Liquid transfusion apparatus

• US 5,078,682 A
• Filed: 11/28/1989
• Issued: 01/07/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Baxter International Inc., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Miki, Fumio, Fairchild, Michael S., D'Silva, Edmund D., Lynn, Kenneth M., Esche, Grace M., Kramer, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHUMAKER, STEVEN
• Application Number:
  US07/442,999
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 604/65, 604/67, 604/131, 604/151, 604/153, 128/DIG. 12, 128/DIG. 13, 73/717, 73/723, 73/866.3, 364/413.01, 364/413.02, 417/63
• US Class Current: 604/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16854 by monitoring line pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/2066 using controlling means acting on the pressure source
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/13 Infusion monitoring

Abstract

The liquid transfusion apparatus according to the present invention includes a setting device adapted to respectively set a normal level of pressure of the fed liquid and an upper alarm level of pressure of the fed liquid, calculating unit for calculating a percentage of a difference between the detected level of pressure of the liquid and the set normal level to a difference between the set upper alarm level and the set normal level, and display unit for displaying the calculated percentage. The liquid transfusion apparatus is very useful for monitoring the pressure of the liquid which is being administered to a patient.

Claims

1. A liquid transfusion apparatus comprising:

a transfusion tube for transfusing liquid into a human body;

a liquid feed means attached to said transfusion tube for feeding said liquid into said transfusion tube;

a pressure detecting means attached to said transfusion tube down stream of said transfusion tube with respect to said liquid feed means for detecting a pressure level of said liquid in said transfusion tube;

a setting means capable of setting a normal pressure level

and an upper alarm pressure level of said liquid in said transfusion tube;

a calculating means electrically coupled to said pressure detecting means and coupled to said setting means for calculating a percentage of a difference between said detected pressure level detected by said pressure detecting means and said normal pressure level set by said setting means with respect to a difference between said upper pressure level and said normal pressure level set by said setting means; and

display means electrically coupled to said calculating means for displaying said percentage calculated by said calculating means.

2. A liquid transfusion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure detecting means includes a pressure sensor for detecting said pressure level of said liquid in said transfusion tube and for outputting an analog signal representative of said detected pressure level of said liquid, and A/D converter electrically coupled to said pressure sensor for converting said analog signal output from said pressure sensor into a digital signal.

3. A liquid transfusion apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pressure sensor is an electromagnetic induction sensor.

4. A liquid transfusion apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pressure sensor is a capacitive type sensor.

5. A liquid transfusion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting means comprises a first memory unit for storing said normal pressure level set by said setting means, and a second memory unit for storing said upper alarm pressure level set by said setting means.

6. A liquid transfusion apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pressure sensor is a diaphragm type sensor.

7. A liquid transfusion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said calculating means further comprises an interface electrically coupled to said calculating means and to said liquid feed means, said interface capable of outputting a control signal generated from said calculating means to said liquid feed means so that said liquid feed means is controlled by said control signal.

8. A liquid transfusion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said calculating means further comprises an alarm unit for sounding an alarm at a time when said detected pressure level of said liquid exceeds said upper alarm pressure level set by said setting means.

9. A liquid transfusion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said liquid feed means comprises a transfusion pump having eccentric cams attached to a rotational shaft thereof, and fingers fixed to an outer circumferential surface of said eccentric cams so as to press said transfusion tube.

10. A liquid transfusion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display means is capable of displaying said percentage calculated by said calculating means in numerals.

11. A liquid transfusion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display means is capable of displaying said percentage calculated by said calculating means by a bar graph.