System for controlling the flow of intravenous fluids to a patient
First Claim
1. In combination in a system for providing a controlled introduction of fluid from a source to a patient,first means for storing the fluid, the first means including first and second compartments and a diaphragm separating the compartments and movable in the first means to vary the volumes of the first and second compartments,second means operatively coupled to the first and second compartments for providing a first times for the introduction of fluid from the source to the first compartment and the passage of fluid from the second compartment to the patient and at other times for the introduction of fluid from the source to the second compartment and the passage of fluid from the first compartment to the patient, andthird means responsive to the movement of the diaphragm to a particular position in the second compartment for operating on the second means to obtaining the introduction of fluid from the source to the first compartment and the passage of fluid from the second compartment to the patient and responsive to the movement of the diaphragm to a particular position in the first compartment for operating on the second means to obtain the introduction of fluid from the source to the second compartment and the passage of fluid from the first compartment to the patient.
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A controller provides precisely regulated flow of intravenous fluid on a gravitational basis to a patient. The controller includes a storage chamber with first and second compartments and a diaphragm separating the compartments and movable in the chamber to vary the volumes of the first and second compartments. The storage chamber may be disposed in a replaceable cassette. Control means provide at first times for the introduction of fluid from the source to the first compartment and the passage of fluid from the second compartment to the patient. The control means provide at other times for the introduction of fluid from the source to the second compartment and the passage of fluid from the first compartment to the patient. The control means may also be included at least partially in the cassette. Means operate upon the control means, upon the movement of the diaphragm to a particular position in the second compartment, to obtain the introduction of fluid from the source to the first compartment and the passage of fluid from the second compartment to the patient. Such means operate on the control means, upon the movement of the diaphragm to a particular position in the first compartment, to obtain the introduction of fluid from the source to the second compartment and the passage of fluid from the first compartment to the patient. The control means also control at each instant the rate at which fluid flows from each of the compartments to the patient by comparing at such instant desired and actual rates of fluid flow and by providing adjustments in accordance with such comparison.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. In combination in a system for providing a controlled introduction of fluid from a source to a patient,
first means for storing the fluid, the first means including first and second compartments and a diaphragm separating the compartments and movable in the first means to vary the volumes of the first and second compartments, second means operatively coupled to the first and second compartments for providing a first times for the introduction of fluid from the source to the first compartment and the passage of fluid from the second compartment to the patient and at other times for the introduction of fluid from the source to the second compartment and the passage of fluid from the first compartment to the patient, and third means responsive to the movement of the diaphragm to a particular position in the second compartment for operating on the second means to obtaining the introduction of fluid from the source to the first compartment and the passage of fluid from the second compartment to the patient and responsive to the movement of the diaphragm to a particular position in the first compartment for operating on the second means to obtain the introduction of fluid from the source to the second compartment and the passage of fluid from the first compartment to the patient.
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4. In combination in a system for providing a controlled introduction of fluid from a source to a patient,
first and second storage means, first means operatively coupled to the first and second storage means and having first and second states of operation and operative in the first state for providing for a flow of fluid from the source to the first storage means and a simultaneous flow of fluid from the second storage means to the patient and operative in the second state for providing for a flow of fluid from the source to the second storage means and a simultaneous flow of fluid from the first storage means to the patient, and second means operatively coupled to the first means and responsive to cumulative flows of fluid from each of the first and second storage means for alternately producing an operation of the first means in the first and second states.
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9. In combination in a system for providing a controlled introduction of fluid from a source to a patient,
first means for storing the fluid, the storing means including a movable diaphragm for dividing the storing means into first and second compartments, second means for providing for an introduction of fluid from the source to one of the compartments and for providing for the passage of fluid from the other compartment to the patient, first adjustable means for controlling the rate at which fluid passes from the second means to the patient, second adjustable means for providing a desired rate at which fluid is to pass to the patient, third means operatively coupled to the second means for indicating the rate at which fluid is actually flowing to the patient, fourth means operatively coupled to the second adjustable means and to the third means and responsive to the indications of the desired and actual rates of fluid flow for producing an error signal in accordance with any differences in such signals, fifth means reponsive to the error signals for producing adjustments in the first adjustable means to minimize such error signals, and sixth means operatively coupled to the second means and responsive to the flow of fluid to the patient for providing at first times for the introduction of fluid into the first compartment and the passage of fluid from the second compartment and, at second times alternating with the first times, for the introduction of fluid into the second compartment and the passage of fluid from the first compartment.
