Measurement of fluid delivery

• US 10,830,785 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2020
• Issued: 11/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Morrow, Edward C., Link, Carl A., Trock, Adam S., Weaver, Andrew E., Malekmadani, Roshanne
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Jamel E
• Application Number:
  US16/939,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20200355716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 106 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31568 Means keeping track of the total dose administered, e.g. since the cartridge was inserted
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/242 Mounting arrangements for electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/0092 for metering by volume
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1016 Control of the volume dispensed or introduced

Abstract

A method for determining a volume of fluid dispensed into a test housing includes creating an electrical potential across at least one input electrode of a plurality of input electrodes and at least one output electrode of a plurality of output electrodes. The input electrodes and the output electrodes are each coupled to the test housing. The method includes receiving at least one signal from the at least one output electrode based on the fluid dispensed into the test housing. The method includes calculating the volume of fluid dispensed into the test housing based on the at least one signal received from the at least one output electrode, a dimension associated with an internal channel defined within the test housing, and a distance between two input electrodes of the plurality of input electrodes.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method comprising:

creating an electrical potential across at least one input electrode of a plurality of input electrodes and at least one output electrode of a plurality of output electrodes, the plurality of input electrodes and the plurality of output electrodes each coupled to a test housing, each input electrode of the plurality of input electrodes associated with a respective output electrode of the plurality of output electrodes;

receiving at least one signal from the at least one output electrode based on fluid dispensed into the test housing; and

calculating a volume of the fluid dispensed into the test housing based on the at least one signal received from the at least one output electrode, a dimension associated with an internal channel defined within the test housing, and a distance between two input electrodes of the plurality of input electrodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the electrical potential comprises supplying an electrical current to the plurality of input electrodes in an alternating pattern.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the electrical potential comprises supplying an electrical current to the plurality of input electrodes in a sequential pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal is generated based on an electrical current conducted from the at least one input electrode to the at least one output electrode through the fluid dispensed into the test housing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether an end of the internal channel has been reached by the fluid based on the at least one signal received from the at least one output electrode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input indicative of an expected volume of fluid to be dispensed into the test housing; and

calculating, based on the expected volume of fluid, an error associated with the volume of fluid dispensed into the test housing.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input indicative of an expected rate at which fluid is to be dispensed into the test housing; and

calculating, based on the expected rate, an error associated with a rate at which the volume of fluid is dispensed into the test housing.

8. One or more non-transitory processor-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of:

creating an electrical potential across at least one input electrode of a plurality of input electrodes and at least one output electrode of a plurality of output electrodes, the plurality of input electrodes and the plurality of output electrodes each coupled to a test housing, each input electrode of the plurality of input electrodes associated with a respective output electrode of the plurality of output electrodes;

receiving at least one signal from the at least one output electrode based on fluid dispensed into the test housing; and

calculating a volume of the fluid dispensed into the test housing based on the at least one signal received from the at least one output electrode, a dimension associated with an internal channel defined within the test housing, and a distance between two input electrodes of the plurality of input electrodes.

9. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable media of claim 8, wherein creating the electrical potential comprises supplying an electrical current to the plurality of input electrodes in an alternating pattern.

10. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable media of claim 8, wherein creating the electrical potential comprises supplying an electrical current to the plurality of input electrodes in a sequential pattern.

11. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable media of claim 8, wherein the at least one signal is generated based on an electrical current conducted from the at least one input electrode to the at least one output electrode through the fluid dispensed into the test housing.

12. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable media of claim 8, further storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of:

determining whether an end of the internal channel has been reached by the fluid based on the at least one signal received from the at least one output electrode.

13. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable media of claim 8, further storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of:

receiving input indicative of an expected volume of fluid to be dispensed into the test housing; and

calculating, based on the expected volume of fluid, an error associated with the volume of fluid dispensed into the test housing.

14. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable media of claim 8, further storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of:

receiving input indicative of an expected rate at which fluid is to be dispensed into the test housing; and

calculating, based on the expected rate, an error associated with a rate at which the volume of fluid is dispensed into the test housing.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more processor-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of;

creating an electrical potential across at least one input electrode of a plurality of input electrodes and at least one output electrode of a plurality of output electrodes, the plurality of input electrodes and the plurality of output electrodes each coupled to a test housing, each input electrode of the plurality of input electrodes associated with a respective output electrode of the plurality of output electrodes;

receiving at least one signal from the at least one output electrode based on fluid dispensed into the test housing; and

calculating a volume of the fluid dispensed into the test housing based on the at least one signal received from the at least one output electrode, a dimension associated with an internal channel defined within the test housing, and a distance between two input electrodes of the plurality of input electrodes.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein creating the electrical potential comprises supplying an electrical current to the plurality of input electrodes in an alternating pattern.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein creating the electrical potential comprises supplying an electrical current to the plurality of input electrodes in a sequential pattern.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one signal is generated based on an electrical current conducted from the at least one input electrode to the at least one output electrode through the fluid dispensed into the test housing.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processor-readable media further store instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of:

receiving input indicative of an expected volume of fluid to be dispensed into the test housing; and

calculating, based on the expected volume of fluid, an error associated with the volume of fluid dispensed into the test housing.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processor-readable media further store instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of:

receiving input indicative of an expected rate at which fluid is to be dispensed into the test housing; and

calculating, based on the expected rate, an error associated with a rate at which the volume of fluid is dispensed into the test housing.