Intravenous infusion flow rate monitoring device
First Claim
1. A device for monitoring an infusion, comprising:
- a sensor adapted for being combined with a drip cylinder to detect the presence or absence of a drop; and
a timing and counting unit timing and counting for the drops detected by said sensor;
said sensor comprising;
a) a source of infa-red radiation, said source of infrared radiation functioning in pulsed mode, andb) an optical receiver, said optical receiver being activated synchronous to said source of infra-red radiation;
c) an integrating amplifier adapted for integrating the signal from said optical receiver and for providing as an output signal a mean value amplified by an adjustable factor; and
d) a comparator adapted for comparing said output signal with the non-integrated signal from said receiver and for generating a logic signal as an input signal for said timing and counting unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An infusion monitoring device including a programming console with a data input unit for inputting infusion parameters, a calculating unit for preconditioning the parameters, and an output interface for said parameters. The programming console may be used to program a large number of self-contained monitoring units each having a sensor combined with a drop-counting ampoule for sensing the presence or absence of the drop. Each monitoring unit has a housing for a timing and counting unit, a display unit, an alarm unit, a self-contained power supply, and input interface for receiving parameters preconditioned in the programming console, a memory unit for storing the parameters, and a separate calculating unit for controlling the counting/timing, in the display and the alarms.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A device for monitoring an infusion, comprising:
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a sensor adapted for being combined with a drip cylinder to detect the presence or absence of a drop; and a timing and counting unit timing and counting for the drops detected by said sensor;
said sensor comprising;a) a source of infa-red radiation, said source of infrared radiation functioning in pulsed mode, and b) an optical receiver, said optical receiver being activated synchronous to said source of infra-red radiation; c) an integrating amplifier adapted for integrating the signal from said optical receiver and for providing as an output signal a mean value amplified by an adjustable factor; and d) a comparator adapted for comparing said output signal with the non-integrated signal from said receiver and for generating a logic signal as an input signal for said timing and counting unit. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A device for monitoring an infusion, comprising:
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a) a sensor adapted for being combined with a drip cylinder to detect the presence or absence of a drop; b) monitoring means connected to said sensor associated with said drip cylinder during the infusion;
said monitoring means comprising;a memory unit for storing characteristic parameters of said infusion; a unit for timing and counting the drops detected by said sensor and for generating a first signal indicative thereof; a display unit; an acoustic and/or visual alarm unit; a first arithmetic and logic unit adapted for using a computer algorithm, said computer algorithm incorporating as parameters said signal from said timing and counting unit and said characteristic parameters of the infusion stored in said memory unit, in order to trigger said acoustic and/or visual alarm; and an autonomous source of electrical power for supplying said memory unit, said timing and counting unit, said display unit, said acoustic and/or visual alarm unit and said first arithmetic and logic unit; said memory unit, said timing and counting unit, said display unit, said acoustic and/or visual alarm unit, said first arithmetic and logic unit and said autonomous source of electrical power being integrated into a first housing so as to form an autonomous and independent unit; c) an autonomous and independent programming console, said programming console comprising; a data input unit adapted for entering characteristic parameters of said infusion; a second arithmetic and logic unit, said second arithmetic and logic unit being adapted for preconditioning said characteristic parameters of said infusion entered into said data input unit; and an output interface, said output interface being adapted for converting said preconditioned parameters into signals capable of being transmitted to said monitoring means; said monitoring means further comprising an input interface adapted for reconstituting said preconditioned parameters from said signals generated by the said output interface of said programming console, so that said preconditioned parameters can be loaded into said memory unit of said monitoring means by temporarily coupling said input interface of said autonomous and independent monitoring unit to said output interface of said autonomous and independent programming console. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A device for monitoring an infusion, comprising:
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a) a sensor adapted for being combined with a drip cylinder to detect the presence or absence of a drop; b) monitoring means connected to said sensor associated with said drip cylinder during the infusion;
said monitoring means comprising;a memory unit for storing characteristic parameters of said infusion; a unit for timing and counting the drops detected by said sensor and for generating a first signal indicative thereof; a display unit, wherein said display unit comprises means for displaying graphically on a linear scale the positive or negative difference between the number of drops detected during an interval of observation t1 and the number of drops there should have been during the said interval t1 in the case of a uniform distribution of drops over the total duration initially planned for the infusion; an acoustic and/or visual alarm unit; a first arithmetic and logic unit adapted for using a computer algorithm, said computer algorithm incorporating as parameters said signal from said timing and counting unit and said characteristic parameters of the infusion stored in said memory unit, in order to trigger said acoustic and/or visual alarm.
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Specification