Electronic control means for a plurality of intravenous infusion sets
First Claim
1. A dual intravenous infusion means for use with two supplies of intravenous fluid comprising in combination, a first drip chamber adapted to be connected to one of said supplies, a second drip chamber adapted to be connected to the other of said supplies, first and second lengths of intravenous tubing respectively connected to the first and second drip chambers and forming with said drip chambers first and second fluid flow passages, first and second valve means associated with the respective passages, first and second valve operating means associated with the respective valve means, first and second drop detector means associated with the respective drip chambers for sensing drops of the intravenous fluid falling therethrough, control circuit means including first and second supply circuits connected with the valve operating means for controlling the first and second valve operating means, said control circuit means including clock means for establishing independently selectable drip rates for said first and second supply circuits, means responsive to said clock means for opening the respective valve means at the associated preselected drip rates, means responsive to said first and second drop detector means for closing the associated valve means in response to detection of a drop, alarm means responsive to variations in the actual drop rate from the preselected rate for switching the associated supply circuit into an alarm mode, said alarm means including means for terminating flow of fluid from the associated supply in said alarm mode, and selector means for selectively enabling the first or second supply circuits for independent operation, said selector means including means for switching from one supply circuit to the other.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Electronic control apparatus for controlling the administration of a plurality of separate fluids independently and consecutively, includes electrical circuitry connected with a plurality of valve operators to operate valves in a plurality of sets to control flow therethrough.
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Citations
23 Claims
- 1. A dual intravenous infusion means for use with two supplies of intravenous fluid comprising in combination, a first drip chamber adapted to be connected to one of said supplies, a second drip chamber adapted to be connected to the other of said supplies, first and second lengths of intravenous tubing respectively connected to the first and second drip chambers and forming with said drip chambers first and second fluid flow passages, first and second valve means associated with the respective passages, first and second valve operating means associated with the respective valve means, first and second drop detector means associated with the respective drip chambers for sensing drops of the intravenous fluid falling therethrough, control circuit means including first and second supply circuits connected with the valve operating means for controlling the first and second valve operating means, said control circuit means including clock means for establishing independently selectable drip rates for said first and second supply circuits, means responsive to said clock means for opening the respective valve means at the associated preselected drip rates, means responsive to said first and second drop detector means for closing the associated valve means in response to detection of a drop, alarm means responsive to variations in the actual drop rate from the preselected rate for switching the associated supply circuit into an alarm mode, said alarm means including means for terminating flow of fluid from the associated supply in said alarm mode, and selector means for selectively enabling the first or second supply circuits for independent operation, said selector means including means for switching from one supply circuit to the other.
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8. A dual intravenous infusion means for use with two sources of intravenous fluid, comprising in combination:
- first and second individual intravenous infusion sets, each set comprising a drip chamber adapted to be connected to one of said fluid supplies, a length of intravenous tubing connected to the drip chamber and forming with said drip chamber a fluid flow passage, valve means associated with the fluid flow passage, valve operating means associated with the valve means, drop detector means associated with the drip chamber for sensing drops of intravenous fluid falling therethrough, and supply circuit means;
said supply circuit means including clock means for establishing an independently selectable drip rate for said supply circuit, means responsive to said clock means for opening the respective valve means at the preselected drip rate, means responsive to said drop detector means for closing the valve means in response to detection of a drop, alarm means responsive to variations in the actual drop rate from the preselected drop rate for switching the supply circuit into an alarm mode, said alarm means including means for terminating flow of fluid in said alarm mode; and
selector means for selectively enabling the first or second supply circuit for independent operation, said selector means including means for switching from one supply circuit to the other. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- first and second individual intravenous infusion sets, each set comprising a drip chamber adapted to be connected to one of said fluid supplies, a length of intravenous tubing connected to the drip chamber and forming with said drip chamber a fluid flow passage, valve means associated with the fluid flow passage, valve operating means associated with the valve means, drop detector means associated with the drip chamber for sensing drops of intravenous fluid falling therethrough, and supply circuit means;
- 17. A dual intravenous infusion means for controlling the dispensing of intravenous fluid from first and second sources of intravenous fluid comprising in combination, first and second fluid flow passages connected to the respective fluid sources, first and second valve means associated with the respective fluid flow passages for controlling flow therethrough, first and second valve control means connected with the respective valve means for opening and closing the respective valve means at individually selectable rates, and selector means connected with the control means for selectively enabling each valve means to individually deliver fluid from its associated fluid source at the rate selected therefor, said selector means including means for switching control between the first and second valve control means, at least one of said valve control means including alarm means for detecting deviations between the actual rate of delivery of said fluid and the selected rate and in response thereto putting the associated valve control means into an alarm condition, said alarm means being coupled to said selector means for switching control to the alternate control means in response to an alarm condition.
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22. Control means for use with multiple intravenous infusion sets, wherein the infusion sets each includes a fluid flow passage means adapted to be connected with a source of intravenous fluid, and valve means in the fluid flow passage means operational between an open position and a closed position to control flow therethrough, said control means comprising valve operating means for opening the respective valve means, digitally settable clock means for preselecting the rate of operation of the valve operating means and thus for selecting the rate of the valve opening and rate of flow therethrough, counter means for counting the amount of fluid dispensed, selector means for selectively enabling operation of the respective valve operating means, said selector means including means for disabling one valve operating means and enabling the other in response to the occurrence of a predetermined condition, said selector means further including means which functions when returning to an interrupted cycle to prevent the counter means from beginning a new count, whereby the counter means remembers the amount of fluid dispensed and continues the count of the interrupted cycle, supply circuit means connected with each valve operating means to control operation thereof, said digitally settable clock means connected with said supply circuit means to effect actuation thereof to obtain a desired drip rate, said clock means being shared by the supply circuit means, and alarm means for giving an alarm when the drip rate actually delivered differs by a predetermined amount from that set, and including high rate error accumulating means which counts extra drops over a dispensing cycle and goes into alarm when a predetermined number of excess drop signals are accumulated.
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23. A multiple intravenous infusion means for independently and consecutively controlling flow of separate intravenous fluids through a plurality of intravenous infusion sets, including:
- a plurality of intravenous infusion sets;
valve means associated with each set;
valve operating means for opening and closing each valve means at a preselected rate;
selector means for enabling one valve operating means and disabling the other; and
alarm means associated with at least one of said valve operating means for detecting deviations between the actual rate of delivery of fluid and the selected rate and operative in response to a deviation to operate said selector means to disable the valve operating means associated with the alarm condition and to enable the alternate valve operating means, whereby in the event of an alarm condition occurring in one of the sets, intravenous fluid automatically continues to be supplied through another set.
- a plurality of intravenous infusion sets;
Specification