IV administration set infiltration monitor
First Claim
1. An apparatus for determining abnormal fluid flow through an IV administration set, which comprises:
- an IV fluid tube connectable in fluid communication with the patient;
a pump operatively engaged with said tube for causing fluid to flow through said tube;
a pressure sensor operatively engaged with said tube between said pump and the patient for determining fluid pressure in said IV fluid tube;
means electrically connected to said pressure sensor for operating said pump for withdrawing fluid having first flow characteristics from the patient and for operating said pump for infusing fluid having second flow characteristics to the patient, wherein said operating means causes said pump to withdraw a first volume of fluid from said vessel of the patient at a preselected withdrawal pressure during a first predetermined time interval, and said operating means causes said pump to infuse a second volume of fluid into said vessel of the patient at a preselected infusion pressure during a second predetermined time interval; and
means for evaluating said first characteristics and said second characteristics to determine whether said IV administration set is infiltrated into the patient'"'"'s tissue.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for determining whether an IV infusion set has infiltrated the tissue of a patient includes a pump for pumping fluid through the IV set into the patient and a pressure transducer operably engaged with the IV set between the pump and patient. The pressure transducer is electrically connected to a microprocessor, and the microprocessor is electrically connected to the motor of the pump to control the pump to alternately withdraw from and infuse into the patient a predetermined volume of fluid.
This predetermined volume of fluid is withdrawn from the patient by the pump at a preselected withdrawal pressure, while the pump infuses the predetermined volume of fluid into the patient at a preselected infusion pressure. The microprocessor measures both the time period for infusing the predetermined volume of fluid and the time period for withdrawing the predetermined volume of fluid. Based upon these time periods, the microprocessor evaluates whether the IV set has infiltrated the patient'"'"'s tissue.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining abnormal fluid flow through an IV administration set, which comprises:
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an IV fluid tube connectable in fluid communication with the patient; a pump operatively engaged with said tube for causing fluid to flow through said tube; a pressure sensor operatively engaged with said tube between said pump and the patient for determining fluid pressure in said IV fluid tube; means electrically connected to said pressure sensor for operating said pump for withdrawing fluid having first flow characteristics from the patient and for operating said pump for infusing fluid having second flow characteristics to the patient, wherein said operating means causes said pump to withdraw a first volume of fluid from said vessel of the patient at a preselected withdrawal pressure during a first predetermined time interval, and said operating means causes said pump to infuse a second volume of fluid into said vessel of the patient at a preselected infusion pressure during a second predetermined time interval; and means for evaluating said first characteristics and said second characteristics to determine whether said IV administration set is infiltrated into the patient'"'"'s tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for determining whether there is abnormal fluid flow through an IV administration set, the set including a fluid source in fluid communication with a patient through an IV fluid tube and a pumping mechanism operatively engaged with the IV tube for pumping fluid through the IV tube, which comprises the steps of:
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operating said pumping mechanism to withdraw fluid having withdrawal fluid flow characteristics from the patient, wherein said step of operating the pumping mechanism to withdraw fluid comprises withdrawing a first fluid volume of fluid from the patient at a preselected pressure during a predetermined time; measuring selected components of said withdrawal fluid flow characteristics; operating said pumping mechanism to infuse fluid having infusion fluid flow characteristics to the patient, wherein said step of operating said pumping mechanism to infuse fluid comprises infusing a second volume of fluid to the patient at a preselected pressure during a predetermined time interval; measuring selected components of said infusion fluid flow characteristics; and comparing said selected components of said withdrawal fluid flow characteristics with said selected components of said infusion fluid flow characteristics for determining whether said IV administration set is experiencing abnormal fluid flow, wherein said step of comparing comprises comparing said first and said second volumes to determine whether there is abnormal fluid flow through said IV administration set.
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13. An apparatus for determining abnormal fluid flow through an IV administration set, which comprises:
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an IV fluid tube connectable in fluid communication with a patient; a pump operatively engaged with said tube for causing fluid to flow through said tube; a pressure sensor operatively engaged with said tube between said pump and the patient for determining fluid pressure in said IV fluid tube; means electrically connected to said pressure sensor for operating said pump for withdrawing fluid having first flow characteristics from the patient and for operating said pump for infusing fluid having second flow characteristics to the patient, wherein said operating means causes said pump to infuse a predetermined volume of fluid to the patient during a predetermined time interval at an infusion pressure, and said operating means causes said pump to withdraw a predetermined volume of fluid from the patient during a predetermined time interval at a withdrawal pressure; and means for evaluating said first characteristics and said second characteristics to determine whether said IV administration set is infiltrated into the patient'"'"'s tissue. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method for determining whether there is abnormal fluid flow through an IV administration set, the set including a fluid source in fluid communication with a patient through an IV fluid tube and a pumping mechanism operatively engaged with the IV tube for pumping fluid through the IV tube, which comprises the steps of:
operating said pumping mechanism to withdraw a predetermined volume of fluid from the patient at a first pressure during a predetermined time interval, and operating said pumping mechanism to infuse a predetermined volume of fluid to the patient at a second pressure during a predetermined time period, and comparing such first and second pressures to determine whether there is abnormal fluid flow through said IV administration set.
Specification