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14. In combination in a system for providing a controlled introduction of fluid from a source to a patient,
storage means constructed to provide a flow into the storage means from first and second operative directions and to provide a flow from the storage means from first and second opposite directions, first means for providing for an introduction of fluid from the source into the storage means in the first and second opposite directions, second means for providing for a passage of fluid from the storage means to the patient in the first and second opposite directions, valve means operatively coupled to the storage means and having first and second operative relationships and operative in the first relationship to provide for a flow of fluid into the storage means only in the first direction and a passage of fluid from the storage means only in the second direction and operative in the second relationship to provide for a flow of fluid into the storage means only in the second direction and a passage of fluid from the storage means only in the first direction, and means responsive to the flows of particular amounts of the fluid into and out of the storage means in one of the first and second operative relationships for reversing the operation of the valve means to the other one of the first and second operative relationships.
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21. In combination in a system for providing a controlled introduction of fluid from a source to a patient,
means for providing an indication of a desired rate for introducing fluid into a patient, means responsive to the flow of fluid for providing an indication of the rate at which fluid is flowing into the patient, means responsive to the indications of the desired and actual rates of flow for producing an error signal having characteristics representing any differences in such indications, means including a replaceable cassette for providing a reservoir for the controlled storage of fluid flowing from the source and for the controlled flow of the stored fluid to the patient, an output line extending from the replaceable cassette for introducing fluid from the reservoir to the patient, an input line extending to the replaceable cassette for introducing fluid to the reservoir from the source, and means associated with the output line and responsive to the error signal for adjustably controlling the rate at which fluid flows from the reservoir through the output line to the patient in accordance with the characteristics of the error signal.
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25. In combination in a systen for providing a controlled introduction of fluid from a source to a patient,
means for providing an indication of a desired rate for introducing fluid to a patient, means responsive to the flow of fluid for providing an indication of the rate at which fluid is flowing to the patient, means responsive to the indications of the desired and actual rate of flow for producing an error signal having characteristics representing any differences in such indications, means for providing a reservoir for the storage of fluid and for the controlled flow of fluid from the source and for the controlled flow of fluid to the patient and for the flow of fluid to the reservoir at the same rate as the flow of fluid from the reservoir, an input line for introducing fluid from the source to the reservoir, an output line for introducing fluid from the reservoir to the patient, and means associated with the output line and responsive to the error signal for adjustably controlling the rate at which fluid flows from the reservoir through the output line to the patient.
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29. In combination in a system for providing a controlled introduction of fluid from a source to a patient,
means for providing an indication of a desired rate for introducing fluid to a patient, means responsive to the flow of fluid for providing an indication of the rate at which fluid is flowing to the patient, means responsive to the indications of the desired and actual rates of flow for producing an error signal having characteristics representing any differences in such indications, means for providing a reservoir for the fluid, means for providing for a flow of fluid from the reservoir to the patient, means operatively coupled to the last-mentioned means and responsive to the error signal for adjusting the rate of the flow of fluid from the reservoir to the patient in accordance with the characteristics of such error signal, and means for providing for the introduction of fluid from the source to the reservoir to replenish the fluid flowing from the reservoir to the patient.
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31. In combination in a system for providing a controlled introduction of fluid from a source to a patient,
means for providing a first signal representing at each instant a desired flow of the fluid from the source to the patient, means responsive to the first signal for integrating the signal to provide an indication of the cumulative amount of fluid flow desired at each instant, conduit means for providing for a controlled flow of fluid from the source to the patient, means for providing a second signal representing at each instant the actual flow of fluid from the source to the patient at that instant, means responsive to the second signal for integrating the second signal to provide an indication of the cumulative amount of fluid actually flowing to the patient, means responsive to the indications representing the cumulative values of the actual and desired flows of fluid to the patient for producing an error signal representative of such differences, and means responsive to the error signal for adjusting the conduit means in a direction for varying the fluid flow through the conduit means to minimize the error signal.
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35. In combination in a system for providing a controlled introduction of fluid from a source to a patient,
means for providing a first signal representing at each instant a desired flow of the fluid from the source to the patient, conduit means for providing for a flow of fluid from the source to the patient, means operatively coupled to the conduit means for adjustably pinching the conduit means to control the rate at which the fluid flows from the source to the patient, means operatively coupled to the conduit means for providing a second signal representing at each instant the actual flow of fluid from the source to the patient, comparator means responsive to the first and second signals for comparing these signals to produce an error signal representing any differences between the first and second signals, and means responsive to the error signal for adjusting the pinching of the conduit means in a direction to minimize the error signal.
Specification