Method and apparatus for controlling temperature of medical liquids

• US 9,211,381 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medical Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Medical Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Faries, Durward I., Faries, Tarry Ann, Heymann, Bruce R., Davis, David, Tsang, Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Stigell, Theodore
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOO, BENJAMIN K
• Application Number:
  US13/745,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20130197437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 604/113, 604/114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/36 related to heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/44 having means for cooling or heating the devices or media

Abstract

A system for controlling temperature of intravenous fluids includes a thermal treatment device and a temperature sensing device to measure a temperature of the fluid flowing through the sensor. The temperature sensing device may simultaneously collect two temperature measurements. For example, the sensing device may include sensors that measure the temperature of the fluid at two disparate locations along the medical fluid line. Additionally, the sensors may measure the temperature of the fluid within the medical fluid line, as well as the ambient temperature outside of the line. The thermal treatment device includes a conduit configured to have a nonlinear flow path through the device. The thermal treatment device thermally treats fluid within the conduit to a desired temperature or range.

Claims

1. A temperature sensing system for measuring temperature of a sterile medical fluid, the temperature sensing device comprising:

a medical fluid line configured to couple to a medical fluid container housing a sterile medical fluid, the medical fluid line receiving the sterile medical fluid from the medical fluid container and directing the sterile medical fluid downstream toward a patient;

a fitting coupled to the medical fluid line such that the fitting at least partially surrounds the medical fluid line, the fitting permitting the passage of fluid downstream to the patient, and

a sensor housing mounted on the fitting at a first location, the sensor housing including a first side, a second side, first temperature sensor to indicate a first measured temperature and a second temperature sensor to indicate a second measured temperature, wherein the second temperature sensor is disposed proximate to the second side of the sensor housing downstream from the first temperature sensor disposed proximate to the first side of the sensor housing;

a thermal treatment device coupled to the fitting at a second location, the second location being disposed upstream from the first location, the thermal treatment device including at least one heating element and is operable to thermally treat the sterile medical fluid as it flows downstream from the medical fluid container; and

a controller in communication with the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, the controller operable to compare the first measured temperature to said second measured temperature to control the thermal treatment device to maintain the sterile medical fluid at a desired temperature.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further in communication with the thermal treatment device, the controller engaging or disengaging the thermal treatment device in response to comparing the first measured temperature to the second measured temperature.

3. The system of claim 1, Wherein:

the system further comprises an alerting device to notify a user of an abnormal condition;

the controller is further in communication with the alerting device; and

the controller engages the alerting device in response to comparing the first measured temperature to the second measured temperature.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines a flow rate of the medical fluid through the temperature sensing device via comparison of the first measured temperature to the second measured temperature.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises an alerting device to notify a user of an abnormal condition;

the controller is further in communication with the alerting device; and

the controller activates the alerting device when the second measured temperature is equal to or greater than the first measured temperature.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor housing comprises a housing inlet disposed on the first side upstream from a housing outlet disposed on the second side;

the first temperature sensor is disposed proximate the housing inlet such the first measured temperature indicates temperature of the fluid proximate the housing inlet (T_f); and

the second temperature sensor is disposed proximate the housing outlet such that the second measured temperature indicates temperature of the fluid proximate the housing outlet (T_e).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor housing further comprises;

a body defining an exterior surface, and

an interior channel proximate to the first side extending through the body;

the first sensor is mounted on the body interior channel; and

the second sensor is mounted on the body exterior surface proximate to the second side.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the interior channel defines a housing inlet and a housing outlet, the housing outlet being located on the second side downstream from the housing inlet located on the first side;

the first sensor is disposed proximate the housing inlet such that the first measured temperature indicates a temperature of medical fluid proximate the housing inlet; and

the second sensor indicates ambient temperature.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the system further comprises an alerting device to notify a user of an abnormal condition;

the controller is further in communication with said alerting device; and

the controller activates the alerting device if the second measured temperature is equal to or greater than the first measured temperature.

10. A method of measuring temperature of a sterile medical fluid flowing within a medical fluid line, the method comprising:

directing a sterile medical fluid along a medical fluid line; and

directing said sterile medical fluid through;

a fitting coupled to the medical fluid line the fitting at least partially surrounding the medical fluid line and permitting the passage of the sterile medical fluid downstream to the patient directing said sterile medical fluid through a thermal treatment device coupled to the fitting at a first location, the thermal treatment device includes at least one heating element and is operable to thermally treat the sterile medical fluid at the first location as it flows downstream from a medical fluid container and toward a patient; and

directing said sterile medical fluid through

a sensor housing mounted on said fitting at a second location, the sensor housing including a first side, a second side, a first temperature sensor disposed on the sensor housing proximate to the first side to indicate a first measured temperature and a second temperature sensor disposed on the sensor housing proximate to the second side to indicate a second measured temperature the sensor housing further includes

a controller in communication with the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, the controller being operable to compare the first measured temperature to the second measured temperature to control the thermal treatment device to maintain the sterile medical fluid at a desired temperature,

the second temperature sensor is disposed downstream from the first temperature sensor.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

measuring a first measured temperature via the first temperature sensor, the first measured temperature indicating a first temperature of the sterile medical fluid flowing within the inline conduit at a first conduit position proximate to the first side of the sensor housing;

measuring a second measured temperature, the second measured temperature indicating a second temperature of the sterile medical fluid flowing within the inline conduit at a second conduit position proximate to the second side of the sensor housing, the second conduit position being downstream from the first conduit position; and

comparing the first measured temperature to the second measured temperature.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the sensor housing further includes an alerting device to alert a user of a condition;

the controller is in communication with the alerting device; and

the controller activates the alerting device when the second temperature is greater than the first temperature by a predetermined value.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

measuring a first measured temperature via the first temperature sensor, the first measured temperature indicating a first temperature of the sterile medical fluid flowing within the inline conduit proximate to the first side of the sensor housing;

measuring a second measured temperature via the second temperature sensor, the second measured temperature indicating ambient temperature outside the conduit proximate to the second side of the sensor housing; and

comparing the first measured temperature to the second measured temperature.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the sensor housing further includes an alerting device to alert a user of a condition;

the controller is in communication with the alerting device; and

the controller activates the alerting device when the second temperature is equal to the first temperature or is greater than the first temperature by a predetermined value.