Remote control fluid regulation system

• US 8,499,761 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Remcore, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Remcore, Inc.
• Inventors: Jorczak, Kevin D., Kling, Matthew T., Green, David S., Polizzotto, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGLAS, STEVEN O
• Application Number:
  US12/795,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20100237265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 128/204.18, 12820421-20424, 128/205.24
• US Class Current: 128/205.24
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0672 Nasal cannula assemblies for oxygen therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/101 using an oxygen concentrator
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0007 introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/03 Gases in liquid phase, e.g. cryogenic liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/205 partial oxygen pressure (P-O2)

Abstract

A fluid regulation system comprising a fluid source and a tube operatively connected to the source configured to deliver the fluid from the source to a site. A valve is configured to control a rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site via the tube, and a remote control unit is configured to enable a user to control the valve to adjust the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site.

Claims

1. A fluid regulation system, comprising:

a source configured to hold a fluid;

a tube operatively connected to the source configured to deliver the fluid from the source to a site;

a valve configured to control a rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site via the tube;

a wireless remote control unit configured to enable a user to control the valve to adjust the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site; and

a display configured to indicate the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site, wherein the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site is measured by a flow sensor.

2. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 further comprising a receiver operatively interconnected with the valve configured to receive a control signal to control the valve.

3. The fluid regulation system of claim 2 wherein the control signal is sent from the remote control unit.

4. The fluid regulation system of claim 2 further comprising a flow sensor operatively interconnected to the valve configured to monitor an existing rate for the rate at which fluid is delivered from the source to the site.

5. The fluid regulation system of claim 4 wherein the flow sensor is further configured to detect that a desired rate for the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site is different than the existing rate, the flow sensor further configured to send the control signal to the receiver to control the valve to adjust the existing rate to the desired rate in response to detecting the difference maintain the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site using the control signal.

6. The fluid regulation system of claim 2 wherein the control signal comprises an electromagnetic signal.

7. The fluid regulation system of claim 6 wherein the electromagnetic signal comprises a radio frequency signal.

8. The fluid regulation system of claim 6 wherein the electromagnetic signal comprises a microwave signal.

9. The fluid regulation system of claim 6 where in the electromagnetic signal comprises an infrared signal.

10. The fluid regulation system of claim 6 wherein the electromagnetic signal comprises a visible signal.

11. The fluid regulation system of claim 2 wherein the remote control unit is operatively interconnected to the receiver.

12. The fluid regulation system of claim 2 wherein the remote control unit is operatively connected to the receiver through a wireless link.

13. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 wherein the fluid comprises oxygen.

14. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 wherein the remote control unit is sound activated.

15. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 further comprising a leak detector configured to detect a fluid leak of the system.

16. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 wherein the display is operatively interconnected to the remote control unit.

17. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 wherein the valve comprises a motor configured to adjust the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site.

18. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 further comprising a first power source operatively connected to the valve configured to adjust the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site.

19. The fluid regulation system of claim 18 further comprising a second power source operatively connected to the valve configured to adjust the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site following a failure of the first power source.

20. The fluid regulation system of claim 18 wherein the valve enables manual control.

21. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 further comprising a monitoring station operatively connected to the valve configured to monitor the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site and further configured to adjust the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site.

22. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 wherein the remote control unit is further configured to adjust the rate to one or more preset rates.

23. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 wherein the system is configured to provide a warning signal in response to a failure of the system.

24. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 further comprising a flow sensor operatively interconnected to the valve configured to monitor the rate at which fluid is delivered from the source to the site.

25. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 wherein the valve comprises a solenoid valve.

26. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 further comprising an error detection system configured to detect an error in the system and further configured to control the valve to adjust the rate of fluid delivered to a pre-specified rate in response to detecting the error.

72. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 wherein the rate of fluid indicated on the display includes an integer.

73. The fluid regulation system of claim 1 wherein the rate of fluid indicated on the display includes lettering.

27. A method for operating a fluid regulation system, comprising:

holding a fluid by a source;

delivering the fluid from the source to a site via a tube operatively connected to the source;

controlling, with a valve operatively connected to the tube, a rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site via the tube;

enabling a user to control the valve to adjust the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site using a wireless remote control unit; and

indicating at a display the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site, wherein the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site is measured by a flow sensor.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising receiving a control signal by a receiver operatively interconnected with the valve to control the valve.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising sending the control signal from the remote control unit.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising monitoring an existing rate for the rate at which fluid is delivered from the source to the site with a flow sensor operatively interconnected to the valve.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

detecting with the flow sensor that a desired rate for the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site is different than the existing rate; and

sending the control signal to the receiver to control the valve to adjust the existing rate to the desired rate in response to detecting the difference.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein the control signal comprises an electromagnetic signal.

