Air-bubble-monitoring medication assembly, medical system and method
First Claim
1. An air-bubble-monitoring medication assembly comprising:
- a) a drug infusion subassembly having a tube for administering therein a liquid to a patient at a dose rate;
b) a bubble-size determinator which is disposed to sense an air bubble entrained in the liquid in the tube and which determines the volume of the sensed air bubble; and
c) an analyzer which logs the time the bubble-size determinator senses an air bubble and the volume of the sensed air bubble, which calculates a first running sum of a total air volume of all air bubbles sensed over a first time interval, where the first time interval is dependent upon the dose rate, and the analyzer compares the first running sum with a first preselected limit, and which generates an output when the first running sum exceeds the first preselected limit, and which further calculates a second running sum of a total air volume of all air bubbles sensed over a second time interval;
compares the second running sum with a second preselected limit; and
generates the output when the second running sum exceeds the second preselected limit, wherein the second time interval is longer than the first time interval, wherein the second preselected limit equals the first preselected limit times a multiplier, and wherein the second time interval does not equal the first time interval times the multiplier.
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Abstract
An air-bubble-monitoring medication assembly includes a drug infusion subassembly having a tube for administering therein a liquid to a patient, a bubble-size determinator which is positioned to sense an air bubble entrained in the liquid in the tube and which determines the volume of the air bubble, and an analyzer. The analyzer logs the time the detector senses an air bubble and the volume of the air bubble, calculates a running sum of a total air volume of all air bubbles sensed over a time interval, compares the running sum with a preselected limit, and generates an output when the running sum exceeds the preselected limit. The medical system additionally includes a controller assembly which determines a delivery schedule for administering the liquid and which controls the drug infusion subassembly to administer the liquid in accordance with the determined delivery schedule. The method performs the analyzer functions.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An air-bubble-monitoring medication assembly comprising:
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a) a drug infusion subassembly having a tube for administering therein a liquid to a patient at a dose rate; b) a bubble-size determinator which is disposed to sense an air bubble entrained in the liquid in the tube and which determines the volume of the sensed air bubble; and c) an analyzer which logs the time the bubble-size determinator senses an air bubble and the volume of the sensed air bubble, which calculates a first running sum of a total air volume of all air bubbles sensed over a first time interval, where the first time interval is dependent upon the dose rate, and the analyzer compares the first running sum with a first preselected limit, and which generates an output when the first running sum exceeds the first preselected limit, and which further calculates a second running sum of a total air volume of all air bubbles sensed over a second time interval;
compares the second running sum with a second preselected limit; and
generates the output when the second running sum exceeds the second preselected limit, wherein the second time interval is longer than the first time interval, wherein the second preselected limit equals the first preselected limit times a multiplier, and wherein the second time interval does not equal the first time interval times the multiplier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A medical system comprising:
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a) a controller assembly which determines a delivery schedule including a current dose rate for administering the liquid and which controls the drug infusion subassembly to administer the liquid in accordance with the determined delivery schedule;
andb) an air-bubble-monitoring medication assembly including; 1) an intravenous drug infusion subassembly having a tube for administering therein a liquid to a patient; 2) a bubble-size determinator which is disposed to sense an air bubble entrained in the liquid in the tube and which determines the volume of the sensed air bubble; and 3) an analyzer which logs the time the detector senses an air bubble and the volume of the sensed air bubble, which calculates a first running sum of a total air volume of all air bubbles sensed over a first time interval, where the first time interval is dependent upon the dose rate, and the analyzer compares the first running sum with a first preselected limit, and which generates an output when the first running sum exceeds the first preselected limit and which further calculates a second running sum of a total air volume of all air bubbles sensed over a second time interval;
compares the second running sum with a second preselected limit; and
generates the output when the second running sum exceeds the second preselected limit, wherein the second time interval is longer than the first time interval, wherein the second preselected limit equals the first preselected limit times a multiplier, and wherein the second time interval does not equal the first time interval times the multiplier. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for monitoring air bubbles in a drug infusion subassembly having a tube for administering therein a liquid to a patient at a dose rate, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
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a) disposing a bubble-size determinator to sense the presence of an air bubble entrained in the liquid in the tube, wherein the bubble-size determinator also determines the volume of the sensed air bubble; b) logging the time the bubble-size determinator senses an air bubble and the volume of the sensed air bubble determined by the bubble-size determinator; c) calculating a first running sum of a total air volume of all air bubbles sensed over a first time interval where the first time interval is dependent upon the dose rate; d) comparing the first running sum with a first preselected limit; and e) generating an output when the first running sum exceeds the first preselected limit; f) calculating a second running sum of a total air volume of all air bubbles sensed over a second time interval; g) comparing the second running sum with a second preselected limit; and h) generating the output when the second running sum exceeds the second preselected limit, wherein the second time interval is longer than the first time interval, wherein the second preselected limit equals the first preselected limit times a multiplier, and wherein the second time interval does not equal the first time interval times the multiplier. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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Specification