and

apply a blurring function to the image captured by the image sensor of the drip chamber such that the processor can determine if the captured image contains a match to the template.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the blurring function is a low pass filter, the set of processor-executable instructions configured to apply the low pass filter to the image captured by the image sensor in either a vertical or a horizontal direction.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the low pass filter includes a one-dimensional Gaussian Blur function.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the blurring function is a low pass filter, the set of processor-executable instructions configured to apply the low pass filter to the image captured by the image sensor in both a vertical and a horizontal direction.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the low pass filter includes a two-dimensional Gaussian Blur function.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the template includes at least a partial image of a drop of the fluid forming within the drip chamber.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the captured image includes an image of the drip chamber that is at least partially illuminated by the backlight.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the desired pattern includes at least a partial image of a drop of the fluid forming within the drip chamber, the drop being at least partially illuminated by the backlight.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the blurring function filters the captured image such that the processor can determine if the captured image contains a match to the template.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the captured image is filtered to eliminate an amount of detail including images of at least one of condensation or splashes within the drip chamber.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a monitoring client to receive a flow rate through the drip chamber.

12. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a background pattern positioned within a field of view of the image sensor.

13. A method of filtering a captured image of a drip chamber configured to allow a drop of fluid to fall within the drip chamber, the method comprising:

capturing an image of the drip chamber with an image sensor;

determining if the captured image contains a visual obstruction;

applying a blurring function to the captured image, the blurring function configured to eliminate an amount of detail in the captured image; and

determining if the captured image contains a match to a template.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the desired pattern includes at least a partial image of a drop of fluid within the drip chamber.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the blurring function is a low pass filter, the low pass filter being applied in either a vertical direction or a horizontal direction.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the low pass filter includes a one-dimensional Gaussian Blur function.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the blurring function is a low pass filter, the low pass filter being applied in both a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the low pass filter includes a two-dimensional Gaussian Blur function.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the eliminated amount of detail includes images of one of condensation or splashes within the drip chamber.

20. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the act of communicating a flow rate with a monitoring client.

21. The method according to claim 13, further comprising a background pattern positioned within a field of view of the image sensor.

22. A method of capturing an image of a drip chamber, the method comprising:

illuminating at least a portion of a drip chamber;

capturing an image of the drip chamber with an image sensor;

determining if there is a visual obstruction in the captured image using a processor operatively coupled to the image sensor;

applying a blurring function, using the processor, to the captured image to filter the captured image upon a determination that there is a visual obstruction in the captured image; and

determining, using the processor, if there is a match to a template in the captured image.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the template includes at least a partial image of a drop of fluid within the drip chamber.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the blurring function is a low pass filter, the processor applying the low pass filter to the captured image in either a horizontal direction or a vertical direction.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the low pass filter includes a one-dimensional Gaussian Blur function.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the blurring function is a low pass filter, the processor applying the low pass filter to the captured image in both a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the low pass filter includes a two-dimensional Gaussian Blur function.

37. The flow meter of claim 26, wherein the captured image is filtered to eliminate an amount of detail including images of at least one of condensation or splashes within the drip chamber.

28. A flow meter, comprising:

an image sensor configured to capture an image of a drip chamber;

a processor configured to determine whether the captured image of the drip chamber contains a match to a template, and to apply a blurring function to the image captured by the image sensor of the drip chamber such that the processor can determine if the captured image contains a match to the template.

29. The flow meter of claim 28, wherein the blurring function is a low pass filter, the set of processor-executable instructions configured to apply the low pass filter to the image captured by the image sensor in either a vertical or a horizontal direction.

30. The flow meter of claim 29, wherein the low pass filter includes a one-dimensional Gaussian Blur function.

31. The flow meter of claim 28, wherein the blurring function is a low pass filter, the set of processor-executable instructions configured to apply the low pass filter to the image captured by the image sensor in both a vertical and a horizontal direction.

32. The flow meter of claim 31, wherein the low pass filter includes a two-dimensional Gaussian Blur function.

33. The flow meter of claim 28, wherein the template includes at least a partial image of a drop of the fluid forming within the drip chamber.

34. The flow meter of claim 28, wherein the captured image includes an image of the drip chamber that is at least partially illuminated by the backlight.

35. The flow meter of claim 34, wherein the desired pattern includes at least a partial image of a drop of the fluid forming within the drip chamber, the drop being at least partially illuminated by the backlight.

36. The flow meter of claim 28, wherein the blurring function filters the captured image such that the processor can determine if the captured image contains a match to the template.