33. The method of claim 32 where in the electromagnetic signal comprises a radio frequency signal.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the electromagnetic signal comprises a microwave signal.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the electromagnetic signal comprises an infrared signal.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein the electromagnetic signal comprises a visible signal.

37. The method of claim 27 further comprising detecting a fluid leak of the system by a leak detector.

38. The method of claim 27 wherein the remote control unit is operatively interconnected to the receiver.

39. The method of claim 27 wherein the remote control unit is operatively connected to the receiver through a wireless link.

40. The method of claim 27 wherein the fluid comprises oxygen.

41. The method of claim 27 further comprising activating the remote control unit with sound.

42. The method of claim 27 wherein the display is operatively interconnected to the remote control unit.

43. The method of claim 27 further comprising controlling the valve using a motor to adjust the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site.

44. The method of claim 27 further comprising adjusting the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site using a first power source operatively connected to the valve.

45. The method of claim 44 further comprising adjusting the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site using a second power source operatively connected to the valve following a failure of the first power source.

46. The method of claim 27 further comprising enabling manual control of the valve.

47. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

monitoring the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site using a monitoring station operatively connected to the valve; and

adjusting the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site using the monitoring station.

48. The method of claim 27 further comprising adjusting the rate to one or more preset rates using the remote control unit.

49. The method of claim 27 further comprising providing a warning signal at the system in response to a failure of the system.

50. The method of claim 27 further comprising monitoring the rate at which fluid is delivered from the source to the site using a flow sensor operatively interconnected to the valve.

51. The method of claim 27 wherein the valve comprises a solenoid valve.

52. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

detecting an error of the system; and

in response to detecting the error, controlling the valve to adjust the rate of fluid delivered to a pre-specified rate.

74. The method of claim 27 wherein the rate of fluid indicated on the display includes an integer.

75. The method of claim 27 wherein the rate of fluid indicated on the display includes lettering.

53. A fluid regulation system, comprising;

means for holding a fluid;

means for delivering the fluid from a source to a site;

means for controlling a rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site;

means for enabling a user to wirelessly control a valve to adjust the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site; and

means for indicating the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site, wherein the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site is measured by a flow sensor.

54. The system of claim 53 further comprising means for receiving a control signal to control the valve.

55. The system of claim 54 further comprising means for sending the control signal to control the valve.

56. The system of claim 54 further comprising means for monitoring an existing rate for the rate at which fluid is delivered from the source to the site.

57. The system of claim 56 further comprising:

means for detecting that a desired rate for the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site is different than the existing rate; and

means for adjusting the existing rate to the desired rate in response to detecting the difference.

58. The system of claim 53 wherein the control signal comprises an electromagnetic signal.

59. The system of claim 58 wherein the electromagnetic signal comprises a radio frequency signal.

60. The system of claim 58 wherein the electromagnetic signal comprises a microwave signal.

61. The system of claim 58 wherein the electromagnetic signal comprises an infrared signal.

62. The system of claim 58 where in the electromagnetic signal comprises a visible signal.

63. The system of claim 53 further comprising means for detecting a fluid leak of the system.

64. The system of claim 53 wherein the means for enabling is operatively interconnected to the receiver.

65. The system of claim 53 wherein the means for enabling is operatively connected to the receiver through a wireless link.

66. The system of claim 53 wherein the means for indicating is operatively interconnected to the means for enabling.

67. The system of claim 53 further comprising means for controlling the valve to adjust the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site.

68. The system of claim 53 further comprising:

means for monitoring the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site; and

means for adjusting the rate of fluid delivered from the source to the site.

69. The system of claim 53 further comprising means for adjusting the rate to one or more preset rates.

70. The system of claim 53 further comprising means for monitoring the rate at which fluid is delivered from the source to the site.

71. The system of claim 53 further comprising:

means for detecting an error of the system; and

means for controlling the valve to adjust the rate of fluid delivered to a pre-specified rate in response to detecting the error.

76. The system of claim 53 wherein the rate of fluid includes an integer.

77. The system of claim 53 wherein the rate of fluid includes lettering.