Drop controller
First Claim
1. In combination for controlling the passage of fluid drops through a drip chamber,means for indicating the passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber,means defining the area of passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber and adjustably positioned to control the size of the passage,means for determining the period of time between the passage of each pair of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber,means adjustably preset to provide a desired time period between the passage of each pair of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber,means for adjusting the position of the passage-defining means to compensate by a particular increment for each determined time period which is greater by a particular amount than the preset time period, andmeans for adjusting the determined time period between the passage of each pair of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber in accordance with the adjustments in the position of the passage-defining means by a particular increment to provide for additional incremental adjustments in the position of the passage-defining means when the period of time between the passage of that pair of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber, after each adjustment of the time period determined for the passage of that pair of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber, still exceeds the preset time period.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus controls the rate of passage of fluid drops through a drip controller in accordance with a preset rate. When the rate of passage of the fluid drops is less than the preset rate, a stepper motor is incrementally operated at progressive instants of time to open the drip chamber until the measured rate is equal to the preset rate. When the rate of passage of the fluid drops is greater than the preset rate, the stepper motor is operated instantaneously to close the passage through a number of increments corresponding to the difference in the measured and preset rates.
An alarm is energized when the stepper motor is positioned to provide for a maximum flow of fluid and the rate is still below the preset rate. An alarm is also energized when the passage is closed and the preset rate indicates a desired flow of fluid.
An emergency motor is also provided to control the opening in the passage. Before the operation of the apparatus is instituted, the stepper motor is operated to close the drip chamber. The emergency motor is then operated to open the drip chamber and thereafter close the drip chamber. The emergency motor may thereafter be operated to close the passage when the drop controller fails to meet certain standards.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. In combination for controlling the passage of fluid drops through a drip chamber,
means for indicating the passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber, means defining the area of passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber and adjustably positioned to control the size of the passage, means for determining the period of time between the passage of each pair of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber, means adjustably preset to provide a desired time period between the passage of each pair of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber, means for adjusting the position of the passage-defining means to compensate by a particular increment for each determined time period which is greater by a particular amount than the preset time period, and means for adjusting the determined time period between the passage of each pair of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber in accordance with the adjustments in the position of the passage-defining means by a particular increment to provide for additional incremental adjustments in the position of the passage-defining means when the period of time between the passage of that pair of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber, after each adjustment of the time period determined for the passage of that pair of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber, still exceeds the preset time period.
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5. In combination for controlling the passage of fluid drops through a drip chamber,
means for indicating the passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber, means adjustably preset to provide a desired period between the passage of pairs of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber, means responsive to the signals from the indicating means for determining the periods between the passage of the pairs of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber, means adjustably positioned to control the rate of passage of the pairs of the successive fluid drops through the drip chamber, means operatively coupled to the control means and the indicating means for producing an adjustment in the positioning of the adjustable means in a direction to decrease the period of time for the passage of the pairs of the successive fluid drops through the drip chamber when the desired period is greater than the determined period, the adjustment in the positioning of the adjustable means being through a number of increments corresponding to the difference between the desired period and the determined period, means operatively coupled to the control means and the indicating means for producing adjustments in the positioning of the adjustable means by a particular number of increments in a direction to decrease the period between the passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber whenever the desired period is less by a particular value than the determined period, and means for adjusting the determined period between the passage of each pair of the successive fluid drops through the drip chamber to compensate for each such adjustment in the positioning of the adjustable means by a particular number of increments to provide for additional adjustments, by the particular number of increments, in the position of the passage defining means when the period of time between the passage of that pair of the successive fluid drops through the drip chamber, after each adjustment of the time period determined from the passage of such pair of the successive fluid drops through the drip chamber, still exceeds the preset time period.
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9. In combination for controlling the passage of fluid drops through a drip chamber,
a light source disposed to direct light into the drip chamber, light sensor means disposed relative to the light source and the drip chamber to produce signals in accordance with the intensity of the light passing through the drip chamber, output means responsive to the signals from the light sensor means for producing signals representing the passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber, means for providing for a passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber at particular periods of time between successive drops, means for measuring the period of time between the passage of each pair of successive drops through the drip chamber, adjustable means defining an adjustable passage through the drip chamber to control the rate of passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber in accordance with the adjustments in such adjustable means, stepper means operably coupled to the adjustable means for incrementally adjusting the position of the adjustable means to open and close the passage through the drip chamber, means responsive to each measured period less than the particular period for obtaning an operation of the stepper means, through a number of increments representative of the difference between the measured period and the particular period, in a direction for decreasing the rate at which the fluid drops pass through the drip chamber, means responsive to each measured period greater by a particular value than the particular period for obtaining an operation of the stepper motor through a particular number of increments in a direction for increasing the rate at which each pair of the successive fluid drops pass through the drip chamber where the particular number of increments may be less than that required to make the measured period equal to the particular period, and means responsive to each stepping of the stepping means through the particular number of increments for decreasing the measured period of time between the passage of each pair of successive drops through the drip chamber in accordance with such particular number of increments to provide for additional incremental adjustments in the position of the adjustable means when the period of time between such pair of successive drops again exceeds the particular period.
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14. In combination for controlling the passage of fluid drops through a drip chamber having an adjustable passage,
a source disposed to direct energy into the drip chamber, sensor means disposed relative to the source and the drip chamber to produce signals in accordance with the intensity of the energy passing through the drip chamber from the source, output means responsive to the signals from the sensor means for producing signals representing the passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber, control means adjustably preset to provide a desired rate for the passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber, means responsive to the signals from the output means for indicating the actual rate for the passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber, means for providing an adjustable passage in the drip chamber, means adjustable in position for adjusting the adjustable passage in the drip chamber in accordance with such adjustments in position to control the rate at which the fluid drops pass through the drip chamber, means operatively coupled to the adjustable means and the indicating means for producing an instantaneous adjustment in the positioning of the adjustable means in a direction to decrease the rate of passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber by an amount representative of the difference between the desired and actual rates when the desired rate is less than the actual rate, means operatively coupled to the control means and the indicating means for producing predetermined incremental adjustments in the positioning of the adjustable means in a direction to increase the rate of passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber when the desired rate becomes greater than the actual rate during the measurement of the time period between the passage of each pair of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber, and means responsive to each predetermined incremental adjustment in the positioning of the adjustable means for instantaneously adjusting the indication of the actual rate of the passage of each pair of successive fluid drops through the drip chamber to a value below the desired rate in accordance with such predetermined incremental adjustments to obtain additional incremental adjustments when the actual rate of the passage of such pair of successive fluid drops becomes greater than the desired rate.
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19. In combination for controlling the rate of flow of drops of fluid through a drip chamber,
means for introducing energy to the drip chamber, means for sensing the energy passing from the drip chamber and for producing signals representing the sensed energy, valve means associated with the drip chamber and adjustable to define the opening through the drip chamber for the passage of the fluid drops, a stepper motor for operating the valve means, means for initially operating the stepper motor in a direction for obtaining a closure of the drip chamber, means operatively coupled to the sensing means for testing the operability of the sensor means, an emergency motor for operating the valve means, means operatively coupled to the emergency motor for cycling the emergency motor between the open and closed positions of the valve means and for discontinuing the operation of the emergency motor when the valve means is in the closed position, means for sensing the operation of the emergency motor to insure the movement of the valve means between the open and closed positions of the valve means and the discontinuance in the operation of the emergency motor when the valve means is in the closed position, means for operating the stepper motor, after the movement of the valve means to the closed position by the emergency motor, to open the valve means until the initiation of the passage of a first fluid drop through the drip chamber, and servo means responsive to the initiation of the passage of fluid drops through the drip chamber for operating the stepper motor to maintain the rate of the passage of the drops of fluid through the chamber at a particular value.
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24. In combination for controlling the rate of passage of fluid drops through a drip chamber,
a stepper motor, valve means adjustable to control the rate of passage of fluid drops through the drip chamber, the valve means being coupled to the stepper motor to be operated by the stepper motor to provide such adjustments in the valve means, means for determining the rate at which the fluid drops pass through the drip chamber, means for pre-setting a particular value for the rate of passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber, means for initially operating the stepper motor in a direction to obtain a closure of the drip chamber to the passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber, means for subsequently operating the stepper motor progressively in a direction to open the drip chamber until the initiation of the passage of fluid drops through the drip chamber, and means responsive to the initiation of the passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber for subsequently regulating the rate of passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber to the particular value, the regulating means including: -
means for providing for incremental changes of predetermined value at progressive instants of time in the rate of passage of each pair of successive drops of the fluid through the drip chamber for rates below the particular value, means responsive to each incremental change in the predetermined value in the rate of passage of each pair of successive drops of the fluid through the drip chamber for producing an increase in the rate determined for the passage of that pair of the successive drops of the fluid through the drip chamber until the production of rates at the particular valve for the passage of that pair of the successive drops of the fluid through the drip chamber, and means for providing for analog changes in the rate of passage of the fluid drops through the drip chamber for rates above the particular value where such analog changes correspond instantaneously to the difference between the determined rate and the particular rate. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification