DRIP CHAMBER WITH INTEGRATED OPTICS

• US 20140267709A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Baxter Healthcare SA (Baxter International Inc.), Baxter International Inc.
• Inventors: Hammond, Peter, Munro, James F., Postema, Luke
• Granted Patent: US 9,234,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1411 Drip chambers A61M5/162, A61M5/1689, A61M5/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1689 Drip counters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/85 Investigating moving fluids or granular solids
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0402 Cleaning, repairing, or assembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/5762 With leakage or drip collecting

Abstract

A drip chamber for an infusion tube, including: a first end arranged to receive a drip tube; a second end including an exit port; at least one wall connecting the first and second ends; a space enclosed by the first and second ends and the at least one wall; and at least one lens integral to the at least one wall or directly fixed to the at least one wall.

Claims

1. A drip chamber for an infusion tube, comprising:

a first end arranged to receive a drip tube;

a second end including an exit port;

at least one wall connecting the first and second ends;

a space enclosed by the first and second ends and the at least one wall; and

,

at least one lens integral to the at least one wall or directly fixed to the at least one wall.

2. The drip chamber of claim 1, wherein the at least one lens is arranged to:

transmit light to the space;

or,

receive light transmitted through the space.

3. The drip chamber of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one wall includes a first wall with at least a flat portion; and

,

the at least one lens is integral to the flat portion or is directly fixed to the flat portion.

4. The drip chamber of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one wall includes an exterior surface; and

,

the at least one lens is integral to the exterior surface or is directly fixed to the exterior surface.

5. The drip chamber of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one wall includes first and second walls with at least first and second flat portions, respectively, substantially parallel to each other; and

,

the at least one lens is integral to one only of the first or second walls or is directly fixed to one only of the first or second flat portions.

6. The drip chamber of claim 1, wherein the at least one wall forms a rectangle enclosing the space in a cross-section orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the drip chamber.

7. The optical imaging system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one lens includes first and second lenses;

the at least one wall includes first and second walls with at least first and second flat portions, respectively;

the first lens is integral to the first flat portion or is directly fixed to the first flat portion; and

,

the second lens is integral to the second flat portion or is directly fixed to the second first flat portion.

8. The optical imaging system of claim 7, wherein a longitudinal axis for the drip chamber is located between the first and second lenses on a line connecting the first and second lenses.

9. The optical imaging system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one wall includes a code integral to the at least one wall; and

,

the code includes information regarding the drip chamber.

10. An optical imaging system for use with an infusion device, comprising:

at least one light source for emitting first light;

a drip chamber including;

at least one wall connecting first and second ends of the drip chamber; and

,

a space at least partially enclosed by the at least one wall and the first and second ends; and

,

at least one lens integral to the at least one wall or directly fixed to the at least one wall, the at least one lens arranged to;

transmit the first light to the space;

or,

receive the first light transmitted through the space;

an optics system including at least one image sensor for;

receiving the first light from the at least one lens; and

,

transmitting data characterizing the first light received from the at least one lens; and

,

at least one specially programmed processor configured to generate, using the data, at least one image of the space.

11. The optical imaging system of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one wall includes an exterior surface; and

,

the at least one lens includes a first lens integral to the exterior surface or directly fixed to the exterior surface.

12. The optical imaging system of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one wall includes a first wall with at least a flat portion; and

,

the at least one lens is integral to the flat portion or is directly fixed to the flat portion.

13. The optical imaging system of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one lens includes first and second lenses;

the first lens is arranged to transmit the first light to the space; and

,

the second lens is arranged to;

receive the first light transmitted by the first lens through the space; and

,

transmit the received first light to the at least one image sensor.

14. The optical imaging system of claim 10, wherein:

an end of the drip tube is located in the space;

the image includes an image of a drop pendant from the end of the drip tube; and

,

the at least one specially programmed processor is configured to calculate a volume of the pendant drop from the image.

15. The optical imaging system of claim 10, wherein:

a meniscus for fluid in the drip chamber is located in the space; and

,

the at least one specially programmed processor is configured to calculate, from the image, a position of the meniscus within the drip chamber.

16. The optical imaging system of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one wall includes a code integral to the at least one wall; and

,

the code includes information regarding the drip chamber.

17. A drip chamber for an infusion tube, comprising:

a first end arranged to receive a drip tube;

a second end including an exit port; and

,

first, second, third, and fourth walls connecting the first and second ends, wherein, in a cross-section orthogonal to an longitudinal axis for the drip tube, the first, second, third, and fourth walls form a rectangle enclosing a space.

18. A method of forming a drip chamber for an infusion tube, comprising:

forming a first end arranged to receive a drip tube;

forming a second end including an exit port;

connecting the first and second ends with at least one wall;

enclosing a space with the first and second ends and the at least one wall; and

,

integrating at least one lens into the at least one wall;

or,

directly fixing at least one lens to the at least one wall.