Drop discriminator system
First Claim
1. In a drop detection system for use with fluid flow control apparatus, in the parenteral administration of liquids through a feeding tube from a liquid source to a patient, the combination comprising:
- first means for generating electrical signals in response to detection of drop flow activity;
second means for receiving said electrical signals to determine the occurrence of individual drops;
third means, responsive to said second means, for providing drop signals indicative of drop flow events to the fluid flow control apparatus;
fourth means, also responsive to said second means, for qualitatively evaluating the waveforms of each of said electrical signals representing individual drop configurations to determine their conformity with prescribed waveform characteristics, whereby proper drop flow events may be qualitatively distinguished from improper drop flow events; and
fifth means, responsive to the electrical output of said fourth means, for providing an indication of nonconformity in the waveform characteristics of a prescribed number of said electrical signals to determine proper operation of the fluid flow control apparatus.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic method and apparatus for evaluation of the quality of drop detection in apparatus for parenteral administration of medical fluids, wherein the waveforms of electrical signals representing drop flow detection are evaluated for conformity with both prescribed amplitude and time duration characteristics. Separate counters record the total number of drop events evaluated and the portion of the total which are determined to be non-conforming, and the latter counter triggers alarms if a predetermined limit is exceeded within a prescribed number of total events.
35 Citations
43 Claims
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1. In a drop detection system for use with fluid flow control apparatus, in the parenteral administration of liquids through a feeding tube from a liquid source to a patient, the combination comprising:
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first means for generating electrical signals in response to detection of drop flow activity; second means for receiving said electrical signals to determine the occurrence of individual drops; third means, responsive to said second means, for providing drop signals indicative of drop flow events to the fluid flow control apparatus; fourth means, also responsive to said second means, for qualitatively evaluating the waveforms of each of said electrical signals representing individual drop configurations to determine their conformity with prescribed waveform characteristics, whereby proper drop flow events may be qualitatively distinguished from improper drop flow events; and fifth means, responsive to the electrical output of said fourth means, for providing an indication of nonconformity in the waveform characteristics of a prescribed number of said electrical signals to determine proper operation of the fluid flow control apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a drop detection system for use with a fluid flow control apparatus, in the parenteral administration of liquids through a feeding tube from a liquid source to a patient, the combination comprising:
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first means for generating electrical signals in response to detection of drop flow activity; second means for receiving said electrical signals to determine the occurrence of individual drops; third means, responsive to said second means, for providing drop signals indicative of drop flow events to the fluid flow control apparatus; fourth means for qualitatively evaluating the amplitude of each of said electrical signals representing individual drop flow events during a prescribed time frame to determine their conformity with prescribed amplitude characteristics during said time frame, whereby proper drop flow events may be qualitatively distinguished from improper drop flow events; and fifth means, responsive to the electrical output of said fourth means, for providing an indication of nonconformity in the waveform characteristics of a prescribed number of said electrical signals to determine proper operation of the fluid flow control apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. In a drop detection system for use with fluid flow control apparatus, in the parenteral administration of liquids through a feeding tube from a liquid source to a patient, the combination comprising:
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first means for generating electrical signals in response to detection of drop flow activity; second means for receiving said electrical signals to determine the occurrence of individual drops; third means, responsive to said second means, for providing drop signals indicative of drop flow events to the fluid flow control apparatus; fourth means for qualitatively evaluating the time duration of each of said electrical signals representing individual drop flow events within a prescribed amplitude range to determine their conformity with prescribed time duration characteristics, whereby proper drop flow events may be qualitatively distinguished from improper drop flow events; and fifth means, responsive to the electrical output of said forth means, for providing an indication of nonconformity in the waveform characteristics of a prescribed number of said electrical signals to determine proper operation of the fluid flow control apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. In a drop detection system for use with fluid flow control apparatus, in the parenteral administration of liquids through a feeding tube from a liquid source to a patient, the combination comprising:
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sensing means for detecting drop flow activity; means responsive to said sensing means for generating electrical signals representative of the individual drops detected; means for qualitatively evaluating the waveforms of each of said electrical signals to establish the occurrence of individual drop flow events, whereby individual drop flow events may be qualitatively distinguished from artifacts, and for providing drop signals indicative of individual drop flow events to the fluid flow control apparatus; amplitude discrimination means for qualitatively evaluating the amplitude of each of said electrical signals representing individual drop configurations to determine their conformity with prescribed amplitude characteristics, whereby proper drop flow events may be qualitatively distinguished from improper drop flow events; timing means for establishing a time frame during which the amplitude of each of said electrical signals representing individual drop configurations is evaluated by said amplitude discrimination means; and means responsive to qualitative evaluation of said drop flow events, for determining proper operation of the fluid flow control apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for determining the quality of the detection of drop flow activity during the parenteral administration of liquids through a feeding tube from a liquid source to a patient, comprising the steps of:
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generating electrical signals in response to the detection of individual drops; and qualitatively evaluating the waveforms of each of said electrical signals representing individual drop configurations to determine their conformity with prescribed waveform characteristics, whereby proper drop flow events may be qualitatively distinguished from improper events and artifacts. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A method for evaluating the quality of the detection of drop flow activity during the parenteral administration of liquids through a feeding tube from a liquid source to a patient, comprising the steps of:
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generating electrical signals in response to the detection of individual drops; and qualitatively evaluating the amplitudes of each of said electrical signals representing individual drop configurations during time frames of predetermined duration to determine the conformity of said electrical signals with prescribed waveform characteristics, whereby proper drop flow events may be qualitatively distinguished from improper events and artifacts. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. In a drop detection system for use with fluid flow control apparatus, in the parenteral administration of liquids through a feeding tube from a liquid source to a patient, the combination comprising:
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sensing means for detecting drop flow activity; means responsive to said sensing means for generating electrical signals representative of the individual drops detected; first discriminator means for qualitatively determining whether the amplitude of each of said electrical signals exceeds a first level, whereby the occurrence of an individual drop flow event is detected; second discriminator means for qualitatively determining whether the amplitude of each of said electrical signals representing an individual drop configurations exceeds a second level greater than said first level; timing means responsive to said first discriminator means for establishing first and second successive time frames during which the amplitude of each of said electrical signals is compared with said second level; and means responsive to qualitative evaluation of said drop flow events, for determining proper operation of the fluid flow control apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. In a drop detection system for use with fluid flow control apparatus, in the parenteral administration of liquids through a feeding tube from a liquid source to a patient, the combination comprising:
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first means for generating electrical signals in response to detection of individual drops; second means for qualitatively evaluating the waveforms of each of said electrical signals representing individual drop configurations to determine their conformity with prescribed waveform characteristics, whereby proper drop flow events may be qualitatively distinguished from improper events and artifacts; and third means, responsive to the electrical output of said second means, for determining proper operation of the fluid flow control apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification