Capacitive fluid level sensing

• US 9,604,043 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2013
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: King, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendez, Manuel
• Application Number:
  US13/899,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20130261539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 604/31, 604/65, 604/67
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/63 with means for emptying the suction container, e.g. by interrupting suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/631 Emptying the suction container without interrupting suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/72 Cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/77 Suction-irrigation systems aspiration tips supplying fluids A61M1/85; specific for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/92; combined with tracheal tubes A61M16/0463
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/123 with incorporated reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3382 Upper level detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3386 Low level detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3389 Continuous level detection A61M2205/3393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0201 Cassettes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/00 Devices for introducing or retaining media, e.g. remedies, in cavities of the body A61M25/00 takes precedence ; introducing or retaining ophthalmic products into the ocular cavities A61F9/0008
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/265 for discrete levels
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/266 measuring circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/268 mounting arrangements of probes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7306 Electrical characteristic sensing

Abstract

A capacitive fluid level sensing arrangement for use in a medical device is provided. The arrangement includes at least one pair of conductive plates configured to increase and decrease the amount of electric charge stored in relation to the level of fluid within a fluid maintaining device, such as a reservoir. The conductive plates are electrically connected to a medical device and are configured to measure the charge stored between the plates and thus sense the fluid level. The electric circuit may communicate the measurement to an instrument host arrangement for operating a pump configured to remove fluid from the reservoir and move the fluid to a collector when the level exceeds a preset upper level amount. The instrument host arrangement may stop operating the pump when the fluid level is reduced to a preset lower level amount.

Claims

1. A method for performing a surgical procedure, comprising:

exchanging fluid between a handpiece configured to be employed to perform the surgical procedure and a reservoir;

capacitively sensing fluid level within the reservoir; and

depending on fluid level sensed by said capacitively sensing, selectively altering a fluid amount within the reservoir by selectively evacuating fluid from the reservoir to a collector based on sensing at least one of an increase in capacitance, a capacitance exceeding a preset maximum threshold, or a capacitance change rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the handpiece is a component of an ophthalmic surgical device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ophthalmic surgical device is a phacoemulsification system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said capacitively sensing includes measuring a voltage between at least one pair of conductive plates.

5. The method of claim 4, further including:

connecting a cassette including the reservoir to an instrument host including the at least one pair of conductive plates.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one pair of conductive plates are positioned on opposite sides of a cavity formed in the instrument host and connecting the cassette includes positioning the reservoir in the cavity.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one pair of conductive plates are positioned within the reservoir.

8. The method of claim 7, further including:

connecting a cassette including the reservoir to an instrument host including an electric circuit; and

electrically connecting the at least one pair of conductive plates to the electric circuit.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said electrically connecting includes connecting a first connector to a second connector.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein each conductive plate has a planar shape.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one pair of conductive plates includes a plurality of pairs of conductive plates connected in parallel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said measuring of the voltage between the plurality of pairs of conductive plates is based on the equation:

V_o(p)=V_I(p)*(1−

e<sup>−

t/RC</sup>)

where V_o(p) is the measured voltage between the pair of conductive plates, V_I(p) is the voltage of a square wave provided across the pair of conductive plates, R is resistance of a resistor configured in series with the pair of conductive plates, C is capacitance of the pair of conductive plates, and t is time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively altering the fluid amount within the reservoir further includes selectively adding fluid to the reservoir based on capacitively sensing at least one of a decrease in capacitance, a capacitance below a preset minimum threshold, or a capacitance change rate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the fluid is added to the reservoir from the collector.