Optical bubble detection system
First Claim
1. A sample cell for monitoring the flow of a liquid, the sample cell comprising, a cell wall defining a conduit, the conduit having a triangular cross-section, and a base portion positioned adjacent the conduit and along the cell wall, the base portion extending away from the conduit and being configured for the passage of light therethrough without passing through the conduit.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical sensor includes a sample cell through which a fluid flows, an optical sensor formed by an optical emitter and an optical detector. The sample cell and the optical sensor use light refraction to determine the presence and size of a bubble passing through the sample cell. A housing may also be included to provide better control over light refraction and to protect the optical sensor.
127 Citations
69 Claims
- 1. A sample cell for monitoring the flow of a liquid, the sample cell comprising, a cell wall defining a conduit, the conduit having a triangular cross-section, and a base portion positioned adjacent the conduit and along the cell wall, the base portion extending away from the conduit and being configured for the passage of light therethrough without passing through the conduit.
-
9. A device for monitoring fluids comprising:
-
a sample cell having a cell wall defining a conduit, the cell wall having first and second sidewalls disposed tangentially to ane another, and a housing disposed adjacent to, but spaced apart from the sample cell. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A device for monitoring the flow of a liquid, the device comprising:
-
a sample cell having a cell wall with at least two sidewalls disposed at an angle of between 45 and 100 degrees from one another and defining a conduit;
a housing disposed adjacent to but spaced apart from the sample cell so as to define an air chamber between the housing and the sample cell. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
- 32. A sample cell for use in monitoring of air bubbles in an infusion set, the sample cell comprising a conduit and a base portion extending from the sample cell configured to allow light to pass therethrough regardless of contents of the conduit.
-
44. A method for monitoring a conduit for supplying a liquid, the method comprising:
-
positioning the conduit between an optical emitter and an optical detector;
emitting a signal from the optical emitter to the optical detector; and
utilizing the optical signal received by the optical detector to determine at least two of the group consisting the presence of the conduit;
the presence of air in the conduit; and
that optical emitter is sending the optical signal.- View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
-
-
52. A method for monitoring air bubbles in an infusion set, the method comprising;
-
selecting a sample cell having a first sidewall and a second sidewall, the first and second sidewall being disposed at an angle relative to one another between about 45 and 100 degrees and having a conduit formed therein;
transmitting light from an optical signal emitter toward an optical signal detector and into the sample cell and refracting a greater amount of light toward the optical signal detector if air is present in the conduit; and
directing light through the sample cell such that the optical detector always receives light if the optical emitter is working. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55)
-
-
56. A method for detecting bubbles in a sample cell, the method comprising;
-
selecting a sample cell having a conduit, an optical signal emitter and an optical signal detector;
determining whether the sample cell is properly positioned between the optical signal emitter and the optical signal detector by the amount of light detected by the optical signal detector; and
causing different amounts of light to be refracted towards the optical signal detector depending, on whether the conduit is filled with air or is filled with a liquid. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 63, 64)
-
-
60. A method for forming a sample cell from flexible tubing the method comprising:
-
selecting a sample cell container having a channel formed therein defining a pair of sidewalls sloping toward one another and being disposed at an angle offset from each other of between about 45 and 100 degrees; and
engaging the flexible tube with the pair of sidewalls to deform the flexible tube so that the flexible tube has sidewalls disposed generally parallel to the pair of sidewalls of the sample cell container, and so that a base portion is formed for passing light therethrough with minimal refraction.
-
-
61. A sample cell container for forming a sample cell from a piece of flexible tubing, the sample cell container comprising;
-
a lower portion having a channel formed therein, the channel having a pair of inwardly sloping sidewalls disposed tangentially to one another at an angle of between about 45 and 100 degrees, and a base portion formed at a bottom end of the inwardly sloping sidewalls; and
an upper portion having a protrusion for nesting into the lower portion to deform the flexible tubing.
-
-
62. A method for determining the presence of air in a sample cell, the method comprising;
-
selecting a sample cell having a sidewall;
directing light from an optical emitter along a plane toward the sample cell such that the sidewall of the sample cell is at an angle of less than normal from the plane; and
selectively refracting the light through the sample cell so that the light is directed to an optical detector when the sample cell is substantially filled with air;
directing a portion of the light through the sample cell with minimal refraction to indicate that the light has been emitted into the sample cell.
-
-
65. A method for monitoring for bubbles, the method comprising;
-
selecting a sample cell having a first sidewall and a second sidewall on opposite sides of a conduit;
passing a portion of the light through the sample cell so that said portion is subject to minimal refraction regardless of the contents of the conduit; and
refracting light through the first sidewall, the conduit and the second sidewall such that the light reaches an optical signal detector when the sample cell has an air bubble disposed therein, and so that substantially none of the light passing through the conduit reaches the optical detector when the sample cell is filled with liquid. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69)
-
Specification