Flow control line management apparatus
First Claim
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1. An IV line management apparatus for intravenous administrations of multiple solutions using an infusion pump comprising:
- a housing for receiving a piggyback tubing assembly comprising a primary IV tube from a primary IV solution bag as joined to a secondary IV tube from a secondary IV solution bag with a joining-connector and an exit tube passing from the joining-connector;
first and second metering clamps engaging the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube respectively when the piggyback tubing assembly is received within the housing for controlling flow through the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube according to electrical signals received by the first and second metering clamps;
at least one flow rate sensor sensing flow through the piggyback tubing assembly and delivering at least one signal indicating a flow rate; and
a controller comprising an electronic computer executing a stored program and receiving the at least one signal indicating the flow rate from the at least one flow rate sensor and providing the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps according to the stored program;
wherein the electronic computer executes the stored program to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to stop flow through the primary IV tube while allowing flow through the secondary IV tube until a flow rate lower than a second predetermined value is detected indicating an exhaustion of the secondary IV solution bag and then to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to stop flow through the secondary IV tube while allowing flow through the primary IV tube; and
wherein the electronic computer executes the stored program to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to allow flow through one of the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube until a flow rate greater than a first predetermined value is detected indicating a failure of the infusion pump and then to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to stop flow through the one of the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube.
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Abstract
A line management apparatus for managing multiple IV lines connected in a Y fitting provides for flow sensing and for electronic control of flow in the multiple lines. The line management apparatus may be used independently as a precise gravity feed IV system or may provide for use in combination with an infusion pump to ensure proper delivery of multiple solutions without blending of the multiple solutions.
23 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An IV line management apparatus for intravenous administrations of multiple solutions using an infusion pump comprising:
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a housing for receiving a piggyback tubing assembly comprising a primary IV tube from a primary IV solution bag as joined to a secondary IV tube from a secondary IV solution bag with a joining-connector and an exit tube passing from the joining-connector; first and second metering clamps engaging the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube respectively when the piggyback tubing assembly is received within the housing for controlling flow through the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube according to electrical signals received by the first and second metering clamps; at least one flow rate sensor sensing flow through the piggyback tubing assembly and delivering at least one signal indicating a flow rate; and a controller comprising an electronic computer executing a stored program and receiving the at least one signal indicating the flow rate from the at least one flow rate sensor and providing the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps according to the stored program; wherein the electronic computer executes the stored program to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to stop flow through the primary IV tube while allowing flow through the secondary IV tube until a flow rate lower than a second predetermined value is detected indicating an exhaustion of the secondary IV solution bag and then to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to stop flow through the secondary IV tube while allowing flow through the primary IV tube; and wherein the electronic computer executes the stored program to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to allow flow through one of the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube until a flow rate greater than a first predetermined value is detected indicating a failure of the infusion pump and then to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to stop flow through the one of the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An IV line management apparatus for intravenous administrations of multiple solutions using an infusion pump comprising:
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a housing for receiving a tubing assembly comprising a primary IV tube from a primary IV solution bag as joined to a secondary IV tube from a secondary IV solution bag as joined by a multi-way connector leading to an exit tube passing from the multi-way connector; first and second metering clamps engaging the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube respectively when the tubing assembly is received within the housing for controlling flow through the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube independent from one another according to electrical signals received by the first and second metering clamps; at least one flow rate sensor sensing flow through the tubing assembly and delivering at least one signal indicating a flow rate; and a controller comprising an electronic computer executing a stored program and receiving the at least one signal from the at least one flow rate sensor indicating the flow rate and providing the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps according to the stored program; wherein the electronic computer executes the stored program to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to stop flow through the primary IV tube while allowing flow through the secondary IV tube until a flow rate lower than a second predetermined value is detected indicating an exhaustion of the secondary IV solution bag and then to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to stop flow through the secondary IV tube while allowing flow through the primary IV tube; wherein the electronic computer executes the stored program to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to allow flow through one of the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube until a flow rate greater than a first predetermined value is detected indicating a failure of the infusion pump and then to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to stop flow through the one of the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube; and wherein the metering clamps control the flow between a fully blocked and a fully open flow through the one of the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube.
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17. An IV line management apparatus for intravenous administrations of multiple solutions comprising:
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a housing for receiving a piggyback tubing assembly comprising a primary IV tube from a primary IV solution bag as joined to a secondary IV tube from a secondary IV solution bag with a joining-connector and an exit tube passing from the joining-connector; first and second metering clamps engaging the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube respectively when the piggyback tubing assembly is received within the housing for controlling flow through the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube according to electrical signals received by the first and second metering clamps; at least one flow rate sensor sensing flow through the piggyback tubing assembly and delivering at least one signal indicating a flow rate; a controller comprising an electronic computer executing a stored program and receiving the at least one signal from the at least one flow rate sensor indicating the flow rate and providing the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps according to the stored program; and an infusion pump located downstream from the exit tube; wherein the electronic computer executes the stored program to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to stop flow through the primary IV tube while allowing flow through the secondary IV tube until a flow rate lower than a second predetermined value is detected indicating an exhaustion of the secondary IV solution bag and then to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to stop flow through the secondary IV tube while allowing flow through the primary IV tube; and wherein the electronic computer executes the stored program to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to allow flow through one of the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube until a flow rate greater than a first predetermined value is detected indicating a failure of the infusion pump and then to provide the electrical signals based upon the flow rate to the first and second metering clamps to stop flow through the one of the primary IV tube and the secondary IV tube.
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Specification